|
It has been gratifying of late
to witness the continued
activity within the World Boxing
Federation, as well as the up
and coming title fights. To be
able to afford opportunities to
fighters and countries around
the globe, to put their top
fighters on the map or perhaps
on the road to stardom is
something we take quite
seriously as a forward thinking
world sanctioning organization.
Fights have taken place in
France, Mexico, Hungary,
Australia, USA, South Africa,
Germany, Albania, Ireland to
mention but a few, while
upcoming fights include events
in Ghana, Korea and Brazil again
just mentioning a few that come
to hand.
Interestingly enough, we at this
point in time are incredibly
prevented from operating in the
UK, even though we have interest
from a number of promoters
wanting to stage our titles,
affording their excellent and
world rated fighters an
opportunity to contest a world
championship belt. The BBBofC
were issued with a most polite
letter from yours truly,
introducing who we are and what
we stand for. They were told
about the integrity and moral
fibre of how we operate, and
were even afforded the
opportunity of putting a member
of their Board on our Executive
Committee for a period of time
simply to concur with our
standards and operations. More
importantly I asked to be given
the opportunity to meet their
Board on either a formal or
informal basis just to introduce
the WBF to them. Not only was I
refused the opportunity to meet
with the BBBofC, my letter
apparently never even reached
their main office, but was duly
dismissed without discussion.
Without making judgement on the
BBBofC as they did with us,
surely an interesting debate is
the moral fibre and duties of
any boxing commission. Is it not
to develop strategies to ensure
the safety of their licensed
boxers? Should they not be
introducing an educational
strategy to allow boxers who
retire the capacity to find work
elsewhere and in other forms?
The management of a benevolent
fund to cater for injuries
sustained in the ring? Perhaps
more frequent medicals for
fighters to ensure that boxers
are fit to fight. Yes, there are
many functions of a boxing
commission vital to the
sustained continuity of
excellence within the pugilistic
art.
Perhaps one of the functions a
commission should NOT have is to
judge sanctioning bodies.
Perhaps that is the duty and
responsiblility of the
knowledgeable fans. Fans who
know when title fights are
legitimate and when they are
not. They are perhaps better
equipped to judge and support or
possibly not support the World
Boxing Federation. Title fights
are as good as the fighters
involved and the truth be told
not the sanctioning bodies. Is
it not strange that we are
prepared to be judged by the
fans while the BBBofC remains
steadfast in preventing the true
test of whether the WBF can do
justice to excellence in the UK?
A fighter like Derry Matthews,
so highly thought of in England
cannot fight a world rated
opponent for a world title
because administrators are not
prepared to give the WBF a
chance. What an injustice to
Derry and other fighters
interested in fighting for WBF
titles.
Perhaps one day, sooner rather
than later, the BBBofC will
afford us the opportunity simply
to meet with them and to talk -
and that, my friends, would be
the correct and cordial thing to
afford any world sanctioning
body.
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing
Federation
|
