SBW ejects ring girls ahead of fight
Sonny Bill Williams has lashed celebrity agent Max Markson after he was forced to expel promotional ring girls from his press conference.
The code-hopping superstar had two women kicked out of his media event in Sydney on Thursday where he was promoting his boxing charity fight with Stu Laundy tonight.
The fight, promoted by Markson as “The Banger Under the Hanger” aims to raise funds for Reverend Bill Crews’ Exodus Foundation, which cares for Sydney’s homeless, but there was nothing charitable about the banishment of the scantily clad ring girls.
Channel 9’s Danny Weidler reported both Williams and representatives of The Exodus Foundation voiced their displeasure at Markson’s decision to use ring girls during the promotional event which was held at The Loaves & Fishes restaurant — which is supported by Crews’ charity trust — in the Ashfield Uniting Church.
“There was a drama,” Weidler told Nine News.
“Both Williams and his agent [Khoder Nasser] are devout Muslims and asked that they be removed.
“Later representatives of Crews’ charity and Khoder Nasser tore strips off promoter Max Markson.”
Williams also told Nine during the media event that Nasser was right to slam Markson over the presence of the ring girls.
“So he should have,” Williams said. “It is what it is and that’s the business we’re in, but for myself I don’t think it was necessary bringing them here.”
The bungled promotion is the least of Markson’s concerns.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the NSW Combat Sports Authority were last night considering killing off the entire event over fears for the safety of Bachelorette winner Laundy’s safety.
Williams declared during the press conference he has a gentlemen’s agreement with Laundy not to cause excessive injury during their exhibition fight.
“I think, like we said before, that the underlying cause outweighs that, we’ve got a gentlemen’s agreement,” he said.
“We’re going to go in there, it is going to be a night of entertainment . . . God willing we will make a lot of money for this great cause we are trying to do it for.”
That may not be enough to convince the combat sports regulator, which reportedly remains unsatisfied that Laundy, who has never fought before, won’t be in danger when he steps into the ring against Williams, who has three knockouts and has never been defeated in seven professional fights.
“It’s stupid,” Markson told The Daily Telegraph.
“We’ve been in talks with them [Combat Sports Authority] since October when they tried to ban the fight.
“Just recently they’ve agreed but they’ve got to wear 25 ounce gloves which you can’t even get hold of these days. It’s nonsense.
“But I can assure you the fights will go ahead.”