Pro boxing event KO’d

Leisure bosses on ropes for ducking title fight night

Plans were under way for undefeated boxer Paul Kean to fight in a homecoming bout for a British Masters title at the Dundee International Sports Complex.

However, MTK Global today revealed Leisure and Culture Dundee pulled no punches knocking back the event.

In an email seen by the Tele, MTK promoter Sam Kynoch, was told that they “won’t be able to host the potential boxing event through Leisure and Culture”.

The email said: “Having reviewed the information you provided and having looked into the sport and certain similar events previously held in the UK, we have decided that as a management committee we don’t feel that it fits with Leisure and Culture Dundee’s priorities.”

Sam today said the decision “didn’t make any sense” – pointing to the city’s rich boxing heritage.

He said: “Just so this is clear, this is a professional boxing event. I have been a promoter for 10 years – I know that I can handle an event like this.”

Sam said the decision would have a negative i mpact on l ocal boxers’ professional careers, adding: “We were hoping to make this a regular thing – it would have been great, not just for Paul, but for all the other local boxers.

“We were going to have Jamie Wilson fighting too. It would have been brilliant for them and it would have been brilliant for the city – people would have been coming into Dundee from around the region.

“There wasn’t any reasons given, it was just a no, and that is wrong to me.”

Paul, who fights out of the city’s Skyaxe Gym, said he was “gutted” the event would not be taking place.

He said: “It is really disappointing, this was going to be my first title fight — I wanted to do it in front of everyone from my home city.

“It isn’t easy to keep selling tickets to fights two hours away from Dundee.”

Paul, who currently boasts a 5-0 win/loss record, is now set to return to the ring at Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley instead.

A Leisure and Culture spokesman said: “Unfortunately, DISC is not an appropriate venue for an event of this nature as we don’t have the facilities to provide the sale of alcohol and refreshments for up to 700 spectators.

“We also can’t guarantee whether the roof has the strength to hold the large scale lighting rig required.

“The city has other more suitable venues for boxing events including hotels and the Caird Hall, which hosted a white collar boxing event in 2015.”

A BOXING promoter has blasted Dundee leisure bosses after they threw in the towel on a blockbuster title fight.

Dundee boxer Paul Kean said he was “gutted” the proposed fight in his home town was not going ahead.