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On Wednesday during a hearing at the headquarters of the British Boxing Board of Control in Cardiff, former British and Commonwealth Champion and recent WBC Heavyweight title challenger Derek Chisora of Finchley has been inevitably and rightly seen his licence to box here in the UK withdrawn.
The decision by the BBBofC to strip the Zimbabwean born Chisora of his licence to box follows his outrageous and inexcusable antics prior and after his fight against the current WBC Heavyweight Champion of the World, Vitali Klitchsko, in Munich.
Prior to that fight, Chisora slapped the elder Klitchsko at the weigh in, almost sparking a brawl. In the ring just prior to the bout, Chisora choose to idiotically spit water into the face of Vitali’s younger brother Wladimir, who was part of the team working the corner for his brother.
It was fortunate that the younger Klitchsko showed considerable restraint in not attempting to knockout Chisora before Vitali had the chance to do so at the Olympiahalle in Munich.
However, this was not enough for Chisora, who went even further drag not just British boxing into the gutter, but British sport as whole.
After putting a gallant performance in the ring in which Chisora lost a wide points decision to the elder Klitchsko and defying expectation that he would be yet another feature on Vitali’s considerable knockout reel, he then brawled with former two weight world champion and Wladimir Klitchsko victim, David Haye.
Haye was attending the fight in a media capacity for BoxNation, the subscription channel which is run by Chisora’s promoter Frank Warren which was airing the Klitschko vs. Chisora bout here in the United Kingdom.
During the post-fight press conference, Haye, who was trying to get a with Vitali, exchanged lively remarks with the Klitchsko’s manager Bernd Boente, who stated that Chisora had shown heart against Vitali while Haye only showed his toe in reference to Haye’s injury that he suffered prior to the fight with Wladimir.
Boente stated that Haye should try to stop talking himself back into fighting Vitali after initially refusing an offer from K2, the Klitschko’s promotional firm. After this, Warren had chipped in by suggesting that Haye and Chisora box off in an eliminator with the winner getting Vitali.
All seemed okay up to this point at the press conference, however Haye continued to press the issue, stating that Chisora did not deserve to fight Vitali after losing the British and Commonwealth titles to Tyson Fury in a lacklustre performance at Wembley Arena, then losing a European title challenge (abet in a controversial manner) against Finnish heavyweight star Robert Helenius.
This would cause the brawl in which Haye reportedly bottled Chisora and reportedly swung a camera tripod during the mayhem, during which Chisora reportedly threatened to shoot and burn Haye.
Such is the digital and satellite age that we live that the images of this extremely distasteful episode were being beamed around the world almost instantaneously and the sport was in the dock over it.
Thankfully, the Board of Control have taken the correct action in withdrawing Chisora’s licence to firmly state that such acts within this sport by a licence holder, regardless if happens in a small hall show out in the provinces or in a world title fight such as this, are not acceptable.
While I am pleased that Chisora has since apologised for his inexcusable conduct in Munich prior to and during the hearing, it has not softened the punishment because he is meant to be a role model to young aspiring fighters in the amateur and professional gyms, something which Chisora forgot in Munich.
