Fighters shape up - so does the big fight

Saturday 21 February
Fighters shape up - so does the big fight

The promoters of the “Fight of the Century” have rejected suggestions on the front page of today’s New Zealand Herald that the big fight “doesn’t shape up”.

Promoter David Higgins of Duco Events said he found it dismaying and unprofessional that an Auckland City Councillor, Aaron Bhatnagar, had attempted to trash an event that leading commentators are calling the top New Zealand sports event of 2009.

Mr Higgins said that “although Aaron Bhatnagar may be the Chair of Auckland City Council’s Development Committee, his comments today merely underline the fact that he knows nothing at all about event promotion.

“Mr Bhatnagar brought up the recent David Beckham debacle in Auckland,” said Mr Higgins. “It was poor judgment by his council, which invested in the Beckham match, to imagine it could be successful. It displays even poorer judgement to see Tua vs Cameron as anything like the Beckham event

“Tua vs Cameron is being organised by private sector experts with an impressive track record of success in event promotion. We believe the first step to staging a successful event is judgement. Backing events is about picking winners. It was obvious to us from early on that the Beckham event was unlikely to succeed. We wouldn’t have promoted it. David Tua vs Shane Cameron, on the other hand, is shaping up as New Zealand’s most notable sporting event of 2009.”

Mr Higgins said that his company had been undertaking a ‘due diligence’ of several potential locations and venues for Tua vs Cameron. The promoters were determined to undertake a rigorous research of the costs and benefits of each city and venue option before making a decision. He stated that whether or not a local city council supports the event was just one of many variables to be assessed.

“I should put it on record, notwithstanding Councillor Bhatnagar’s outburst, that Auckland City has offered us contra support and we see the Vector Arena as an attractive venue. So is Trusts Stadium in Waitakere -- and Waitakere have hosted very successful boxing events in recent times, most notably Dean Lonergan’s Fights for Life.

“Further south, Wellington’s TSB Arena is another good indoor venue and Wellington have let us know formally that they are excited by the event and believe Tua vs Cameron will be ‘ hugely successful’. Because Wellington’s track record as an events Mecca is widely respected, we appreciate the confidence they have expressed.

“Our reason for seeking investment in the event is that it will deliver substantial economic benefits to the host city and local businesses potentially worth several million dollars. It’s extraordinary that Mr Bhatnagar, as Chair of Auckland’s Development Committee, cannot see that: --

• The catering bill alone is likely to be worth more than one million dollars to local suppliers

• Dean Lonergan, who is managing our corporate sales, has a long waiting list of CEO’s and ‘high net worth individuals’ willing to pay more than $10,000 for ring-side tables

• The city that stages this event will be filled with spenders for at least the weekend of the fight and people from all walks of life will have the opportunity to experience a ‘once in a lifetime live event’

• Add popular build-up events, a public weigh-in, hotel room nights, restaurant and bar expenditure – and it’s easy to see that the bout will inject many millions of dollars into the host city’s economy during a recession.

Mr Higgins also condemned Aaron Bhatnagar’s action in leaking details of the discussions the promoters had had with the Auckland Council to the media.

“We had hoped to conduct our city council discussions privately until the point at which the matter was democratically decided in open council session. That is the proper way to do business.

“Mr Bhatnagar states that Auckland was invited to underwrite the event. That was one of the options we offered. Not surprisingly, given that Mr Bhatnagar’s Council have been willing to underwrite events in the past — including, we understand, a $2 million-plus underwrite of the upcoming stage production of My Fair Lady.

“What Mr Bhatnagar fails to mention is that they were also given an option to sponsor the event, with no underwrite, via a fixed payment with no risk in exchange for itemised benefits and a schedule of returns on investment supported by a business case commissioned from experts.”

“However, due to this unprofessional and disreputable leak of confidential information via the blog of an Auckland City Councillor, I will confirm that our venue decision was finalised several days ago and will be announced at a press conference early next week.

“We are satisfied that we have been able to identify the best city and venue to stage New Zealand’s Fight of the Century.”

ends

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