By Johnny Walker
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) has predictably reacted with rage to yesterday’s announcement by BoxNation promoter Frank Warren of the upcoming heavyweight scrap between David Haye and Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora, to be held July 14 in London.
The promotion is titled “Licensed to Thrill,” which cheekily rubs the BBBoC’s nose in the fact that Warren was able to circumvent their ban of his fighter (Chisora) by obtaining boxing licenses for he and the currently unlicensed David Haye from the Luxembourg boxing board via European free trade laws.
The BBBoC, however, was not amused.
“Those behind this proposal are not concerned with the interests of the sport of boxing,” the organization said in a statement today.
“Anyone who participates will be deemed to have terminated their membership.”
“Any member who participates in such a promotion would bring the sport of boxing into disrepute and would wholly undermine the authority of the British Boxing Board of Control.
“For the avoidance of doubt, any member of the British Boxing Board of Control who participates in any way in such a promotion will be deemed to have terminated his/her membership of the British Boxing Board of Control and his/her licence therewith, for the reasons stated above.
“[The BBBoC] does not approve of such a promotion taking place within its jurisdiction and will not supply any of its officials to officiate at such a promotion.”
Surely Frank Warren and German co-promoter Sauerland Event anticipated this kind of reaction, as the BBBoC’s existence is indeed threatened and undermined by the Haye-Chisora fight. Yet it is hard to feel much sympathy for the BBBoC, given their clumsy treatment of Chisora (a vague, open-ended de-licensing) and their ineffectiveness in dealing with serious infractions in the past.
The ball is now is Warren’s court, but given the public interest already drummed up for Haye vs Chisora and the potential profit involved for all parties, backing down doesn’t seem to be a likely option.
MORE: Read the full statement by the BBBoC here.
