Frank Warren discusses Andy Lee-Billy Joe Saunders, Wladimir Klitschko-Tyson Fury and more

Andy Lee

FRANK WARREN is discussing Billy Joe Saunders potentially challenging the new WBO middleweight champion, Andy Lee. โ€œAdam Booth [Leeโ€™s trainer] and I are talking about what the best way to put this together is. The problem weโ€™ve got, I think itโ€™s a big fight you could put on somewhere like a West Ham or QPR [stadium],โ€ Warren told Boxing News. โ€œThereโ€™s nothing in Dublin, the biggest there is about 10,000, nowhere near big enough. Weโ€™re talking and discussing the ways forward at the moment.โ€

Tyson Fury challenging heavyweight ruler Wladimir Klitschko is also under discussion. โ€œWe were talking to Klitschko last week, we thought we were close to doing something. The problem is the finance. They want everything. Klitschkoโ€™s great for boxing, heโ€™s a nice guy, heโ€™s got a great image. I tell you what, they want everything on the table and just throw crumbs off. Heโ€™s the mandatory challenger and heโ€™s not going to fight for crumbs,โ€ Frank said. โ€œKlitschkoโ€™s supposed to be fighting [Bryant] Jennings. Theyโ€™ve had a fallout over money as well… If theyโ€™re fighting for a world title and theyโ€™re in a good position or theyโ€™re bringing something to the table, theyโ€™ve got to get paid for it. I donโ€™t know whatโ€™s going on with Jennings but the fact is the only reason HBO got involved with Klitschko is because of Jennings, because heโ€™s an American fighter and theyโ€™ve been showing his fights, otherwise I donโ€™t think thereโ€™d be an HBO date there.

โ€œMick Hennessy and I have been talking to the Klitschkos. Everybodyโ€™s got to live, weโ€™re not fighting for crumbs. When Dereck Chisora fought [Vitali] Klitschko, he fought for not a lot of money but for the opportunity. Tyson doesnโ€™t need to do that, heโ€™s a mandatory challenger.โ€

Fury recently defeated Chisora and it will be a while before Dereck fights again. Chisora has been sentenced to do community service. โ€œHe had an argument over a parking space,โ€ Frank said. โ€œHeโ€™s got to do his community service, weโ€™ll get it out the way and then weโ€™ll look at what weโ€™re going to do with him in the future.โ€

The promoter is staging some big bills in early of 2015, which will be screened on BoxNation. โ€œIโ€™m looking forward to what weโ€™re doing on February 28, itโ€™s a fantastic show [at the O2] in London, especially when weโ€™ve announced some of the undercard fights. Iโ€™m looking forward to the [Terry] Flannigan and Steven Ormond fight [on February 14], Iโ€™m looking forward to [Zolani] Tete and Paul [Butler], Derry Mathews [versus Richar Abril],โ€ Warren said.

โ€œLiam [Smith] will have big fight this year. Heโ€™ll have a title fight on the card, weโ€™re working on that at the moment. He will, by June, be involved in quite a significant fight. We were trying to make him and Liam Williams because the Board of Control ordered it but Liam Williams is injuredโ€ฆ I think Liam [Smith] is a quality young fighter and I think he needs to be stepped up in the level of opposition because I believe it gets the best out of him.

โ€œHeโ€™s been a bit unlucky over the last couple of years with injuries but if he gets an injury-free period he can get himself very quickly into contention for a world title.โ€

Warren also sees great potential in Jack Catterall, who beat Thomas Stalker last year, saying, โ€œI think heโ€™s a tremendous prospect. I think heโ€™s got everything going for him. Heโ€™s a young guy, man on a mission, Lee Beardโ€™s done a fabulous job with him and for me, providing he stays focused, he doesnโ€™t mess around outside the ring or whatever, heโ€™s definitely capable of winning a world title. I think heโ€™s a significant force in that division.โ€

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