High Noon bouts go their separate ways after HK knockout

HIGH Noon in Hong Kong, the boxing extravaganza that never was, will never happen as a single bill event anywhere.

Instead the four-fight card has been broken up and three of the bouts will probably be staged separately at various venues in the US in December and January.

The exception is the main bout between heavyweights Herbie Hide and Tommy Morrison which looks unlikely to happen at all. Hide's camp are negotiating to fight former champion Riddick Bowe if the price is right. If so, Morrison has his lawyers ready to seek full payment plus compensation from event promoters Top Rank.

High Noon caused headlines around the world when it was cancelled at the 11th hour because of a row over money.

Event promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank organisation postponed the whole thing after co-presenter Barry Hearn withdrew his two fighters, Hide and middleweight Steve Collins, saying they had not received guarantees of payment from John Daly's Hemdale Special Events company. With their withdrawal, Arum called off the extravaganza amidst chaotic scenes at the weigh-in.

Morrison's promoter Tony Holden said he thinks the fiasco has wrecked Hong Kong's reputation as a fight venue for some time to come.

'I would say this business has been the death of boxing in Hong Kong,' said Holden from Kansas City yesterday. 'It's unfortunate that you let someone come in and trash a great place like Hong Kong. But I'm sure people have lost confidence in Hong Kong.