Governing body will issue final outlines of how shows must operate when the sport resumes behind closed doors next month
The British Boxing Board of Control will finalise its protocols and arrangements with promoters on Wednesday in preparation for the sport to return in the middle of next month. The technicalities were discussed on Monday during separate board video conferencing meeting with five UK-based promoters: Eddie Hearn (Sky Sports), Frank Warren (BT Sport), Mick Hennessy (Channel 5), Lee Eaton (MTK Global/Sky Sports) and Dennis Hobson (Eurosport).
Robert Smith, the board’s general secretary, confirmed to The Telegraph that the governing body will issue final outlines of how shows must operate on Wednesday, laying out rules for adhering to testing, distancing and procedures during the operation of events.
“On Friday the promoters will come back to us and agree to the arrangements, as these are the five promoters who came to us saying they wanted to put on shows behind closed doors in July and August when we produced our original document” explained Smith.
“Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sport want to start on July 25, with Frank Warren either just before or just after. Warren is deciding on the exact date at the moment.”
Warren has not yet released the details of where his events will be held, or the schedule of fighters on them, while Hearn will be using Matchroom Sports HQ, a 15-acre site in Brentwood, Essex, to stage four events behind closed doors from July 25 on successive Saturdays.
Terri Harper will defend her WBC super featherweight title against Natasha Jonas on the opening weekend. She won the belt on the undercard of men’s former world champion Kell Brook’s comeback, in just her 10th professional contest back in February, by alternating aggressive attacks and smart defence to dethrone Eva Wahlstrom, of Finland, one of the sport’s most accomplished veterans.
Hearn has plans for heavyweight Dillian Whyte to meet Alexander Povetkin four weeks later as the climax of the novel set-up.