Press Release: Incensed by the publicly made claims of heavyweight contender Shannon Briggs and his manager, Scott Hirsch, regarding a possible fight against Samuel Peter, promoter Dino Duva has issued the following response: “I normally don’t like responding to con artists, or getting involved in a circus act, but Shannon Briggs and his manager Scott Hirsch’s statements last night were so full of lies that I must respond to them this one time. I’ve always liked Shannon and Scott personally, but I think Shannon’s dreadlocks may be turning his brains to mush. It’s also disappointing to me that Scott may be falling for his lies.”

 

As to their contention that I offered Shannon Briggs a fight with Samuel Peter.

I’ve never called Shannon Briggs directly. And I’ve never offered him a specific fight or purse to face Samuel. EVER. The last time I spoke with or saw Shannon Briggs or Scott Hirsch was on December 15 at Sam Peter’s fight in Florida. While we have discussed the concept of him fighting Sam at some point, no specific purse offers were made..

 

Their statement that I went around a fighter’s representatives to offer him a fight directly.

I DO NOT go around fighters’ representatives to offer fights. That’s not the way I operate. And for the record, I would not even call his manager. If the fighter has a promoter, that’s who I would make a specific offer to, no one else.

 

Their statement that I went back on my word regarding an offer I made to them.

Do not attack my integrity. My word is very important to me. Not only have I never reneged on any offer to Briggs, I’ve never even made one. 

 

To their contention that Shannon Briggs is worth a $600,000 purse.

It’s laughable. It’s my understanding that Shannon did a couple fights last year on pay-per-view and you could count the number of buys on your hands and toes. Ask the TV executives who control the purse strings in this business what they think of Shannon’s request for $600,000.

 

That they are not pricing themselves out of this fight.

Wrong again. They just did, which, by the way, proves Samuel Peter’s manager Ivaylo Gotzev’s prediction that they would to be right on the money.

 

In closing, please do not waste the time of a true warrior and man like Samuel Peter with your lame circus-act attempt to get publicity. Samuel Peter has bigger and more important prey to conquer than Shannon Briggs.