By Ben Carey
Speculation that Frank Warren’s relationship with Setanta Sports could be in the balance has gathered pace following Sports Network’s decision to postpone Saturday’s show featuring the return of Enzo Maccarinelli and Audley Harrison vs Martin Rogan in Birmingham due to “TV scheduling issues”.
The bill at the Aston Events Centre was due to be screened live on Setanta Sports 2. The broadcaster’s premier sports channel, Setanta Sports 1, which usually televises live boxing, has ironically been reserved to screen the first round of Aston Villa’s Intertoto Cup adventure away at Danish side Odense.
Not for the first time, Olympic champion Harrison would appear to have fallen foul of a decision made by television bosses. At 36, the former Olympic champion can ill afford any delays in his stalling quest to secure a shot at the world heavyweight title. Unlike when Harrison was ditched by the BBC in 2004 though, reading between the lines, Saturday’s “TV scheduling” issues seem to be between Warren and Setanta.
Sports Network has confirmed that a new date for the rearranged Birmingham bill will be announced shortly. It will be intriguing to see whether Setanta’s cameras will be present when it does.
Of late, the relationship between Warren and Setanta has been tested by the broadcaster’s decision to negotiate a separate deal with David Haye’s Hayemaker Promotions which will charter Haye’s impending assault on the heavyweight division. Setanta’s open declaration that it would like to continue its relationship with Joe Calzaghe, who recently surprisingly ended his promotional association with Sports Network after 12 years, is likely to have gone down like a lead balloon with Warren.
Warren has since reaffirmed his position as British Boxing’s leading promoter by agreeing a new promotional deal with prized asset, Amir Khan. An announcement as to which channel will broadcast Khan’s next sequence of fights is expected imminently. Setanta were previously perceived to be in pole position to strike a deal with Warren and Khan following the expiry of Khan’s deal with ITV but recent developments, topped by Saturday’s show postponement, has made this appear far less certain.
I’ve already written a piece speculating on which station we could be viewing Khan on next at http://britishboxing.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/khan-could-spark-tv-scramble/
It would certainly appear that Setanta’s “TV scheduling” may have lost them vital ground in the race to sign Khan, while costing Harrison time he simply cannot afford to lose.
