By Ryan Songalia
Andre Rozier openly considers Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia to be a "good friend" away from the ring. As far as his opinion of him as a promoter is considered, Rozier says he is no fan.
The trainer/advisor to super-middleweight Curtis Stevens is irrate at reports that the Brooklyn, NY fighter had withdrawn from an ESPN2 Friday Nights Fights main event with unbeaten prospect Don "Da Bomb" George slated for July 30 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK. Rozier alleges that not only did Stevens not pull out, but that Stevens never agreed to the fight in the first place.
"Star Boxing came to Curtis and asked him, 'What do you think of fighting Donovan George?' Curtis, being the fighter he is, of course says , 'I'll knock him out.' That's not offering a fight, that's merely asking for an opinion," Rozier says.
"Star Boxing went ahead and gave it to ESPN2 that Curtis was taking the fight when he did not accept the fight because he wasn't really training. Joe DeGuardia being Joe DeGuardia went ahead and made the match without consulting me, Curtis' ultimate advisor."
The 25-year-old Stevens, 21-3 (15 KO), has not fought since losing a lopsided decision to Jesse Brinkley in an IBF elimination bout that took place in January. Rozier had hoped to place Stevens in a fight scheduled for a week later - August 7 at the Aviator Sports Arena in Brooklyn - on a card promoted by his own Havoc Promotions.
DeGuardia, who will not allow the August 7 fight to go forward, counters that Rozier has ulterior reasons for opposing Stevens' involvement in the George fight.
"It is unfortunate that Andre's position as a trainer's has become clouded by his desire to promote his own boxing show," DeGuardia said. "Nonetheless we will still do our best to provide Curtis with opportunities in the future."
George, 20-0-1 (17 KO), of Chicago, Illinois will now face Francisco Sierra, 21-3 (20 KO), of Nayarit, Mexico in the ten round main event. Former welterweight title challenger Delvin Rodriguez will face Ashley Theophane in the co-featured bout. -RS
Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and a contributor to GMANews.TV. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com . An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia .
