Boxer Steve Collins agreed in the High Court yesterday that he had paid £360,000 for the services of health adviser Mr Tony Quinn, following his two world title fights. Mr Quinn was mentor to Collins for his contests.
Yesterday was the 19th day of the action by promoter Mr Barry Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing Ltd, against Mr Collins, of Pine House, Navan Road, Dublin, for alleged breach of contract. The claim is denied.
Cross-examined by Mr Rory Brady SC yesterday, Mr Collins said Mr Hearn had failed in his job as a manager for a variety of reasons.
He would not describe what Mr Hearn did to him as bad, Mr Collins said. It was a failure to fulfil his duties and obligations as a manager. After his world super-middleweight fight with Chris Eubank in Millstreet, Co Cork, Mr Collins said he had had enough of Mr Hearn, and wanted to get away from him.
"I wanted him out of my life," he told Mr Justice O'Sullivan.
Mr Collins agreed that notwithstanding this, he had invited both Mr Hearn and his trainer, Mr Freddie King, to civic receptions in Dublin and Cork after the Millstreet contest.
Had Mr King turned up, he probably would have put his arm around him in the bus, Mr Collins said. But he would not do that now. Had Mr Hearn turned up, he probably would have put his arm around him also.
Mr Collins said that Mr Hearn and Mr King had told lies in the witness box.
The boxer said he had co-operated with journalist Paul Howard who wrote the book The Celtic Warrior. He had hoped a Hollywood mogul might read the book and decide to make a film about him. Not everything in the book was true, but because those parts may have been of benefit to his career at the time, he did nothing about them, Mr Collins said.
He said he considered Mr Hearn had seriously breached his managerial responsibilities to him in the attempt in Millstreet in March 1995 to "nobble" the referee; in Mr Hearn's letter to the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), casting doubt on Mr Collins's finger injury and in Mr Hearn's attempt to frustrate the purse bid for his second fight with Mr Eubank.
What happened at the purse fixing was the final straw, Mr Collins said. He did not want to be near Mr Hearn or part of his organisation ever again.
The hearing continues today.