FRANK WARREN is discussing Billy Joe Saunders potentially challenging the new WBO middleweight champion, Andy Lee. โAdam Booth [Leeโs trainer] and I are talking about what the best way to put this together is. The problem weโve got, I think itโs a big fight you could put on somewhere like a West Ham or QPR [stadium],โ Warren told Boxing News. โThereโs nothing in Dublin, the biggest there is about 10,000, nowhere near big enough. Weโre talking and discussing the ways forward at the moment.โ
Tyson Fury challenging heavyweight ruler Wladimir Klitschko is also under discussion. โWe were talking to Klitschko last week, we thought we were close to doing something. The problem is the finance. They want everything. Klitschkoโs great for boxing, heโs a nice guy, heโs got a great image. I tell you what, they want everything on the table and just throw crumbs off. Heโs the mandatory challenger and heโs not going to fight for crumbs,โ Frank said. โKlitschkoโs supposed to be fighting [Bryant] Jennings. Theyโve had a fallout over money as well… If theyโre fighting for a world title and theyโre in a good position or theyโre bringing something to the table, theyโve got to get paid for it. I donโt know whatโs going on with Jennings but the fact is the only reason HBO got involved with Klitschko is because of Jennings, because heโs an American fighter and theyโve been showing his fights, otherwise I donโt think thereโd be an HBO date there.
โMick Hennessy and I have been talking to the Klitschkos. Everybodyโs got to live, weโre not fighting for crumbs. When Dereck Chisora fought [Vitali] Klitschko, he fought for not a lot of money but for the opportunity. Tyson doesnโt need to do that, heโs 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. โHe had an argument over a parking space,โ Frank said. โHeโs got to do his community service, weโll get it out the way and then weโll look at what weโre 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. โIโm looking forward to what weโre doing on February 28, itโs a fantastic show [at the O2] in London, especially when weโve announced some of the undercard fights. Iโm looking forward to the [Terry] Flannigan and Steven Ormond fight [on February 14], Iโm looking forward to [Zolani] Tete and Paul [Butler], Derry Mathews [versus Richar Abril],โ Warren said.
โLiam [Smith] will have big fight this year. Heโll have a title fight on the card, weโre 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 injuredโฆ 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.
โHeโs 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, โI think heโs a tremendous prospect. I think heโs got everything going for him. Heโs a young guy, man on a mission, Lee Beardโs done a fabulous job with him and for me, providing he stays focused, he doesnโt mess around outside the ring or whatever, heโs definitely capable of winning a world title. I think heโs a significant force in that division.โ
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