Boxing promoters are seeking an alternative venue for a charity event after a late decision by sports bosses in Inverness to cancel a major showpiece scheduled for today.
The so-called “white collar” novice boxing event was planned for the Inverness Leisure complex before the sport’s governing body Boxing Scotland intervened, raising concerns about the safety of participants.
Refunds are being made to about 900 ticket holders by the organisers, Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB).
Its founder Jon Leonard said: “It’s deeply disappointing the Inverness event has been cancelled.
“The participants who trained so hard will miss out on the chance to box in front of hundreds of people. Additionally, Cancer Research UK will no longer get around £7,000 of funding.”
He added: “We’ll be running an event soon, as we’re currently in the process of searching for an alternative venue.”
He said Boxing Scotland had declined his invitation to discuss the matter.
Boxing Scotland refused to say yesterday whether it would intervene in the same way prior to the next UWCB event planned for Aberdeen, in November.
It had nothing to add to its initial statement earlier in the week when the Press and Journal revealed that the event had been scrapped.
HLH understood that the organisers had £5million of insurance in place for the event, but that it “cannot ignore the concerns”.
Boxing Scotland is vehemently opposed to the rise of “white collar” events. It has alleged in a letter to Inverness Leisure that the novice fixtures are insufficiently regulated and pose “significant risks”.
Participants, who must be at least 18, get eight weeks’ free training and are matched to an opponent of similar experience, weight, fitness, ability and age.
They have a medical before and after bouts, which are contested over three rounds of two minutes and they wear protective headgear.
UWCB bouts at events in 100 UK cities have raised £5million for Cancer Research UK in three years.
