Boxing: Bitter Warren starts legal proceedings to stop Hatton's fight

The promoter Frank Warren yesterday finalised legal proceedings against Hatton and his father, Ray, now the International Boxing Federation champion's adviser, and their company Punch Promotions to prevent them going ahead with a bout in Sheffield on 26 November, and also over allegations made against Warren by Hatton Snr in a recent BBC radio broadcast. Warning letters have also been sent to other promoters and Sky TV.

Warren, who insists he has an existing three-fight agreement with Hatton, says: "It is terribly sad that it has come to this. But loyalty is a two-way thing, and I feel I have been badly let down."

It is hard not to sympathise with the promoter who created wealth and opportunity for Hatton via the relative obscurity of Sky. It seems short-sighted of Hatton, now he has achieved greatness, to try to dump Warren and discard the chance of becoming a national icon in the mould of Bruno, Benn and Eubank now that Britain's top promoter has a terrestrial deal with ITV that would project him to superstar status.

Hatton, a Manchester City fan, faces having all his matches away from home, as Warren has signed an exclusive two-year arrangement to promote at Manchester's MEN Arena, where Hatton made his name and amassed the biggest-ever home-town following in British boxing.

Before prising the crown from Kostya Tsyzu, Hatton was singing Warren's praises and saying what a good move Amir Khan had made in signing with him. Now his career could be left in limbo.

Hatton denies any ongoing deal with Warren (although the promoter declares he has it in black and white), saying he is a free agent. As such he is said to have agreed to a defence in a joint venture with Denis Hobson and Robert Waterman, who run Fight Academy. The arena and the date are booked, though Warren vows: "It won't happen."

Hatton will be in the Shef-field ring on Friday, as corner- man to his younger brother Matthew, who has pulled out of a Warren-promoted charity tournament in which he would have met Alan Minter's son Ross, to box on the undercard of Clinton Woods's first defence of his IBF light-heavyweight title against a Mexican challenger, Julio Gonzalez, a fight to be screened by Sky.

So the Hattons are now a family at war with Warren, with Ricky apparently listening to boxing's ear-benders on both sides of the Atlantic. It seems he wants to go down the Audley Harrison-Naseem Hamed route and promote himself, with a little help from family and friends. It rarely succeeds, for as the American promoter Don King said last week: "When you are the cook, bottle-washer and captain, something goes awry. Being an executive champion doesn't work."

Warren may not be on speaking terms with the Hattons but at least he is sparring verbally again with his old American adversary, who will be in Cardiff next week when Joe Calzaghe, the current longest-reigning world champion, defends his World Boxing Organisation super- middleweight belt for a record 17th time against the Kenyan-born Evans Ashira at the International Arena.

The Miami-based Ashira is one of King's men, and as the Don doesn't deal in dummies he can be expected to give the Welshman a decent scrap. "He's gonna shock the world," King bellowed down the transatlantic phone. "Calzaghe may think he's got an easy opponent but my guy is an excellent fighter."

Of course, we have heard King's rhetoric before, much of it in rhyme and most of it without reason. Ashira, who began his sporting life as a footballer, has lost only once in 25 fights and has fought mainly at middleweight. Calzaghe's southpaw slugging should see him through for a projected November date with the IBF champion Jeff Lacy, recent conqueror of Briton Robin Reid. This would be as much a defining fight for Calzaghe as the Tszyu bout was for Hatton. The real deal.

The occasion will also give King an opportunity to watch Amir, who has his second pro bout against Coventry's Baz Carey, 16 years his senior, winner of only nine of his 25 fights, but stopped just once. It should be another muscle-flexing exercise for the Olympic silver medallist as he learns the professional ropes. King professes himself a fan. "He is greatness on the move. I'd like to be partners with Frank in promoting him."

Warren replies: "His answer's in the post." Well, it makes a change from "See you in court".