Upcoming Dublin pro show CANCELLED

We regret to report tonight that the pro boxing show in Dublin set for next weekend will no longer take place.

JB Promotions were due to run their inaugural show, in association with Assassin Promotions, at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday July 7th – however, the card has been cancelled less than 10 days out

The bill was set to be headlined by an Irish light heavyweight title clash between champion Paddy McDonagh and David Bailey along with a BUI Celtic title fight which saw Victor Rabei and Karl Kelly do battle for the vacant light welterweight belt.

Undercard support was due to come from Martin Quinn, Dylan McDonagh, Liam Gaynor, Craig McCarthy, Cillian Reardon, Dylan Moran, Lynn Harvey, Craig O’Brien, while Martin Wall, Eddie Treacy, Wayne Kenny, Stephen Webb, and Eoin McGrath were all set to debut and promoter Jay Byrne was also scheduled to fight.

In a statement, addressed to the boxers, obtained by Irish-Boxing.com, promoter Byrne offered his regrets and apologies for the show’s cancelation and alleges that rising Boxing Union of Ireland [BUI] costs are the cause.

The statement read:

It is with massive regret that I must announce the cancellation of JB Promotions’ ‘The Beginning’ show which was due to take place next Saturday, July 7, at the National Boxing Stadium.

After extensive discussions with the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI), a massive late increase in the show’s costs – specifically the show’s bond to be made payable to the BUI being increased from €10,000 to €20,000 – left the situation untenable for us as promoters, despite efforts throughout the week in a bid to reduce costs, even back to what had originally been set out.

Indeed, even a last-ditch effort with pleas to the BUI this morning for the show to carry on with its initial costs remaining in place, without any reduction, appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

I would like to take this opportunity to assure all fighters on the card, their coaches and supporters, that I did everything in my power to ensure the show remained in place. However, with a last-minute doubling of such a major cost at extremely short notice and no wriggle room from the union, I was left with my hands tied.

I would also like to thank everyone who had worked around the clock to get this show to where it was. My co-promoters Assassin Promotions, Derek Waddell who had matched fights for me, and to everyone else who was on board and had done a superb job until now.

As everyone can imagine, this late cancellation of what promised to be a historic night’s boxing has left me personally out of pocket and I have sought legal advice as to where I go from here.

That being said, my main concern and regret, as a fighter myself, surrounds every fighter on this card. They have trained tirelessly, brought sponsors in, sold tickets and had been ready to compete in front of their friends, families and supporters next week. For them to have this opportunity taken from them leaves me devastated and for that I am deeply sorry.

There are obvious legal implications to me going into any further detail at this moment but I am seeking advice as to what detail I can release about this nightmare scenario and will keep everyone updated through the media in the coming days.

Sincerely,
Jay Byrne
JB Promotions

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‘The Beginning’ was set to sit in between two shows in a busy period for Irish boxing, with Mick Conlan’s homecoming card taking place at the SSE Odyssey Arena in Belfast on Saturday June 30th and ‘Celtic Clash 6’ taking place at Good Counsel GAA in Drimnagh on Saturday July 14th.

Irish-Boxing.com offers our sympathies to all the fighters impacted by the cancellation and wish for them to secure replacement dates in the near future.