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FLORIDA ALLIANCE MEMBERS HAVE
NO REGRETS OVER "MANCHESTER INCIDENT"
Tuesday 2 April 2002
In an interview conducted at noon and to be shown on this evening's edition of SportsCenter, 17 year-old Florida boxer Elmer Ray said that none of the members of the "Florida Alliance" have any regrets about their actions during the brawl in Manchester last Wednesday.
"Wouldn't change a thing, y'all," Ray said, speaking from Bally's in Atlantic City. "What, y'all sayin' we should o' jus' 'turn the other cheek'? Someone throw down on us, we gonna throw back, man. Ain't no messin' with that, see? Bunch o' y'all spreadin' some real nonsense rumours, man, sayin' this brawl gonna break up the Florida Alliance. Anyone sayin' that, I tell y'all right now, they ain't got no interest in this 'lliance, man. They tryin' t' be a destroyer, no doubt. We stronger in our bond than ever before, see? Wednesday night, O-Mac gonna take care o' business and we be 11-0 then, man."
Ray was asked about the fines handed out by the HBF.
"Well, Pres' Vincennes tellin' us not to talk on it, y'all," he replied. "Only say how we feel, I guess. Sure, we disappointed to be fined. No doubt 'bout that. I ain't gonna say anythin' 'gainst Mr. Vincennes, though. He been a great leader for the HBF, and he had t' do what he had to do, see? But, like I say earlier, none o' us would do anythin' diff'rent in the same sit. You gonna trade shots with Florida, you gonna know about it."
Following the Wednesday night Atlantic City fight card, the Florida Alliance will return to their home state for the first time since 7 March. The locations of their bouts has led to them travelling, in turn, from Florida to Australia to Philadelphia (via New York) to Manchester and back to New York again.
(to be continued)
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