EXCLUSIVE
A
PRIZE fight in Belfast this weekend is being backed by tens of thousands of pounds of public money.
The money is being pumped into the Titanic Showdown event at which fighters Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez share estimated prize money in excess of £250,000. Ringside tickets for the Saturday night bout at the Titanic Slipways are priced between £45 and £160 and VIP boxes cost up to £500.
The sale of the global television rights to more than 90 countries is also thought to have netted a substantial amount for the fight's promoter -- Barry McGuigan's Cyclone Promotions.
Belfast City Council has revealed that it is sponsoring the event with £50,000 of ratepayers' money but the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is refusing to disclose how much public funding is going to the promoter.
The board said the deal in partnership with cross-border body Tourism Ireland was part of its efforts to promote the north as a holiday destination and as a location for hosting world-class events.
However, the board said the figures could not be made public because the agreement was "commercial in confidence".
? Story in full ? P9 n BOUT YE: Carl Frampton, pictured at an event in Victoria Square, Belfast, yesterday, will fight Kiko Martinez at the Titanic Showdown PICTURE: Hugh Russell