Retired World Champion boxer Steve Collins yesterday rejected claims he was a broken man when he approached British promoter Mr Barry Hearn in 1993. Mr Colm Allen SC, for Mr Collins, put to the boxer claims that he had been in a deep trough when he joined Mr Hearn.
"I would disagree. Things had not gone well but I was never broken or distraught. I knew I had the potential to be a world champion," Mr Collins said.
He was giving evidence on the eighth day of the action taken by Mr Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing Ltd, against the Dublin boxer for alleged breach of a management agreement. Mr Collins has denied the claim.
Mr Hearn claims Mr Collins entered negotiations with rival promoter Mr Frank Warren after his win over Chris Eubank at Millstreet in March 1995 and later signed an agreement with Mr Warren.
In court yesterday, Mr Collins rejected Mr Hearn's claim that the boxer was "valueless" at the time he approached the promoter.
"In 1993, I was in the top 10 in the world rankings. To become a top-10 fighter you must have some ability. I was recognised as someone who was definitely a world-class fighter. To say that I was valueless was untrue." Mr Collins said he contacted a number of promoters in October/ November 1992 after he had split amicably with promoter Mr Barney Eastwood.
"Mr Hearn was very strong on television. He had a contract with ITV and, later on, Sky. He was a man who was a busy promoter with TV exposure who I believed was the best man to go to at the time."
Earlier, Mr Collins had told the court how he and his wife, Gemma, had to work at low-paid jobs in the US. He had arrived there as an illegal alien in 1985.
Mr Collins said he made his professional boxing debut in 1986. By 1989, he was US middleweight champion and Irish middleweight champion. He fought for the World Boxing Association (WBA) title on February 3rd, 1990, against Mike McCallum and lost on points.
"I had reached the top-10 level in 1989. I was regarded as a world-class fighter and was matched with world-class opposition."
Mr Collins said he returned to Ireland the following year and joined Mr Eastwood. He was later chosen by the European Boxing Union as its number one contender and fought Sumbu Kalambay in northern Italy in a world title fight which he lost on a split decision. The boxer said his contract with Mr Eastwood then expired and they parted company "on amicable terms".
In January 1993, Mr Collins said he went to Mr Hearn in England. He trained there from Monday to Friday and returned home to Dublin at weekends.
During this time he paid for his own air and train fares, food and laundry and had difficulty in seeing where the figure of £181,000 submitted by Mr Hearn for management expenses had come from.
He said the question of a contract arose during meetings with Mr Hearn in early 1993, but the promoter had said there was no need for a contract.
After winning a number of fights, he fought Chris Pyatt, in May 1994, for the WBO world middleweight championship.
Mr Collins said that on May 9th, 1994, two days before the Pyatt fight in Sheffield, he and Mr Hearn signed a contract. They were the sole parties to the deal. The contract was conditional on Mr Collins winning his fight against Pyatt. A clause inserted in the contract by Mr Collins's solicitor provided that no action be undertaken by the manager which might be in conflict with his duties to the boxer.
Mr Collins said he defeated Pyatt and his life-long ambition to become a world boxing champion was fulfilled. He thought more fights could have been organised and felt he was not getting the same treatment as other boxers in the Hearn camp.
Mr Paul Gallagher SC, for Mr Hearn, sought to amend his side's reply to the defence. He said it seemed to be alleged that there was a conflict of interest at the time the management agreement was entered into on May 10th, 1994. Mr Gallagher said Mr Collins could not allege that Mr Hearn's involvement with Chris Eubank was a breach of contract when he knew, at the time of the making of the contract, of Mr Hearn's and Matchroom's involvement with Eubank.
Mr Allen said he would need time to examine Mr Gallagher's amendment, which was of a fundamental nature, to the pleadings.
Mr Justice O'Sullivan adjourned the case until today when he will rule on the issue of the application for an amendment.