Frank Warren has questioned the BBC’s motives after the broadcaster’s first date with Boxxer was organised on the same evening as Ben Whittaker-Benjamin Gavazi.
An injury suffered by Jamie Tshikeva forced his withdrawal from the fight with Frazer Clarke for the vacant British heavyweight title that was previously scheduled for Saturday evening – when Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight on a promotion overseen by Queensberry Promotions and Warren.
That Parker-Wardley had been confirmed – for London’s O2 Arena – long before Clarke and “TKV” Tshikeva had been scheduled to fight at Vaillant Live in Derby, elsewhere in England, contributed to the promoter previously describing the clash as “disrespectful”, and while Warren recognises that Queensberry, Parker and Wardley will benefit from it being reorganised for November 29, he also knows that his rival promoters Matchroom and the British fight scene could suffer.
If it was tempting for observers of the sport to wonder whether Boxxer had targeted November 29 in an attempt to undermine the light heavyweight Whittaker’s first fight for Matchroom following his departure from them, Warren, increasingly, suspects that it is the BBC and not Ben Shalom’s Boxxer to blame.
The reality remains that a terrestrial television platform like the BBC’s has the potential to prove particularly positive for boxing – DAZN, who also work with Matchroom, have been criticised for making Parker-Wardley pay-per-view – but Warren told BoxingScene: “I understand [Shalom’s] been given four dates a year, so the first they’ve moved to two dates when there’s shows on in the UK. That tells me the BBC don’t give a toss about boxing.
“They wouldn’t do it for football – they wouldn’t do it for any other sport. Boxing, they’ll do it.
“Of course [Queensberry will] benefit [from the postponement to November 29], and they’d benefit if we weren’t running. That’s where you are.”
Wardley and Clarke had twice previously fought for the same British title. They entertainingly drew in March 2024; Wardley then won inside a round that October.
“It’s got to be, at the end of the day, the BBC, because they’re the ones who say what dates they want the shows on – they’re aware of what’s on in the calendar unless they’re morons,” the promoter continued. “If they don’t know there’s other boxing shows on – and a show featuring the guy who knocked out their main event – then it shows you how much they even know about boxing.”
