The showman’s talents of promoter Frank Warren and

The showman’s talents of promoter Frank Warren and his ‘intuitive feel’ for the boxing game were today (thurs) championed by his former
partner.

The 48-year-old was described as an exciting risk taker who put bums on seats by attracting top fighters to his stable.

Christopher Roberts, giving evidence at London’s Southwark Crown Court, spoke of Warren’s ‘key roles’ in the business they once ran together.

Both men are on trial for tax fraud, but Roberts – a former City banker – stressed that keeping the accounts ‘was my job.

‘

‘Frank has a very good intuitive feel for the boxing business,’ said Roberts.

‘He is a boxing man and truly understands and can spot talent.

‘

He repeated his praise for Warren picking out the now Champion Prince
Naseem Hamed.

‘Frank said to me this man will be brilliant.

‘

And he said it was a skill essential to the sport.

‘The boxing business has to bring in fresh blood, or else it dies.

‘

Roberts said Warren was an entrepreneur.

‘Sometimes a bit scary, because he was a bigger risk taker than me – but that in itself was exciting.

‘

He said his former partner’s reputation meant he could attract top
names to his stable – champions like Prince Naseem, Frank Bruno, Nigel
Benn and Irish fighter Steve Collins.

Warren was also able to sell the fights he promoted and sell tickets.

‘He had a good understanding of the dynamics of that rather difficult
process, to insure the seats were filled.

‘

But Roberts admitted Warren had his weaknesses – including understanding balance sheets and accounts.

He agreed he had told Customs and Excise officers after their arrest for unpaid VAT ‘that giving Frank a set of accounts was like giving a prayer book to a camel.

Honest, he was just useless.

‘

Roberts said Warren was never involved in the accountancy side and never took part in decisions over the payments to the Revenue.

Roberts, 50, of Erskine Road, Mistley, Essex, denies evading pnds
stlng 750,000 of VAT between August 1995 and May 1996 in relation to
Sports Network Ltd.

Roberts was a director, while Warren was employed as a consultant and
enjoyed a profit share from his boxing promotions handled through the
company.

Roberts and Warren jointly deny evading pnds stlng 1.

2 million VAT
between February 1996 and June 1997 in relation to their partnership
Sports Network (Europe).

The trial continues.

ends