We are not surprised by this decision and expected Dereck to be heavily sanctioned by the WBC because the Chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control, Charles Giles, is also the Vice-President of the World Boxing Council (and the Vice-Chairman of the EBU).
Despite the WBC confirming, through its lawyer, that Dereck’s hearing would be in London it was listed on short notice for 7 June 2012 in Mexico City. Dereck could not attend as he is in training for his fight against David Haye and because he needed a visa which he could not have got in time. Dereck was keen to attend the hearing, not least because he wanted the opportunity to cross-examine Mr Charles Giles about his conduct in Munich, who whilst available at the hearing before the BBBofC, refused to give evidence. We informed the WBC of this and asked them to put back the hearing by a few weeks but they refused to do so and so Dereck will consider appealing after the West Ham fight.
The response of the WBC is heavy-handed and inconsistent with the approach they have taken over other fighters. The WBC did not take away Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s belt after he pleaded guilty to beating his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his children. He retained his welterweight title and the WBC went on allow him to fight for a WBC belt against Miguel Cotto on 5 May, his sentence for the crime being put back to allow him to do so.
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