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Green pulls out of TV bout
By Bill Haisten
Tulsa World
2/28/2008 7:23 PM
Tulsa's Allan Green, rated by ESPN.com as the No. 6 super middleweight boxer in the world, has abruptly pulled out of Friday's ESPN2- televised fight and won't explain why.
His promoter, Tony Holden, expresses concern that Green's suddenly irregular behavior could result in extensive damage to what has been a promising career.
The bout -- Green versus Antwun Echols, 10 rounds in Marksville, La. -- was to have been the main event of the Friday Night Fights telecast. But Green did not make the trip to Louisiana. Instead, he is in Florida with his trainer, John David Jackson.
''I don't need to hear . . . from anybody right now,'' Green said by telephone. ''There are a lot of things I can't talk about yet. I don't care what anybody thinks -- if a mistake has been made, I can't blame anybody but me.''
For the 28-year-old Green, who has a 26-1 record, Friday's fight would have been his ninth television exposure in his last 10 bouts. Last month, he was at ESPN's Connecticut headquarters to serve as a guest studio analyst.
Green's decision to quit on an ESPN2 show, and to leave the network so little time to secure a substitute, will tarnish his reputation, Holden predicted.
''I have no idea why Allan did this,'' Holden said.
''I haven't talked to him in two weeks. I can't get him on the phone.
''I've been in this game for nearly 20 years and I've never had a situation like this. To walk out on a television network is not a good thing to do. The other networks -- including HBO -- will notice this and it won't look good. Allan is viewed as a big-time, up-and-coming guy in boxing -- someone very marketable. And then he does this. It was a horrific decision.''
Green said he has no complaints about his partnership with Holden.
''I love Tony. He's the most honest guy in boxing,'' Green said. ''I'm not retiring. I'll go overseas and fight before I retire. I don't know what's next. Who knows? You'll be seeing me soon on a bigger stage -- on a stage I should be on.''
By Bill Haisten
Tulsa World
2/28/2008 7:23 PM
Tulsa's Allan Green, rated by ESPN.com as the No. 6 super middleweight boxer in the world, has abruptly pulled out of Friday's ESPN2- televised fight and won't explain why.
His promoter, Tony Holden, expresses concern that Green's suddenly irregular behavior could result in extensive damage to what has been a promising career.
The bout -- Green versus Antwun Echols, 10 rounds in Marksville, La. -- was to have been the main event of the Friday Night Fights telecast. But Green did not make the trip to Louisiana. Instead, he is in Florida with his trainer, John David Jackson.
''I don't need to hear . . . from anybody right now,'' Green said by telephone. ''There are a lot of things I can't talk about yet. I don't care what anybody thinks -- if a mistake has been made, I can't blame anybody but me.''
For the 28-year-old Green, who has a 26-1 record, Friday's fight would have been his ninth television exposure in his last 10 bouts. Last month, he was at ESPN's Connecticut headquarters to serve as a guest studio analyst.
Green's decision to quit on an ESPN2 show, and to leave the network so little time to secure a substitute, will tarnish his reputation, Holden predicted.
''I have no idea why Allan did this,'' Holden said.
''I haven't talked to him in two weeks. I can't get him on the phone.
''I've been in this game for nearly 20 years and I've never had a situation like this. To walk out on a television network is not a good thing to do. The other networks -- including HBO -- will notice this and it won't look good. Allan is viewed as a big-time, up-and-coming guy in boxing -- someone very marketable. And then he does this. It was a horrific decision.''
Green said he has no complaints about his partnership with Holden.
''I love Tony. He's the most honest guy in boxing,'' Green said. ''I'm not retiring. I'll go overseas and fight before I retire. I don't know what's next. Who knows? You'll be seeing me soon on a bigger stage -- on a stage I should be on.''
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