04.03.05 – Lone Ranger Barry Hearn and his sidekick Tommy ‘Tonto’ Gilmour saw their purse bid to stage the all-Scottish clash between top super-featherweight gunslingers Alex Arthur and Craig Docherty shot down by Frank Warren as offers were opened at the British Boxing Board of Control offices at high-noon today.. Fresh purse bids were called after Hearn, who won the original bid, could not stage the fight by 18 March as per the contract and attempted to vary it without consulting any of the interested parties by putting the fight back to 9 April.
Upon hearing this news, a Warren posse rode into Cardiff to ensure the board headed the Desperadoes off at the pass and called for new purse offers!
At todays showdown at the O.K Coral, Sports Network out-gunned Hearns’ Matchroom organisation by £15,000 to secure the right to stage the British and Commonwealth Super-Featherweight clash to be titled ‘FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE!’ at the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh on Friday 8 April.
Glasgow’s Docherty will now head East into Arthur’s backyard to defend his Commonwealth crown and challenge for the Vacant British title in front of a sell-out partisan crowd and the watching Sky Sports viewers as they are treated to the biggest clash north of the border since KenBuchanan’s epic scrap with Jim Watt over 30 years ago.
Arthur said, “Docherty had better remember that I’m the Sheriff in Edinburgh and he’s coming into my town now!”
He added, “I am so happy that Frank won the purse bids and that the fight is going ahead in Edinburgh in front of my home fans,”
“They will now get the chance to see me regain the British title and add Docherty’s Commonwealth belt to my collection,”
“Now matter where the fight was going to take place the result would still be the same – Docherty will get knocked clean out,”
Warren said, “This is fantastic fight that is sure to sell-out and I am delighted to deliver the fight for Alex in Edinburgh and I have every confidence that he will beat Docherty. One things for sure, the fight will definitely be going ahead on April 8!”