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The promoter of David Tua and Shane Cameron's fight still hopes to find a venue despite a lack of city council interest in the event.
New Zealand's Fight of the Century has struggled to attract investment from Auckland or Wellington city councils and has failed to secure a venue for the fight, due to be staged on June 6 or 7.
Yesterday, David Higgins, director of the company promoting the fight, Duco Events, dismissed Auckland councillor Aaron Bhatnagar's public criticism of the fight. Last week Mr Bhatnagar said he doubted the $1 million Tua-Cameron fight would be "one of the country's biggest sporting events" and compared it to the David Beckham debacle which cost Auckland ratepayers $1.79 million.
But Mr Higgins said that was an unreasonable comparison: "It was clear to us from early on that the Beckham event was unlikely to succeed. We wouldn't have promoted it. David Tua v Shane Cameron, on the other hand, is shaping up as this country's most notable sports event of 2009."
Duco Events had undertaken "due diligence" of several potential locations and venues.
He said the company approached the councils for funding because it was believed the fight would deliver substantial economic benefits.
"That, surely, is why Auckland City has been willing to invest in or underwrite the other events, including a contribution of more than $100,000 to the Beckham match and, we understand, a $2 million-plus underwrite of the upcoming stage production of My Fair Lady."
Mr Bhatnagar said Duco Events had asked the council to underwrite the fight, saying it would be embarrassing to pass it to Wellington, but the council refused.
