By Don Smith | June 25, 2014
Boxing Fans,
Dateline Phoenix: Arizona Boxing News & Notes has learned that Canadian welterweight Steve Claggett will fight Jose Benavidez Jr. on the July 26 Iron Boy 14 Card co produced by Iron Boy & Top Rank. This development may irk Fan Base Promotions who though Claggett was going fight Juan Jesus Rivera on their “Redemption Under the Tent” show on July 6 in Calgary. According to Henri Westcott, spokesperson for Fan Base, Claggett is banned from further Fan Base Shows after withdrawing from what was described as a self reported dog bite. Claggett’s record stands at 19-2-2 while Benavidez Jr. remains undefeated at 20-0.. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds and will be held at the Celebrity Theatre. UniMass will broadcast the event. ..Westcott says the fight won’t happen because Claggett will back out; that piece of speculation remains to be seen.
The flap with Claggett and Fan Base started when Claggett’s father reportedly told Fan Base that his son (Steve Claggett) had agreed to fight on the July 6 six bout card in Calgary at the Roadhouse. Fan Base used that alleged verbal confirmation to start selling tables and tickets for the event based on the fact that the Canadian superstar boxer (Claggett) was on the card. Fan Base called me almost two weeks ago and reported that Claggett was being taken off the card because of a dog bite. Fan Base has since replaced Claggett with
Samuel Vargas who will face Rivera in a scheduled for 8 round main event. Vargas despises Claggett and accuses the 25 year old fighter of ducking him after several invites to meet Vargas in the ring.. I couldn’t confirm dif that accusation was just blow or reality.
Fan Base became understandably suspicious when Claggett allegedly aired derogatory remarks (aimed at Fan Base) through Facebook. According to informed sources; the father instructed his son (Steve Claggett) to take off the alleged inflammatory remarks. Fan Base plans to ban Claggett from any future participation on Fan Base Shows.
Claggett’s side of the story may surface at the press conference and weigh-in for the Iron Boy 14 show (co-produced by Top Rank) in Phoenix. It should be a lively press conference
and the back and forth between Fan Base & Claggett should sell tickets to both shows. Controversy is always good for boxing….Don Smith, Arizona Boxing News & Notes… Until Next Time!
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
