Frank Warren Discusses Chisora, Jabs Khan, Picks Brook

By Frank Warren

This was not a good week for boxing.

I accompanied Dereck Chisora to the British Boxing Board of Control’s headquarters for the hearing concerning the events that happened in Germany last month.
 
Despite many reports in the media, I want to make it perfectly clear that Chisora’s license has been withdrawn by the Board, which does not mean he has been banned for life from boxing. He has the right to reapply for his license at any time and has the right to appeal.
 
A lot of things went on behind the Board’s closed doors and came to light during the hearing, some of which were of great concern.
 
One of the main outcomes was that it was proven beyond all doubt was that Chisora did not throw the first punch at the post-fight press conference which led to the ugly scenes where David Haye hit Chisora in the face with a bottle in his hand.
 
As I’ve said in my previous columns there is no way I can condone any of the actions of Chisora in Germany; namely slapping Vitali Klitschko’s face at the weigh-in and spitting water into the face of Wladimir in the ring.

His performance in the ring was exemplary but in the melee that followed this seems to have been forgotten.
 
Everybody involved in the promotion, including myself, has to take some responsibility of the terrible events that were broadcast worldwide, but there were a lot of problems behind the scenes that led and contributed to the unnecessary friction that led to the disgraceful scenes.
 
One of my biggest grievances was the total lack of support and presence of the Board’s President and Chairman Charlie Giles in Germany.  He went on the missing list when we needed him to sort out the terrible problem in Chisora’s dressing room before the fight.
 
Giles was supposed to be in Germany to represent the interests of Chisora and the other British license holders on the bill, but it was revealed for the first time at the hearing that his expenses were not even being paid by the Board to be there, but by the WBC - where Giles also holds the position of Vice-President - through the German promoters K2 which is run by the Klitschko brothers.  If he was there on behalf of the WBC, who was representing the British interests?
 
This week, when Birmingham boxer Matthew Macklin relinquished his British license to take up an Irish license for his fight with Sergio Martinez tonight, Giles said, “As he (Macklin) is now no longer a licence holder with the Board we shall not be sending a representative to look after his interests over such things as the rules and regulations, which would be the normal practice.” Clearly something that Giles himself failed to provide for Chisora in Germany. His total negligence and lack of professionalism was a big contributory factor in the events.
 
As one of the central figures behind the scenes in Germany and supposedly the Boards representative in Munich, Giles didn’t even provide a written report of what happened to the Board which many in attendance found odd.  True to form, Giles performed another vanishing act at the hearing on Wednesday.

Chisora’s barrister Jonathan Crystal wanted to call him as a witness but was told he was not available so there was no way of questioning him.  The truth is Giles remained in a back office throughout the entire hearing and was seen by one of my team sneaking out the back door of the Board’s office prior to the verdict.  Why would the President and Chairman behave that way and why would he not make himself available to the hearing to answer some important questions?  And why didn’t the stewards insist he was available - unlike Elvis he was in the building.
 
I was particularly disappointed at the statement made by the President of the German Federation Thomas Putz as it was both inaccurate and some of the allegations he made were simply untrue.  Again he was not in attendance.  More damning was that his own security company allegedly supplied the security for K2 at the event.  Imagine if the Board’s General Secretary was being paid by me!
 
The lack of security at the event from the weigh-in, inside the ring to the post fight press conference was one of the biggest failings on the part of K2 that also contributed to all the problems in Munich.
 
Prior to the hearing we asked the Board to provide some TV screens to be in the room to show the film evidence that had been collated, but none were provided. 18 people sat around a laptop to watch footage of evidence.  It was totally unsatisfactory for such an important hearing. A flat screen TV was in another room but was not used.

Most governing sports bodies such as the FA have independent bodies to hear complaints and misconduct, but the Board both charge and hear complaints, it’s a bit like the police charging you and then judging you. 
 
The WBC are due to hold their own hearing on 21st March, to decide whether to keep the $100,000 they held from Chisora’s fight purse, a hearing which, surprisingly, the Board claimed that they were unaware of despite their own Chairman, Charlie Giles, being the WBC Vice-President.
 
In effect he is being tried for the same misconduct twice.  It is a ridiculous state of affairs.
 
Ultimately, had Chisora not had warnings from the Board for previous incidents then he may have kept his license.
 
Chisora now has 14 days to consider whether we are going to appeal the decision.

***

Sergio Martinez is leading the fight against domestic violence and battered women ahead of his showdown tonight against Matthew Macklin at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

While WBC President Jose Sulaiman famously said that beating a woman “is highly critical, but it’s not a crime or a sin,” Martinez has been visiting shelters and has even adopted a 13-year-old girl who was being bullied to highlight the cause.

I don’t think it’s going to be a Fairy Tale in New York for Macklin, who’s a Brummie with Irish roots, on St. Patrick’s Day when he faces the third best pound-for-pound fighter outside of Manny Pacquaio and Mayweather.

Although Macklin gave the relatively light-punching WBA Super World Champion Felix Sturm a good run over twelve rounds, stepping in with the heavy-handed Argentinian who stopped Brit Darren Barker last time out is a big ask.

He’s promised to go to war with Martinez from the first round, it should be a good fight.

Macklin will be in great shape, but unless he has the luck of the Irish you will have to go with Martinez.

***

Meanwhile here tonight Kell Brook shouldn’t have too much trouble dealing with Matthew Hatton in Sheffield.

***

Amir Khan is still bitter about losing his titles to Lamont Peterson last December.  He’s complained about the referee, judging, hat-man, but the truth is he didn’t perform.

Khan moaned this week: “In Washington, they hadn’t staged a real fight for about 18 years and what happened when we went over showed why.”

Actually, the last fight there was in 2005 when Mike Tyson’s career came to an end when he lost his last ever fight to Irishman Kevin McBride in the capital in 2005.

Even though the fight is in Las Vegas this time, Khan is still fighting a Yank on American soil.

***

The happiest person to see Ricky Burns retain his WBO World Lightweight title against Paulus Moses last Saturday night in Glasgow was brave teenager Colin McLaren.

The 13-year-old, who suffers from a rare genetic illness, has endured two bone marrow transplants, but managed to carry his hero’s belt into the ring before the big fight.

It’s just one of the kind acts that has made Burns the Peoples Champion and saw that his Scottish homecoming was a 6000 seat sell-out at the Braehead Arena.

He hardly put a foot wrong, believe me, he is a very good fighter.

For up to date boxing news and reviews visit www.frankwarren.tv