There’s been a legal battle involving Ricky Burns and Matchroom Sport against Frank Warren. A judgement was handed down today, and wouldn’t you know it, both sides claim victory in the outcome. Here, we offer you both of their statements. Feel free to read through and try to determine which side is the “truthiest”.
*The releases from each side are presented in their entirety — so we’re not offering our own take here.
Download the full judge’s decision here (PDF)
Ricky Burns & Matchroom Release Statement
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”.
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 BBBoC) 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.”
Frank Warren Responds
In a judgement handed down today in the case brought by promoter and manager Frank Warren against Ricky Burns for wrongful termination of his promotional contract and unpaid management fees, The Court upheld both agreements, ordering Burns to pay substantial outstanding management fees.
Burns, whose career completely crashed after joining Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, badly losing two contests and his world title in the process, was also found in the Judgement to have wrongfully terminated his promotional contract with Frank Warren.
Ricky Burns lost or abandoned 17 out of the 20 issues the Judge had to determine and the Judge found his explanation and arguments about management commission were ‘untenable in the context of this case’. The Judge also ruled that Burns was wrong to claim that his purse for the Kevin Mitchell contest was £200,000 but that it was £160,000 as Mr Warren had stated. It transpired during trial that Ricky Burns is earning far less than £160,000 now he is being promoted by Matchroom Sport.
Eddie Hearn was quoted as saying last March that “we’ve been provided with a letter from Ricky Burns as confirmation that he has terminated his agreement… We have advice from our lawyers and I’m very comfortable. There is no contract now.” The Judge however found otherwise.
This is not the first time that Eddie Hearn has been shown to be a liar and on this occasion it cost Ricky Burns dearly.
Obvious parallels can be drawn with Hearn’s father Barry, Chairman of Matchroom Sport, who was described in his litigation with Former World Super Middleweight Champion Steve Collins as “a liar and a shyster”.
During the trial it also emerged that the letter terminating Burns’ promotional agreement (which Eddie Hearn said Burns gave him as proof that he was a free agent) was not actually signed by Burns, and his signature had been forged. This was also apparently the case when Burns allegedly didn’t sign an offensive and racist letter to Labour MP Tessa Jowell that was sent from the office of his co-manager Alex Morrison, claiming it was from Burns.
Meanwhile Alex Morison is yet to pay his substantial libel damages that were awarded to Mr Warren and has inquired about an installments plan to cover the outstanding amounts owed.
