How Rocky Fielding almost lost a seven figure pay day for the smallest of reasons

Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding

THE tiniest of blemishes almost denied Rocky Fielding a seven figure pay day and would have called off the Canelo Alvarez fight mere days before it was due to take place.

A tiny tear in his passport photo almost saw Fielding denied a visa to travel to America and box Canelo on Saturday (December 15) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

โ€œHe applied for a visa, so he got a letter. He went about a month ago, went in, had the interview, got the visa, got approved for the visa. They took the passport off him, said okay weโ€™ll get it stamped and send it back to you. Last Monday [December 3] we get a letter back from the passport agency saying your visa has been denied because there was a tear – you couldnโ€™t even see the tear – but thereโ€™s a tear on the page. We were told you need to get a new passport send it back and then it can take anywhere from three days to two weeks once you get it back and the fights in 11 days,โ€ Fieldingโ€™s promoter Eddie Hearn said. โ€œThey had his passport and they approved the visa in front of him, then when he went away, they looked at it and said actually no.โ€

Two weeks for have been too long for Fielding to make it to the US for the fight. โ€œMonday afternoon he sends it to the embassy, special delivery to arrive on Tuesday. Weโ€™re tracking it. Tuesday at midday comes around and itโ€™s still says out for delivery. Gets to 5pm and it still says out for delivery. We [wanted to] go down to Battersea to the Royal Mail, just to collect the passport,โ€ Hearn continued. โ€œThey said you canโ€™t do that but it should be delivered tomorrow. Wednesday [December 5] itโ€™s George Bushโ€™s funeral, theyโ€™ve closed the embassy. They tried to deliver the visa on Wednesday and itโ€™s shut.โ€

โ€œ[Now] the Royal Mail are saying we donโ€™t know where it is, it should be delivered to the embassy in the next five days. Weโ€™re like this is over. So Thursday it arrives at the embassy,โ€ Eddie continued. โ€œWe spoke to people out here, I think the senator of New York was called and on Friday afternoon [December 7] at about four oโ€™clock we got a call to say weโ€™ve found it. He was supposed to fly on Friday. He got it Friday night and changed his flight to Saturday [December 8].โ€

The whole fight was so close to falling apart that Hearn had to warn Golden Boy Promotions. โ€œAs of Thursday [December 6] as far as I was concerned, this fight wasnโ€™t happening,โ€ Hearn said. โ€œI said to Golden Boy, โ€˜I donโ€™t want to worry you but you may have to look at another opponent because this is not looking good.โ€™ It was a very hairy last week.โ€

canelo alvarez vs rocky fielding

The situation however was resolved in the nick of time. Rocky had his new passport, his flight rebooked for the Saturday, a week before he was due to box. Only,ย he left his passport at homeย when he left for the airport.

โ€œWhen he went to the airport on Saturday, he forgot his passport. Left it in his house,โ€ Hearn noted.ย โ€œYou couldnโ€™t make it up. Had to go back from Manchester airport to go and get the passport.โ€

The fight, suffice to say, is on. Rocky Fielding fights Canelo Alvarez at Madison Square Garden tomorrow.

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