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Posts Tagged ‘EBU’

HATTON PROMOTIONS ACE RABCHENKO FACES FRENCH TEST

SERGEY RABCHENKO will make the first defence of his European light-middleweight title against Cedric ‘Titi’ Vitu.

The French southpaw, 27, is the mandatory challenger for the unbeaten Belarussian’s crown and the match has been ordered by the EBU.

Vitu has won 35 of his 36 professional contests, with his only loss a majority points defeat against Hamlet Petrosyan back in May 2008.

Since then he has won 17 consecutive bouts and beaten good men like Christophe Canclaux.

Rabchenko’s manager Philippe Fondu, who is also Hatton Promotions European representative said: “This will be an excellent contest between two very good boxers.

“Vitu is a credible challenger and will give Rabchenko an even bigger test than Ryan Rhodes who he beat to win the title.

“Like Rhodes, Vitu is also a southpaw so fighting another leftie will not be a problem for Rabchenko.”

Rabchenko, 26, who has won 16 of his 21 fights inside the distance will start preparing for his big challenge later this month when he returns to Manchester and begins working with trainer Ricky Hatton.

Hatton Promotions and the EBU hope to announce the date of Rabchenko v Vitu in the coming weeks.

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The youngest son of heavyweight legend Joe Louis has been officially named Vice President of Operations of the World Boxing Union. Joe Louis Barrow II has stated that he looks forward to making the World Boxing Union a thriving championship organization again. “Since I have accepted this position I plan on making some important changes that I believe will not only revitalize this organization but the sport of boxing as well,” Barrow stated.

Joe Louis Barrow II, not to be confused with Joe Louis’s oldest son, Joe Louis Barrow Jr., is taking his position very seriously. “When my father was champion, he was the only champion. In the 70′s and 80′s when the sanctioning bodies started taking over, it was a bit difficult to figure out who was the real champion. Some fighters unified the titles and were recognized as the ‘Undisputed Champion.’

“That’s all fine and dandy, but today it is a little outrageous. Some organizations don’t want to do business with other organizations for a unification match. It’s despicable. It’s a circus. Organizations now have the world champion, the diamond champion, the super champion, and world champion emeritus. No wonder fight fans are crossing over to MMA. It was one thing to know who the WBA, WBC, and IBF champions were. Now we have to know who the WBA World champ is as well as who the WBA Super champ is. It’s frightening.”

Barrow is in the process of making a Board of Directors, which will include some familiar names in the sport and in politics. “I have Rocky Marciano’s nephew Lou Marciano Jr. coming on board. I plan to reach out to U.S. Senator John McCain as well. It’s about the fighters. If I have the support of legends like Larry Holmes, Eddie Mustapha Muhammad, Irish Micky Ward, Vinny Pazienza, Tommy Hearns and a handful of other boxing greats, the WBU has to be looked at seriously again.”

Barrow is talking about the 90s and the early part of this century when the WBU was based in England. The WBU was a respected organization at the time with champions like Ricky Hatton, Kevin Kelley, Micky Ward, Tommy Hearns, George Foreman and James Toney to name a few. After the death of WBU founder John W. Robinson the company was primarily just making champions in the UK. It eventually ran itself into the ground and was defunct for several years until a business group headed by Don “Moose” Lewis out of Atlanta bought the rights to the company. Since then the WBU has been in the rebuilding process.

Lewis is acting President while Joe Louis Barrow II is running the day to day operations. “We had some problems with the BBB of C when we came back. They originally refused to recognize the WBU in the UK. It’s funny, Charles Giles is the Chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBB of C) and he is also the Vice-President of the WBC and the Vice-Chairman of the EBU. He doesn’t like the fact that the U.S. has taken over a former UK organization I imagine. We are trying to work on relations with them but this is what’s wrong with the sport. Questions need to be raised. Regardless the WBU has a rich history in boxing and we plan on continuing that in the future.”

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The Haye-Chisora fight controversy, which has seen the ‘British Boxing Board’ digging in its heels and crying wolf over Luxembourg’s decision to sanction the fight on British soil and the Germans seemingly supporting the Brits, now takes on a new dimension as Bruce Baker Chairman of the ‘Professional Boxing Promoters Association’ and the’ Luxemburg Boxing Federation’ take the BBBofC to task over their previous statement on the issue in an open letter.

The situation is bound to become more complicated as other licensing national federations step into the fray and arguments are bound to come to a head at the ‘European Boxing Union’ meeting which is due to be held in Belgium on the 2nd of June.

From: PBPA
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 12:52 PM
To: R Smith
Cc: Toni Tiberi
Subject: Boards Press Statement

Dear Robert,

An Open Letter in reply to the BBB of C’s Press statement

I was surprised to say the least at the Board’s press statement dated 9th
May 2012 in relation to the Haye v Chisora fight at West Ham and
particularly the references to the Federation Luxembourgeoise de Boxe. I
am also concerned at the threats made to our members and other licence
holders of the Board of Control to withdraw their licences if they
participate in the show.

Our Association has worked alongside the BBB of C for 13 years. Generally
speaking this has been a good working relationship and we see no reason
for this to change if we all genuinely share a passion for the betterment
of British Boxing. However, over the last few years certain actions taken
by the Board have alienated license holders and we have no effective vote
on these decisions. The only people who can vote and have a say in how the
Board is run are the Area Council Officers. However, these Officers are
not voted in by the licence holders but are appointed by the Board and the
Board itself appoints its own directors. Therefore, there is no-one who
can vote on any issues at all who has any duty to represent the licence
holders and we feel we have no voice.

Whilst we raised these concerns with you, nothing happened and you refused
to even discuss them. This culminated last year with a protest by license
holders at the Company’s AGM. As a result of which the AGM was suspended
with the Board agreeing to meet with a delegation of license holders to
discuss the way forward. The delegation (democratically elected) met with
you in Birmingham. We were told that you would listen to what we had to
say but would make no changes; there was little point in us meeting.

Since our meeting in Birmingham, there have been further matters which
caused us concern. Firstly Jane Couch’s licenses were taken away from her
in what seemed to us to be a personal dispute with her and the Chairman
rather than a matter which should have concerned the Board. This dispute
exposed worrying concerns about Mr Giles before the Board stepped down
having spent time and money fighting the dispute. Secondly, a complaint
was made by Mr Frank Warren over the lack of BBB of C support of Dereck
Chisora when he fought in Germany.

He alleged that had the Chairman been more pro-active then the issues in
Germany (including checking the security arrangements) could have been
avoided. I was not present in Germany and so do not know what happened,
but whoever was responsible, it does show that the Board and the Chairman
have lost the support of various licensees. I speculate, but this could be
because the Chairman has other loyalties which could cause licence holders
to question his full support. He is the Vice Chairman of the EBU and holds
a prominent position with the WBC.

After our meeting in Birmingham, the members of our Association together
with other licence holders entered into discussions with the Federation
Luxembourgeoise de Boxe. The Federation has been in existence in its
present form since inception in 1922. It is affiliated to the EBU, WBA,
WBO, IBF and WBC and it therefore is recognised by the BBBofC. Indeed the
BBBofC have authorised boxers to fight in tournaments regulated by the
Federation on many occasions in the past. It could not do otherwise
without being in breach of its own Rules. Less than a month ago the
Federation regulated and staged a show in Germany with the full support of
the German Federation who permitted its own licence holders to take part.

We were attracted to the Luxembourg Federation because its safety record
is second to none and it has personal injury insurance in place and strict
procedures for protecting the safety of boxers. However,coupled with that,
it is run by its members for its members. Managers, promoters and trainers
are allowed to vote at the Company’s AGM and therefore have a real say as
to how boxing is run. Whilst the Federation regulates the safety of
boxing, it confines this to licensing, ringside supervision and the
protection of the boxers in the ring, allowing the members freedom in
other areas. Therefore we entered into an agreement so that the
Association is now the Federation’s representative in the UK and has been
since March 12th 2012. I informed you of this and I informed you of the
insurance and safety provisions when we met. This makes press release all
the more surprising as I had been completely open with you as to what we
were doing, the reasons why and the protection which would be afforded to
the boxers under the Federation.

Moving onto the licensing of Haye v Chisora. Neither boxer is on the
banned / suspension list. Chisora was sanctioned by your own body and
having heard the evidence you decided to withdraw his licence rather than
ban him. It is worth noting that this was under enormous pressure and
scrutiny of the press. We are surprised that you question whether these
boxers should be licensed as they are both fit and well to fight, neither
have a criminal conviction and neither have been banned by yours or any
other sanctioning body. This is especially so when there has been not a
squeak out of the Board over Mayweather, Tyson, Scott Welch, Danny
Williams and currently Scott Dixon to name but a few.

From the perspective of our Association, I am concerned about your attempt
to intimidate your own members into not taking part. You do this in two
ways. First, you claim that you will de-licence any member who takes part
in the fight. This is unlawful and a breach of your own Rules. Secondly
you seek to limit the insurance for boxers who are licensed by the BBBofC
and would ordinarily have the benefit of insurance even if they fight
under a different sanctioning body. This, in particular, is an
extraordinary move for the BBBofC to seek to limit its own boxers
insurance when they have paid license fees and taxes for the benefit of
this insurance. I seek from you the confirmation of your insurers of their
position, presumably you got this before issuing the press release and so
can send it to me by return.

On behalf of our Association and the Federation, we require from you
agreement that you will not seek to interfere with the fight and show. If
this is not forthcoming by close of business on Friday 18th May 2012 then
the following will happen:

1) The membership of the Professional Boxing Promoters Association will
move for a vote of no-confidence in the Board; and

2) The Federation of Luxembourg will consult its lawyers to start
proceedings for restraint of trade that is if these proceedings have not
by then been brought by another individual or company in the meantime.

I look forward to hearing from you and if you wish to meet and discuss
matters, do let me know.

Yours sincerely

Bruce Baker

Chairman
Professional Boxing Promoters Association
Representatives Federation Luxembourgeoise de Boxe

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RICKY HATTON has fired back at Dave Coldwell, trainer of Hatton Promotions light-middleweight star Ryan Rhodes.
Coldwell claims that Hatton Promotions are not acting in the boxer’s best interests after ‘The Hitman’ started training his big fight rival Sergey Rabchenko.

Sheffield’s Rhodes attempts to regain the European crown when he meets Hatton Promotions stable mate Rabchenko for the vacant title on the ‘Road To Glory’ bill at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday 16th June.

Ricky finds himself in the position where two of his world class fighters being matched by the European Boxing Union, and Coldwell is upset that the former two-weight world champion is training the Belarussian puncher.

Hatton explained: “I am in an awkward and horrible position now as I’m a trainer and promoter.

“I think the world of Ryan and all my boxers.

“Ryan and his trainer Dave Coldwell have known me long enough to know I have all my boxers’ best interests at heart.

“It is a strange situation but I’d have thought of all people that Coldwell who is also a promoter and a trainer would have understood the predicament I now face.

“Since Hatton Promotions started promoting Ryan we have secured him a world title challenge, and this will be the second time we have made a European title shot for Ryan.

“For Coldwell to insinuate that we would possibly be stitching Ryan up and not acting in his best interests has hurt me personally.

“These are unfair comments from Coldwell and shows what a fickle sport boxing is. He seems to forget what I have done for Ryan since we signed him.”

Hatton agreed to train unbeaten Rabchenko before the vacant championship contest against Rhodes was mandated by the EBU.

They were due to meet in March, and then Hatton told Rabchenko to stay with his current trainer until he’d boxed Rhodes.

When Rhodes pulled out of that date, Hatton worked Rabchenko’s corner when the Belarusian fought replacement Ronny Gabel in a non-title fight.

Hatton added: “I did the honourable thing and spoke to Ryan explaining that I was now working with Sergey after he pulled out.

“I tweeted just over a week ago that Sergey had landed in Manchester and was in the gym training.

“Coldwell tweeted back that Ryan didn’t know I was training him said that as Ryan’s promoter I was trying to get him beat.

“It goes without saying I’m training Sergey to win but as a promoter it doesn’t change anything.

“As the promoter of the winner I will bend over backwards for them to secure a world title and it goes without saying that I will be there to help the loser re-build their career.”

The ‘Road To Glory’ bill also features a vacant WBA interim super-bantamweight title fight between Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe, Martin Murray in championship action and Rhodes’ fellow steel city fighter Richard Towers facing Michael Wallisch for the vacant EU heavyweight crown.

There will be a talent stacked undercard that will include former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson (20-5), unbeaten hopefuls Adam Etches (7-0), Scott Jenkins (4-0), Ryan Doyle (1-0), Jimmy Kelly (1-0).

Ticket prices are now on sale priced £125 (VIP Inner Ringside + exclusive cash bar), £100 Ringside, £55, £35 and £30. You can purchase tickets by calling Hatton Promotions hotline 01925 755 222/www.ticketmaster.co.uk/0844 847 2500/www.ticketline.co.uk/0844 888 4402/www.hmv.com

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