An Angus pub has suffered a knockout blow in its bid to allow punters to watch the “fight of the century”.
The 19th Hole in Carnoustie initially applied for a licence to sell alcohol beyond 1am at the ticket-only event for the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao title fight on May 2/3.
The pub won a bruising battle for extended drinking hours up until 3.30am but the fight has now been moved further back and is unlikely to finish within the licensing timeframe.
The undercard for the mega-fight is now not expected to get under way until after midnight and it is expected the main event might not start until nearer 5am.
A pub spokesman told regulars: “We remain immensely proud that Angus Council placed faith in us in granting the license for our original proposal.
“We have learned lessons for the future and may look to learn from this experience to show boxing matches and maybe the Super Bowl.”
The original 3.30am licence was granted at a meeting of Angus Council’s licensing board after the pub applied for an extended hours licence application for a ticket-only event limited to just 100 people.
Arbroath councillor Alex King appeared to have delivered a body blow when he moved to refuse booze to be served until 3.30am stating that it was “asking for trouble”.
The pub’s solicitor, Janet Hood, had told councillors there had been no objections from residents who live beside the Ferrier Street hostelry.
Mr King moved an amendment for the application for extended hours to be refused, seconded by Arbroath councillor Bob Spink.
Licensing board convener Craig Fotheringham said he initially shared Mr King’s concerns about the extended licence.
However, he submitted a motion for the application to be granted, seconded by Councillor David Fairweather.
The decision went to a vote and the motion was carried by six votes to two.
The Mayweather versus Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas has been described as the most anticipated bout since the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman.
Fans have been waiting for half a decade for the two welterweights to step into the same ring to decide, once and for all, who is the greatest pound-for-pound fighter.
Unfortunately for the pub, though, the timing of the main event has left the approved proposal flat out on the canvas.
It will now close at the usual time.