Frank Warren has lost his £2m claim against Ricky Burns. The Judge dismissed his claim as “fanciful” and said that it bore “no relation to reality”.
Mr Justice Knowles’ judgment is available here
Frank Warren was found to have lied in Court about an alleged oral agreement relating to Burns. His evidence was described as “untruthful”, “unrealistic” and “unreliable” by the Judge, Mr Justice Knowles. Warren had previously been found to have lied in his litigation with Joe Calzaghe.
Mr Justice Knowles added that “despite the duties of Warren and Frank Warren Promotions to give proper disclosure of documents relevant to this matter, the quality of the disclosure in fact given was shockingly poor”.
Burns has in turn, won his claim, amounting to more than £102,000, for unpaid purse fees from his successful World Title fight with Kevin Mitchell over two years ago.
The Judge found that the personal guarantee Frank Warren offered to Burns was not binding and so instead of Warren being personally liable for the purse Burns will have to take the matter up with the Administrators of FWP, a Frank Warren company which has recently been put into liquidation by Administrators appointed by Frank Warren’s wife.
Burns’ will also be reporting Frank Warren to the British Boxing Board of Control insisting that Frank Warren’s promoter’s licence should be suspended until such time as his Mitchell purse has been paid in full by Warren personally, in accordance with the Board’s own rules.
Burns will have to pay Warren personally the sum of £73,000 in respect of management commission which he never knew about or thought would be claimed by Warren.
Whilst Alex Morrison was officially Burns’ manager, Warren got Burns to sign a side agreement (outside the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control) entitling him to a share of his management commission. It was Burns’ evidence in Court that the side agreement was produced in the dressing room before a big fight – he was required to remove his glove to sign the agreement and told if he didn’t do so he would not fight.
Warren suggested in Court that Burns left him for another promoter because he had been “tapped up”. The Judge stated that “this case was never about that” and found that “evidence at trial showed simply that Burns had enough of Frank Warren Promotions, [and Burns] had walked away from FWP believing he was entitled to do so.”
“I’m extremely pleased that I have won this legal case brought against me by Frank Warren, a case that should never have been brought against me in the first place,” said Burns.
“The pressure that this case has put on me over the last 18 months has been immense and seriously affected me in and out of the ring.
“I will now be actively pursuing the BBBoC and Frank Warren to make sure that my outstanding fight purse gets paid in full.”
