After licensing the David Haye vs. Dereck Chisora fight in place of the British Boxing Board of Control, the Federation of Luxemburg Boxing has lost its membership status to the European Boxing Union. Here, find an open letter from the FLB to the EBU in relation to this ruling.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
As you are aware, the Fédération Luxembourgeois de Boxe (FLB) lost its membership status of the European Boxing Union (EBU) – of which FLB was a founding member! – over the licensing of the David Haye vs Dereck Chisora fight on July 14, 2012 in London, England.
While we contend that this act was in truth based on the fact, that the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) wishes to discourage and
discriminate other European national federations from licensing professional boxing in the United Kingdom – an illegal process by the BBBofC according to European Union free trade and monopoly laws, as we all know – the official reason given for the “expulsion” of FLB from the EBU was “that sanctioning Haye vs Chisora is not promoting boxing” (EBU statement)
In this context two points are important to know:
1 – FLB was never charged with violating any kind of rules, laws or statutes!
2 – The EBU’s ONLY object is to “control the different European Championships and to award the titles of Champion” (EBU statutes, Article
3). NOWHERE does it say that the EBU, by way of disciplinary or any other action, is entitled to interfere with national licensing issues nor is
empowered to claim as “facts” that certain bouts are “not promoting boxing”.
Conclusion: It follows, by way of logic, that FLB should never have been “expulsed” by the EBU in the first place as the vote was unfounded and unconstitutional!
In contrast, the true facts are:
• FLB ran the promotion in an exemplary manner. Everything was properly completed and personal insurance cover in place (something even the highly critical German federation BDB does NOT have!). The on-site representatives of both the WBO and the WBA complimented FLB on the way the show was run.
• Both Haye and Chisora behaved like exemplary sportsmen as well as gentlemen and showed complete fairness towards each other, actually hugging and chatting in the ring after the fight, proving a credit to boxing.
• The so-called “freak show” (a term implemented by Wladimir Klitschko!) led to the winner, David Haye, being welcomed back with open arms by the WBC, find inclusion into the WBC world ratings and a very likely world title shot. With this action, the WBC recognized the Haye vs Chisora bout and its result and the BBBofC by default as a member of the WBC as well.
• The so-called “freak show” led, by way of a side bet between the two boxers, to a donation by Dereck Chisora to a charity chosen by David Haye of 20.000 GBP. In light of this charity donation being made possible via FLB sanctioning of the bout, how ridiculous is it to talk about professional boxing being brought into disrepute?
• The bout, and especially the effort put forth by the winner David Haye, received worldwide coverage and acclaim in all kinds of media and to all intends and purposes transcended the normal boxing audience, more so than any other boxing match anywhere on this planet in recent memory; reducing the ONLY reason given by the EBU for the “expulsion” of FLB to utter absurdity.
• Dereck Chisora did not have a boxers license with the BBBofC, neither was he banned or suspended. He had been punished by the BDB and the WBC who confiscated 100.000 € from his purse against Vitali Klitschko for his actions. FLB was legitimately free to license him. The attacks on Chisora – especially by Robert Smith of the BBBofC and Peter Stucki of the Swiss federation – were exaggerated and misleading. The BBBofC were aware of his criminality when they licensed him and he has not been in any trouble ever since then. His behavior in Munich was regrettable, but he paid his debt.
• The WBO and the WBA – who both list the BBBofC as its member! – have endorsed the Haye vs Chisora bout and actually sanctioned it for minor titles.
• Non – not a single person! – of the BBBofC licenceholders, who participated in the Haye vs Chisora bout in a huge variety of functions faced any kind of consequences! No hearings, no disciplinary action of any kind, no suspensions – NOTHING! In fact, it stands to be expected that both Haye and Chisora may in the near future be re-licensed by the BBBofC or, in other words, welcomed back with open arms. Especially in the case of the winner, the BBBofC would stand to earn and benefit hugely from a future world title fight – due only to the fact that FLB licenced Haye vs Chisora!
For all those reasons outlined above, it is perfectly clear that NOT ONE ACTION undertaken by FLB in the licensing of Haye, Chisora and their fight was in any way, shape or form detrimental to boxing, unlawful, illegal or against any statutes of any organization.
The only “crime” the FLB committed was to offend the BBBofC by abiding to the laws of the European Union and in full conformity with those sanction and license a professional boxing event in Great Britain. Other national federations are making use of this lawful possibility since many years – the Austrian Federation readily springing to mind with dozens of shows sanctioned in Germany over the last years.
All EBU members, as well as the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF, should be aware that the whole issue of “expulsing” FLB from the EBU was not about Haye, Chisora or their fight, BUT TO PREVENT FLB FROM OPERATING IN THE UK IN COMPETITION WITH THE BBBOFC, IN CLEAR CONTRAVENTION OF EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AND MONOPOLY REGULATIONS!
Therefore, the EBU should without question excuse itself with the FLB for getting it totally wrong, for having become a tool for the BBBofC’s
illegal attempts at monopoly for supervising boxing in the UK, and for taking the action it has taken, which have been proved as wrong as one dares to imagine.
We therefore request the EBU and its members to invite back FLB into the EBU with immediate effect, and confirm that FLB will accept the
invitation.
Sincerely,
Pierre Back, President
Tonio Tiberi, General Secretary
PS: It is worth noting that at the first FLB-supervised promotion since the Haye vs Chisora show on September 29, 2012 in Neuwied, Germany, THREE member federations of the EBU gave authorizations WITHOUT RESERVATIONS for their boxers to compete, thus DE FACTO recognizing FLB as a bona fide organization! Namely, these three EBU members were Slovakia, Austria and – Germany…!!
