The World Boxing Federation (WBF) president Howard Goldberg hit out at the British Boxing Board and Control’s (BBBC) decision to bar Tony Dodson from travelling to Namibia to fight Harry Simon in a light heavyweight world title fight.
Goldberg said the WBF was recognised by a lot of countries worldwide.
“The World Boxing Federation has been welcomed with open arms all over the world and by much bigger and more respected commissions such as Las Vegas Nevada, New York, Mexico, Korea etc,” Goldberg wrote to Namibia Sport from his base in South Africa.
“The BBB of C are the only commission in the world who don't recognize the WBF and also the IBO. Most of their members are elderly and are all part of the WBC (perhaps there is an agenda there),” he continued.
The Simon camp will be forced to look for another challenger for the fight for September 30 in Windhoek after Dodson was barred from traveling to Namibia by the BBBC because they do not recognize the WBF.
“We have staged fights in Las Vegas (the Evander Holyfield vs Francois Botha fight). In New York in October Dimitry Salita will be fighting for our title with the full blessing from the New York State Athletic Commission who legislate boxing,” he said.
“I think we should not ever be fooled by a commission, which is heavily criticised on an ongoing basis in their own country, to allow judgment to take place,” Goldberg added.
He added that judgment should be about the number of control boards that recognise the WBF and not 'about a country whose average age of their commission is well into their seventies, and who are highly criticised in their own countries for being as they say ‘fossils who are almost extinct’.”