Charles Saatchi challenges Spectator columnist to cage fight over Nigella row

77-year-old columnist Taki said Saatchi had "coward's bullying manner" in which the latter respond by challenging him to a cage fight.

16:49 23 January 2014

Taki, a 77-year-old gossip columnist pushed Charles Saatchi’s buttons when he wrote in his column that the latter had “coward’s bullying manner” for the way he treated his ex-wife Nigella Lawson.

The 70-year-old art collector was photographed with his hand on her throat in a central London restaurant. In his column on January 18, Taki said: "expecting a pornographer to have a heart is like counting upon Charles Saatchi to act like a gentleman".

Saatchi replied by challenging the columnist to a cage fight. In a letter, he said: "People tell me that in your unreadable column you also like to brag that you are a black belt at karate. Well, me too, old boy. But apparently your 'fights' are genteel affairs, against other soppy geriatrics rolling around the floor in crisp white outfits, in some bit of judokai nonsense.

"Mine take place in cages, 20 feet square, unofficial little events with no gloves, no rules, and the loser being carried out, usually battered to bits. You will understand why I laughed out loud at your schoolyard boast that I should try throttling a real hard case like you."

Taki apparently accepted the challenge and said he would be happy to stage the fight with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Boxing Academy in east London.