By Terence Dooley

The European Boxing Union has voted in favour of suspending the Luxembourg Boxing Federation’s membership due to the LBF’s decision to sanction the July 14 meeting between David Haye and Dereck Chisora at London’s Upton Park venue. 

BoxingScene understands that the EBU has passed a majority vote to suspend the LBF’s membership due to their involvement in the controversial heavyweight contest, the legitimacy of which Frank Warren, who manages Chisora, had justified in a statement on May 11 by pointing to the LBF’s good standing with the European Boxing Union.

The EBU, however, have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the BBBoC by virtue of a majority vote in favour of suspending the LBF.  With further action pending should the governing body persist in its decision to sanction the contest despite the Board’s strong condemnation.

The BBBoC appeared to be reeling along the ropes as recently as yesterday when rescinding their threat to automatically expel any licence holder involved in the contest.  Instead opting to bring members to account using their disciplinary process rather than immediately terminating contracts.

‘On the 9th May 2012 the British Boxing Board of Control issued a statement about a possible promotion within the United Kingdom involving a contest between Derek Chisora and David Haye,’ wrote the BBBoC in a statement released yesterday afternoon.

‘The Board understands that the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Boxe has granted Chisora and Haye boxing licences and has sanctioned the contest.  For the reasons stated in the statement of the 9th May 2012 the Board condemns the actions of the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Boxe and strongly disapproves of the contest, which the Board considers will bring the sport of professional boxing into disrepute.

‘Whilst the Board in its statement of 9th May 2012 indicated that any member who participated (as defined therein) in such promotion, would be deemed to have terminated his/her membership of the British Boxing Board of Control, it has now decided that any such member will be called before the Board under regulation 4.9 of the Rules and Regulations of the British Boxing Board of Control which reads as follows: 4.9 A licence holder’s licence may be suspended or withdrawn by the Board: if, having called the licence holder before it, it reasonably considers that it is not in the interests or the welfare of boxing that the licence holder should continue to hold his licence.

‘Further, the Board has not sanctioned the "undercard" as it is an integral and necessary part of the promotion which the Board considers will bring the sport of professional boxing into disrepute.  Accordingly any member of the British Boxing Board of Control who participates in the "undercard" will be called before the Board under Regulation 4.9.’

The EBU’s vote and decision, which BoxingScene confirmed was in the pipeline as recently as last week, means that the BBBoC now has strong support on the continent as the debate over Haye’s meeting with Chisora continues to rage.

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