The stance initially taken by the World Boxing Council (WBC) to ban Zimbabwean-born boxer Dereck Chisora for allegedly causing mayhem in Germany last month without giving the 28- year-old the chance to appear before a full hearing was in bad taste and deplorable.
Chisora, who is now fighting under the banner of the United Kingdom, was born and partly bred in Mbare before he left Zimbabwe as a 16-year-old. Although he now represents Britain, there is no doubt that he still has a heart for his motherland.
After all, the former Churchill High School student had a T-shirt emblazoned “Africa is the Future” when he was involved in the fracas. He is an African boy from Zimbabwe!
His father, Paul Chisora, an unassuming gentle giant, works for a blacksmith company in Southerton and has repeatedly said his son still loves Zimbabwe. That is why we feel we are qualified to wade into this saga. The younger Chisora was involved in a nasty brawl with former British and world heavyweight champion David Haye following his loss to Vitali Klitschiko in Munich.
The firebrand boxer had, prior to his fight against Klitschiko, spat water at his Ukrainian opponent and later slapped him at the weigh-in. The two controversial events are the ones which might find Chisora on the sidelines when the British Boxing Board of Control sits over his case on March 14.
The WBC has since climbed down on their original position and will offer Chisora a chance for a “proper hearing”, but not before we analyse their initial boob. Why and how did they reach that decision without going through the proper channels? We think there were sinister motives behind this decision which unfortunately was prejudicial. Chisora has already been hanged before being given a chance to answer charges against him.
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Are they treating Chisora in that fashion because he was born in Zimbabwe, an African country? We have no doubt that Chisora misbehaved, but he should be allowed the chance to present his side of the story. Maybe he has genuine extenuating circumstances against retired boxer Haye who is believed to have provoked “Delboy”. We agree with Chisora’s trainer Frank Warren who questioned the WBC’s original stance.
Writing to the WBC president Jose Sulaiman, Warren said: “I am staggered by how you have treated Dereck before you have heard any evidence from his side. It seems to me this is just a matter of convenience for your organisation.
“Let me remind you how your organisation has dealt with other instances of indiscipline by boxers who wave the WBC flag.
“Antonio Margarito was banned for a year by the California State Athletic Commission following the controversy over his hand wraps in the fight against Shane Mosley. He was accused of using some kind of plaster to make the bandages harder.
“Without any WBC hearing, Margarito was then allowed to fight for a minor title in Mexico and made top contender to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“Take Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s case, after he was found guilty of physically abusing a girlfriend. “You said the WBC should not touch Mayweather’s career or title as you wanted him to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“I would like to remind you of the time you were injured in the brawl that took place between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, when Tyson disgustingly bit Lewis during the Press conference prior to their fight. “You didn’t call for a ban and rang me asking if you should sue those who hosted the conference and broadcast the fight because of the lack of security. “That is one of my issues with the events in Munich. But you don’t seem interested in what actually happened.
“If Dereck Chisora was a world champion, would you be taking this stance?”
Well said. The WBC wants to be the judge, jury and executioner. Shame on you, WBC! Let the law take its course.
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