Clarification Regarding the Haye vs. Chisora Fight
Nothing is really going on with the WBO with this. We are not asked to Sanction the contest.
After a match in Germany with Chisora and Klitschko, Chisora and Haye had a confrontation, an ugly disturbance actually. They were suspended by the Local Commission and Chisora’s boxing licenses was suspended by the BBBofC. They were suspended from WBO Participation under our Rules.
The Promoter of Chisora and Haye applied to the BBBofC to fight each other, not a WBO fight. The BBBofC denied them a license, so they applied to the Luxenburg Commission which granted the license and agreed to have the fight in England. Under EU Law, this is OK. The Austrian Commission, for instance. regularly sanctions matches in Germany.
The WBO was asked to lift our suspension of Chisora and Haye which we would ordinarily do. This is a dispute between Frank Warren and the BBBofC. We are not involved in the Haye Chisora fight in England. We have no reason to continue the WBO suspension. In fact, it was already too long. 45 to 60 days would have been maximum under the facts and circumstances.
The BBBofC objects to the fight in UK because Chisora is suspended and Haye is no longer licensed in the UK. The WBO believes in and supports the free market rights of WBO participants. Under the EU it appears this is Frank Warren’s right to do. The WBO, however, is not taking sides. This is not a WBO sanctioned fight. Our sole inquiry is whether the suspension of Haye and Chisora from WBO Participation should be lifted. I think clearly it should be.
Whether they may or should fight in UK on a Luxenburg license is not our issue.
Even if it were a WBO fight, licensing is not within our jurisdiction. We are concerned only with Sanctioning. The WBO should never restrain trade for issues beyond our jurisdiction.
Under our Rules, we should have lifted it 30 days ago and would have if they asked then. This is the only aspect of the dispute we are involved in and we are restrained solely to application of our Rules and our precedent to their application to the reason for the suspension from WBO Participation.