Boxing promoter Frank Warren is seeking libel damages of more than £300,000 from the publishers of the Daily Record over a story headed ”Crazy’ judges are forcing my boy to chuck it”.
Warren claims that the story, published in March, was defamatory, and is seeking damages and an injunction banning repetition of the allegations at the centre of the story.
The story suggested that he is strongly suspected of corruptly arranging with the referee and ringside officials of the Simpson/Matthews fight in March that they would fix it in Matthews’s favour, according to a High Court writ.
This contributed to the referee failing to intervene to protect Simpson from persistent dirty tricks, including head butts, punches below the belt, and the rubbing open of his bleeding wounds, claims the writ.
Warren claims that by innuendo, the story implied that he breached the rule of his governing body, the World Boxing Union, prohibiting promoters from meeting the fight referee.
He argues that the story has gravely injured his reputation, and has caused him severe embarrassment and distress.
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