Ben Shalom Says Zuffa Took Sam Hickey in Contract Dispute

Ben Shalom says Zuffa Boxing took Sam Hickey from him even though Hickey was under contract. The Boxxer promoter said the move was disruptive and hinted that litigation could follow.

Shalom Targets Zuffa Boxing

“You can’t just go in and ignore that fighters are under contract and being paid by another promoter,” Shalom said, putting the dispute at the center of his criticism. He said Zuffa had been “extremely disruptive” and added, “I think they see me and they think ‘oh, he’s a nice guy, he’s not going to do anything.’”

He also said, “What are you supposed to do?” after laying out what he saw as repeated problems with Zuffa’s approach. The complaint is not only about Hickey; it is about how contracts are being treated when fighters move between promoters.

Chris Billam-Smith And Conor Benn

Shalom said Zuffa “ignored that Conor Benn had a matching right, in my opinion.” He said the same thing happened with Chris Billam-Smith, adding that Boxxer had “not just a matching right but an exclusive negotiation period.”

He said other fighters on that fight were “completely under contract,” then widened the criticism to the people running the sport. “I don’t really understand what they’re saying at Zuffa or TKO or whatever…My concern is American conglomerates deciding or wanting to decide or wanting to disrupt how the sport is run in this country,” he said.

“They will go with anyone with a pulse,” Shalom said, before describing the situation as one that could end up in court. He said, “Thankfully we live in a country where you can’t do those types of things.”

IBF And British Boxing

Shalom also pointed to the wider mood around the sport in Britain, saying boxing is “probably the most popular in the world in Britain in terms of the big fights and big nights,” and that British promoters have always cared about the sport.

He said, “I can’t keep up [with Zuffa]. One minute there’s no titles, then they’re suing a governing body — it’s just disruptive.” He added that “The IBF are probably the most honorable governing body there is and it’s just like — we know what [Zuffa] are trying to do but it’s confusing.”

For Shalom, the immediate issue is Hickey. He says Zuffa took the fighter while he was under contract, and that the next move could be in court rather than in the ring.