Bell

Gordon Williams, Contributor

Jamaican-born boxer, O'Neil Bell, has responded with a stinging counterpunch of his own following criticisms over his no-show for a recent fight in the UnitedStates.

The former undisputed world cruiserweight champion, without directly addressing a scheduled fight against Louis Azille earlier this month, which his promoters said he had verbally agreed to but failed to turn up for, said he would not allow what he called boxing's "devilish" forces to dictate to him anymore.

"There are a lot of Satanists out there in the sport," the 32-year-old Bell said yesterday. "I would not like to be infringed upon again."

When asked why he did not fight Azille, the Montego Bay-born fighter deferred to his promoters, Florida-based Warriors Boxing, which he described as his "clone".

"I discovered I have a clone, so he can go ahead and fight for me," he said. "I would like him to talk."

According to Warriors' boss Leon Margules, Bell "orally" agreed to fight Azille in the feature bout of ESPN network's Wednesday Night Fights on August 8.

However, the promoter said he was unable to contact Bell in the weeks leading up to the bout and was forced to find another opponent for Azille and rearrange the fight card.

"I couldn't take the chance," Margules said on Thursday.

Unhappy

Margules said he spoke to Bell on the day of the fight, but not since. He admitted that Bell had initially expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed purse bout, but had agreed to fight Azille on August 8.

Yesterday, Bell, a talented power-puncher, said he is not happy with the way his career has been progressing.

Among the sources of his displeasure was his March defeat to Jean-Marc Mormeck.

Bell not only lost a unanimous decision in the Frenchman's home-town, but his World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) titles as well.

According to the Atlanta-based fighter, the decision favouring Mormeck was incorrect. Bell, who had knocked out Mormeck in January 2006 to grab the WBA and WBC titles, said he felt cheated. He is convinced that the rounds were deliberately shortened to benefit a tiring Mormeck.

"You don't cut time from boxing so one fighter can win," Bell said yesterday. "How can you excuse what happened in France?"

'Everything whitewashed'

Margules backed Bell's claims on Thursday saying he had recorded versions of the 12 championship bout to prove it. However, Bell is frustrated due to what he believes is the lack of action taken to correct what he believes is a cover-up for what was done to him in France.

"Everything has been whitewashed," he said.

Meanwhile, Bell, who also once held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title, and owns a professional ring record of 26 wins (24 by knockout), two losses and a draw, said he plans to be ready for his mandatory title bout later this year. He is scheduled to face the winner of the Mormeck-David Haye fight, which will decide the undisputed world champion of the 200-pound weight division.

In the meantime, Bell said he is taking it easy. When asked what his next move will be, including the possibility of a tune-up bout before the title fight, Bell responded: "To deal with the devilish men at hand."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.