Scott Welch has slammed Brighton and Hove City Council for pulling the plug on a show featuring Mike Tyson.
The event, scheduled for the Brighton Centre later this month, was scrapped on Tuesday night following complaints from women's groups about the convicted rapist.
Welch, the former British heavyweight champion who coaches at Hove Amateur Boxing club, said: "I think it is a sad loss for boxing fans in Brighton.
"We were at meetings in London all day tying everything up. We had Frank Bruno and Steve Collins as well and it would have been a fantastic night for Sussex.
"We were planning a big gathering of former champions. Mike Tyson was obviously the main man but a lot of other great champions were coming to this city. It is a sad loss for the boxing community and the amateur boxers who were going to be involved."
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