Bateson rages over KO blow to re-match with Quartermaine

Danny Quartermaine….wants the fight closer to home

THE hotly anticipated re-match between Leamington’s Danny Quartermaine and Jack Bateson appears to have been lost, with Bateson venting his anger on social media.

Promoters GBM had planned to stage the title battle in Doncaster on May 23, but IBF and WBO European champ Danny  turned down the offer.

That’s infuriated Leeds’ Bateson who has accused Quartermaine of reneging on a verbal agreement for the return after their first clash ended sickeningly and unsatisfactorily.

Quartermaine’s trainer Edwin Cleary admits a verbal agreement was made in the ring – with an assurance by Bateson that “I’ll come to you next”. “Last time I looked, Doncaster wasn’t in the Midlands,” he said.

Bateson told me: “It’s left a bitter taste in my mouth. How can you call yourself a champion when you do stuff like this? I think a lot less of him as a champion.”

Last December a clash of heads left both men badly gashed and blood splattered in the second round. The bout was stopped and a technical draw declared.

After the short Sheffield defence, Quartermaine said: “Obviously it’s not how we planned to see this fight end, but these things happen and we will get it done in the new year.”

Danny is still to give me his take on the row, but one of his main reasons for snubbing the May date was its location. He wants a venue closer to home for his fans – and Quartermaine has a vast army of supporters.

That has cut little ice with Bateson.

“He wasn’t happy about boxing in Doncaster, but I’m not from Doncaster. It’s neutral ground for us,” he insisted.

“At first, I was told everything was agreed, it was a done deal. It gets to the Friday before the Monday (when the bout was to be announced) and I was told Danny hadn’t signed his side of the contract.

“He was getting double what I was getting. He wasn’t happy about boxing in Doncaster.

Poster for the pair’s first meeting that ended in a draw

“It’s delayed my career. I was told we’d have a rematch in May, so I eased off a little bit – otherwise, I would have looked to be out in March by the latest. Now I’m in the wilderness.”

To add salt to his wounds, Bateson won’t even be appearing on the Doncaster show.

“In the one-and-a-half rounds we shared, there was no conclusive victor,” Bateson said. “I just don’t understand why he doesn’t fancy it.”

In a no-holds-barred social media message to Quartermaine, Bateson blasted: “I always try to be respectful to my opponents because at the end of the day, it’s just boxing and it’s just business. But you’re a joke! You’ve wasted my time and let both of our supporters down.”

In an interview with “boxingnewsonline”, Quartermaine said: “I need to listen to my supporters because without them I wouldn’t be where I am and you’re looking at a three hour journey to Doncaster for the re-match. That isn’t fair on my supporters.”

His trainer Cleary stressed: “Doncaster is three hours from Leamington in a coach. It’s not fair on Danny’s followers.

“If things ever go wrong for him, he has to rely on those ticket sales to get back on track again.”

A decision to withdraw from the contest came late because contract negotiations took place late in the day, Edwin said.

He added: “How can anyone say Danny doesn’t fancy the job when he went to Sheffield to fight Bateson? He went to his back garden – Sheffield is 20 minutes from Bateson’s home.

Cleary add: “I feel it’s a winnable fight.”

But a fight that now seems unlikely to happen.