Frank Warren reveals plans for a five-fight card every week
Promoter Frank Warren has is one of a select few with TV deals who are strategising for the sport to make a comeback in July, subject to approval from the British Boxing Board of Control.
Hall of Fame promoter Warren told talkSPORT.com: “We’re quite far advanced and we could probably run a show – subject to the boxers being fit and well – next week.
“They will be behind closed doors and we’ve actually sorted out the situation we’ve got, which is the most important thing, the safety of all those involved.
“We’ve got all the equipment we need, we’ve got the couple of gyms we’ll be using which have been and will be continually sanitised.
“Once we get the green light, I know a lot of boxers are ticking over, keeping themselves fit, they’ve gotta get match fit, and once we’ve got dates they can then train towards those dates to achieve maximum fitness levels.
“We will probably run one show minimum per week. If we can, we will try and increase that to more. At the moment that’s the plan, one show per week.
“We’ve got a couple [of potential venues] but it depends on what the government say, whether they allow this to take place.
“We’re looking at a couple of options, and once we know what the criteria’s gonna be to allow this to happen, then we’ll make our decision.
“We’ve looked at quite a few different things, what it’s about for us is making boxing without a live gate and the live gate is the atmosphere for any event.
Elsewhere, rival promoter Eddie Hearn has publicly announced his plans for ‘Matchroom Fight Camp’ – a series of boxing matches in his back garden.
Warren reacted: “I’ve seen the thing about the back garden and setting off fireworks and people coming over the hill. We’ve been talking about doing it in my window box with a couple of flyweights and a couple of sparklers.
“You can talk about all this stuff, at the end of the day it’s going to be about the fights. That’s what it’s all about.”
With some bigger bouts relying partially on money made at the gate to pay sizeable purses, Warren is honest about the fact his larger shows won’t be scheduled to begin with.
However, British champions such as Brad Foster and Sunny Edwards will get the chance to shine.
He continued: “We’ve made a conscious decision that we will start off with British title fights, that’s what we’re gonna do.
“Maybe if we possibly can get a Commonwealth or European we can do that, but British title fight level.
“Which is a great level by the way. We’ve had some fantastic fights as British title fights, they’ve very competitive.
“So that’s what we’re gonna kick off with and then see how it develops over the weeks.
“We obviously don’t know when we’ll get back to normal, but if we don’t then we’re gonna have to give the guys that hold world titles or are about to fight for world titles, we’re gonna have to get them out, they can’t sit around…
“I don’t know how long this is gonna last, I don’t think anybody does, there’s a lot of sports saying there won’t be live events now maybe until the end of the year.
“If that is the case, it means we’re gonna have to be putting even bigger fights behind closed doors. It’s not something anybody wants to do, but people have got to get a living.
“And from a mental perspective… You’ve got guys who only get paid when they fight, their work is training and they can’t train properly, so they’re under quite severe pressure at the moment.
“It’s our job to make sure we can get all the guys a fight, we’re probably only gonna have five fights on each show. Where I normally put 14 fights on a show, there’ll only be five, that means ten boxers getting work.
“So we’ve gotta really get our act together and make sure we can deliver for everybody.”
Before the pandemic put the entire boxing schedule on ice, Warren’s marquee event was set to be a heavyweight clash between Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce on April 11.
Providing an update on the situation, as well as Anthony Yarde’s fight on the undercard, the promoter explained: “We’ve pushed back that show anyway, I think it’s to late September/October.
“Anthony needs to fight, he’s been severely affected by this virus, he lost his dad and his grandmother in the space of a week.
“At the moment he’s like everybody, he’s in lockdown and not able to do anything. I want to get him out there, get him focussed and hopefully get him back to what he’s brilliant at which is boxing.”
When asked if the heavyweights could have intervening bouts behind closed doors before facing one another, Warren concluded: “It’s something we’ve already considered and we’re looking at that.
“The problem is, I don’t think anybody, whether it’s in boxing or any walk of life, no-one can plan because we don’t know – and I don’t think the government actually know at the moment – what we can do.
“So we need to know, we’re hoping we’ll get some good news soon so we can determine that.
“But one thing’s for sure, I can’t have these guys sitting around on their backsides, it’s not good for them, it’s not healthy for anybody doing this.”
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