It was claimed in the High Court yesterday that the London boxing promoter, Mr Barry Hearn, was "a liar" and "shyster". Mr Colm Allen SC, for the former Dublin boxer Steve Collins, made the claim in his closing speech on the 23rd day of the action taken by Mr Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing Ltd, against Mr Collins, alleging breach of contract. Mr Collins, of Pine House, Navan Road, Dublin, has denied the claim.
Mr Allen concluded his closing speech yesterday, and today Mr Rory Brady SC will close the case for Mr Hearn. Mr Justice O'Sullivan is expected to reserve his judgment.
Yesterday, counsel for Mr Hearn objected to Mr Noel C. Duggan, owner of the Green Glens arena in Millstreet, Co Cork, giving evidence of a conversation he had with Mr Hearn at Cork Airport about two weeks before the fight between Steve Collins and Chris Eubank on March 18th, 1995.
After hearing submissions by both sides, Mr Justice O'Sullivan told Mr Duggan his evidence was inadmissible.
Mr Allen said the concerted effort by Mr Hearn to vilify the referee of the Millstreet fight, Mr Ron Lipton, was an ugly feature of the case. The sole purpose of his revolting attack was to deflect from the enormity of what he had said about Steve Collins to the referee.
At the core of that evidence was the assertion that Mr Hearn sought to influence Mr Lipton by making outrageous allegations against a boxer whom he was managing.
Mr Allen said he wanted to nail his colours to the mast as far as Mr Hearn was concerned. "I say he is one of the most consummate liars I have ever had the experience to encounter."
He said Mr Hearn did his utmost to stop Sports Network from bidding for the purse for Steve Collins's defence of his title against Eubank in New York on May 29th, 1995.
Then there were the letters from Mr Hearn to the WBO in which he attempted to have his client stripped of his title, Mr Allen said.
When confronted with these documents after deliberately attempting to conceal them, Mr Hearn was confronted with the fact that, at a time when he was claiming to be Collins's manager, he was effectively describing him as a "shyster" to the WBO by alleging a fake finger injury, collusion with a rival manager, Frank Warren, and predicting he would use his injury to have a fight postponed, counsel added.
If the court found Mr Hearn had made approaches to the referee in Millstreet, then his management agreement with Steve Collins was effectively at an end.