Harrison and Cook in Rare Heated Exchange

Unlike America, where press conference squabbles between fighters and their entourages is common-place, here in the UK press conferences are typically tacit, mild-mannered and respectful affairs.

True, Herbie Hide has had an altercation or two down the years but with the Norwich fighter absent presently the heated words Scott Harrison and Nicky Cook shared caused something of a stir.

Most of the verbals revolved around both suggesting they would shut up the other’s noise, the champion making snarling reference to his experience at this level and the challenger falling back on the cliché of this fight representing the end of the champion’s reign and the beginning of his own.

Despite the lack of flair on display in the spat, it added some much needed energy to the troubled promotion already recoiling from Harrison’s incarceration in Spain, the cancellation of the trade fight between Oboh and Oakey and the withdrawal of Matt Skelton with a hand injury (however it occurred).

ITV televise and the style mesh between the headliners and the ill-feeling on display at the press conference suggest the terrestrial network could enjoy a bumper evening despite those problems.