By Michael Woods
The Nevada State Athletic Commission pulled the plug on a Saturday show to be headlined by veteran Zab Judah just a day before the card.
A release went out from the planners of the event, promoted by Roy Engelbrecht, but no real specifics were cited as to why the promotion was cancelled.
Here is the release:
LAS VEGAS – “Knockout Night at the D,” the boxing fight card to feature headliners Zab Judah vs. Josh Torres at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), has been cancelled for Saturday, March 12.
Derek Stevens, CEO of the D Las Vegas and DLVEC, said, “Last night, I received multiple calls from the Nevada Athletic Commission regarding eligibility concerns. After our discussions, it became apparent the fight card could not move forward. Although I’m disappointed with the situation I appreciate the phone calls and look forward to working with the Nevada Athletic Commission on future boxing events at the DLVEC.”
Last year, DLVEC launched several successful boxing events, with Stevens leading the charge to bring outdoor boxing back to Las Vegas.
All ticket purchases will be reimbursed. Credit card transactions will be automatically refunded and cash refunds will be issued at their point of purchase.
I spoke to Bob Bennett of the Commission after the release went out. The executive director told me the card is off because “false licensing documents” were presented to the commission.
He said that Judah, the figurehead of the card, and promoter Engelbrecht are “temporarily suspended pending a hearing before the commission.”
Bennett said falsified documentation for one fighter to appear on the show was furnished to his people. The show could have gone on if there was a co-promoter involved, he said, but since a single person had that designation, the plug was reluctantly pulled.
He called that cancellation “unfortunate” and said much hard work had gone into the card.
I messaged a rep for Judah and messaged promoter Engelbrecht to get their response and will insert any responses.
A hearing will be held on March 23 which Judah and the promoter will be asked to attend, Bennett said.
