Wilder vs Chisora off?

Frank Warren could be set for some awkward questions, after it emerged that Dereck Chisora's announced fight with Deontay Wilder has yet to be officially agreed.

Warren and Chisora announced the intriguing heavyweight meeting on Thursday, with the fight set for June 15. But it appears the contest may not go ahead, with complications arising from Wilder's recent arrest meaning travelling to the United Kingdom for the Wembley Arena meeting may not happen.

Wilder's promoters, Golden Boy, told ESPN that no deal had been confirmed - saying that Warren had "jumped the gun" in making an announcement.

"No, no deal. They jumped the gun," Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez told ESPN. "There's issues with Deontay traveling, because of the arrest. I asked them not to announce until it is resolved. They didn't listen."

Wilder (28-0, 28 KOs), 27, was arrested on Saturday in Las Vegas, where he was in town for the Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero fight. According to the Clark County Detention Center, Wilder was arrested Saturday for "domestic battery by strangulation" and released on a $15,000 bond. Details of the incident are unclear.

Not only is Wilder's arrest an issue but Gomez said he had just gotten a nine-page contract for the fight on Wednesday that had to be reviewed. Gomez said they had to talk to Wilder's attorney about the arrest and also have their attorney, Arnold Joseph, go over the contract before the fight could be made.

"I specifically told them do not announce anything," Gomez added. "We just got the contract and we're still reviewing it. Right now, the fight's not looking good, though. I told [Powell] to send over the contract. We did get a contract from them but I told them we still have to resolve the issue of the arrest and also go over the contract."

Gomez said he and Powell traded several emails on Wednesday with Powell saying they wanted to announce the fight Thursday and Gomez telling him not to.

"We were negotiating the fight and talking and we went over the deal points," Gomez said. "I said send over a contract and we can start looking at it. They wanted to announce it. I wrote back to him and said, 'Please don't announce anything. I'm waiting to hear from [Wilder's] attorney and we need to review the contract.' They asked again Thursday morning if they could announce it and I said, 'No, please don't announce it.' They just went ahead and announced it and now it looks like there will be an issue."

Schaefer was also surprised that the fight was announced.

"That's not something we would do. Why did he announce it when we don't have a deal," Schaefer said. "That's not a way to make deals, it's a way to kill deals. We sent them like four emails telling them not to announce it and sure enough they go and announce it. They wanted a quote from me for the press release but I wouldn't give it to them because it wasn't done."

Wilder had his first pro fight in England on April 27 on the undercard of Amir Khan's win against Julio Diaz. Wilder wiped out England's totally shot Audley Harrison in just 70 seconds.

Chisora (16-4, 10 KOs) ended a three-fight losing streak (including a loss to Vitali Klitschko in a heavyweight world title fight) on April 20 by stopping journeyman Hector Avila in the ninth round.


Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/sport/story/206493.html#t4KhZp4Mu51bTkd9.99

bhb001 wrote:It is looking like Audley's decision to carry on is less to do with seeing his baby born and more about seeing an offer on the table from Frank.

DAVE667 wrote:

bhb001 wrote:It is looking like Audley's decision to carry on is less to do with seeing his baby born and more about seeing an offer on the table from Frank.

You are a disgusting cynic and for you to suggest Audley's more concerned about making a few quid than climbing that mountain says more about you than anything else

Yes he can (he can't but where's the harm in giving him a "big up"?)