Chris John Pulls Out Of Joel Brunker Fight Due To 'Betting Purposes'

Joel Brunker has advised Aus-Boxing.com that Chris John's management team has cancelled their fighters bout with the Australian Featherweight which was due to take place at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino in Singapore on March 31st, 2012 with the WBA Featherweight title on the line.

An agreement had been reached in contract form on the 14th December 2011 and the fight was sanctioned to take place in Singapore.

"Negotiations for this bout started about 2 weeks prior to the signing of the contract", said Brunker's manager Angelo Di Carlo. "Joel was already booked to fight on the Daniel Geale undercard but that position has now been lost."

Last week Brunker's Di Carlo received a phone call off Chris John's manager who told him that the fight could possibly be cancelled on the basis of 'betting purposes' as the venue wanted to see an Asian boxer in the other corner to secure the highest possible returns with regards to betting.

At 10.05am on Thursday January 17, 2012-Di Carlo received a call from Chris John's management team to say that this fight had indeed been cancelled and that a new date would possibly be scheduled for Joel in the future.

Di Carlo told Aus-Boxing that it was initially John's management that approached the Australian for the fight.

In an interview with Aus-Boxing Brunker said, "It is totally unprofessional and disrespectful to entice me out of other arrangements, agree to the term and conditions of the contract and after I sign on the dotted line a month later tell me the fights off."

"This move by John's management has caused me to miss out on a spot I had for the upcoming Daniel Geale undercard, which I was prepared to do under the obligations of the contract we both agreed upon in December 2011."

"It is back to the drawing board for us. I have lost out on so many opportunities from other promotions so I could commit myself to the Chris John fight. We will continue to chase the hard fights in our quest for a world title shot."

The author can be reached for comments or replies by emailing us at ausboxing@gmail.com.

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