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By Clive Bernath: British Boxing Board of Control secretary Simon Block has denied claims made by promoter Frank Warren that they allowed an unlicensed boxing show to go ahead within their area of jurisdiction.

In his News of the World on Sunday (Oct 16) Warren stated that the upcoming Ricky Hatton vs Carlo Maussa IBF/WBA light-welterweight title unification fight in Sheffield on November 26 will be staged by an unlicensed promoter.

The announcement by Warren, Hatton's former promoter, comes less than 48 hours after the Sports Network boss released a statement to the press stating that he was dropping his pursuit of an injunction to stop the Manchester hitman from facing Maussa.

Warren, talking about his acrimonious split with Hatton and his father/manager Ray, in his weekly column appropriately named Fighting Talk, said: 'Besides my dispute with the Hattons there are also grave concerns about how poorly and slowly boxing's governing body act when its rules are being flouted.

'During the week it became clear that the Maussa-Hatton fight is being put on by Fight Academy Ltd, an unlicensed promoter. Would you not expect the governing body to take immediate action? Yes, you would but that is not what happened. It was like pulling teeth to get the board to acknowledge Fight Academy were unlicensed. But even though they know, they have done nothing.

On receiving acknowledgment of Frank Warren's claims in his article Boxing Board secretary Simon Block made the following statement to the Associated Press: "The stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control will be very disappointed to learn of promoter Frank Warren's article.

"These comments will no doubt be the subject of further consideration and it may well be that Mr Warren will be required to give an explanation as to why, and on what grounds, they have been made.

"There can be no question that any tournament sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control was not covered by the board's insurance policy and the board categorically and absolutely refutes any suggestion that "by its own admission" it has permitted an unlicensed promoter to promote a boxing tournament within its jurisdiction."

Warren's claims arise from the fact that under the board's licensing regulations, specifically named individuals or a company, must act as the sole promoter. Fight Academy Ltd is not a licensed promoter but the company's backers Robert Waterman and Jim Evans of Evans/Waterman Promotions and Dennis Hobson of Sheffield based Dennis Hobson Promotions, are licensed to stage boxing events within the BBBC's jurisdiction. Similarly Warren's company Sports Network is not a licensed promoter but Frank Warren of course is.

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