Potts plays down boxing row

This was after Moose Lewis, an official of the Women’s International Boxing Council (WIBC) threatened to withold the organisation’s sanction for the bouts.

Lewis also levelled several charges against Potts and the promoters of the card, ABC Boxing Academy of Finland Street, St James.

However Potts said that Moose, an American faced international penalties if he reneges on his sanction of the bouts which is a matter that will be taken up by the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control.

The match-maker confimed that he had contracted another television producer to replace Lewis, president of the WIBC after ABC Boxing Academy conducted a due diligence on his Mizlou company.

"We found that it was a phony outfit and would not be able to live up to expectations. So we had to find another producer to broadcast the fights live on the Internet and film the card for video distribution later on," Potts said.

He said Rock and Sock Production of California, USA will be filming the video for later distribution while Seba Second Production of Canada will handle the Internet side of the broadcast.

"When Moose Lewis came to Trinidad last month we made an agreement with him for the broadcast of the fights, both Internet and video but he was not able to come up with specifics so we had to take action or else the entire operation would have been placed in jeopardy," said Potts yesterday.

He denied allegations by Lewis, made in a telephone call from New York yesterday that air plane tickets, hotel accommodation and sanction fees have not been paid for the fights.

"That is not true. We have sent the tickets for him to come down. And we do owe him the sanction fee for one fight which we will give him at the weight-in for Giselle Salandy. These fees are all paid at the weighing-in," said Potts.

He said that Lewis wanted to stay at the Hilton Trinidad but that ABC Boxing Academy could not afford the deluxe accommodation since their budget does not cater for this.

"We have other very nice places to stay like the Kapok, Crewe’s Inn and Ambassador Hotel. But he wants to add pressure and expenses to our small budget," said Potts.

Potts said that he still expects Lewis to arrive in Trinidad sometime today when he will be paid what is due to him of the sanction fees on his handing over of the WIBC belts, which it is understood have been made and are in the possession of the American official.

Potts said all his dealings with Lewis have been above board and that the American doesn’t have a leg to stand on to prevent the fights from taking place on Friday night.

In the main bout Trinidad and Tobago’s Lisa "Bad News" Brown fights Jackie Chavez in a bantamweight contest over ten rounds.

Other Trinidad and Tobago fighters on the card are Iva Weston, Kim "Bone Crusher" Quashie, Scroller Carrington, Giselle Salandy and Vicki Boodram.