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While the World Boxing
Federation was founded in 1988,
it’s been just over six years
since the WBF was reestablished
and you took the reigns as
president. How do you see the
WBF´s development in those six
years, and has the organization
reached what you had hoped
during that time?
I think the growth has been
pleasing but much work still
needs to be done. We have
certainly become more global
over this period opening up
several new countries and
definitely made many new
friends.
Critics will say that
multiple sanctioning bodies are
bad for the sport of boxing.
What do you have to say to those
critics?
In a perfect
world, the boxing purist would
want one world champion per
division. The reality is that
world boxing is not controlled
by one organization, such as in
soccer, and is far more
complicated. Therefore there are
several sanctioning bodies, some
taken more seriously than
others, and some more
professional and ethical than
others.
What do you consider the
biggest problems or concerns in
professional boxing today?
Without doubt, the proliferation
of titles within each of the
sanctioning bodies. Some
sanctioning bodies have three or
four world champions in the same
weight division which makes a
complete mockery of the sport.
Others create bizarre titles
simply to earn a sanction fee.
Also the underhanded
under-the-table handing over of
money to some sanctioning bodies
simply to get fighters rated is
also scandalous, but we all know
it happens. Also a new thing has
arisen whereby certain debatable
decisions by judges are now
being overturned by some
sanctioning bodies which is
unacceptable from an ethical
point of view.
Scoring of fights is always a
contentious issue, but if a
sanctioning body selects its
judges, they need to stand by
them – period! If a decision is
controversial, the discussion of
a rematch might well take place,
but to overrule your own judges’
decisions is ludicrous.
I know you, and the WBF as a
whole, preaches honesty and
transparency as two of the
things that sets you apart from
other bodies. Obviously it is
easier said than done, so how
exactly is this practiced within
the WBF?
I have always advocated
transparency, ethics, morals and
principles within the World
Boxing Federation. We have kept
the number of different titles
down to a minimum. At all my
weigh-in’s for title fights, no
matter how big or small, I have
opened them to the public to
invite the public to learn the
rules and understand the
regulations. Everything within
the WBF is completely
transparent.
How does
the WBF accomplish to be
considered on the same level as
“The Big Four” organizations?
We need to keep doing what we
are doing and even do things
better in the future. We need to
continue growing and to show the
world of boxing that moral and
ethics can and should be
prevalent in world boxing. We
want to attract the top fighters
to fight for our titles. This is
happening, but too slowly for my
liking if I'm honest.
Why do you
think the “Big Four”
organizations continue to be the
most valued organizations, when
at least a few of them continue
to devalue their own titles by
doing interim, regular, super,
silver titles etc., and often
act in ways that makes the
average boxing fan shake his
head in disbelief?
I think they are respected for
the quality of their champions,
but not for their behavior. I
think the true boxing fans are
getting irritated and frustrated
at all these ridiculous titles.
I have to give credit though to
two of the four who I believe to
be principled and ethical, and
who are run by two really
excellent people. I will let the
readers be the judges of who the
two are!
Boxers
failing to make weight, and
massive weight gain between the
weigh-in and the fight, is a hot
topic in boxing these days. What
are your views on that, and
would a check-weight on the day
of a fight be something the WBF
would consider?
It’s an interesting question and
one which we have debated within
the WBF. Personally, I don't
like the idea of a weigh-in on
the day of the fight, and I
would prefer boxers to have to
start weighing-in three weeks
before a fight and be within
certain medically accepted
parameters three weeks, then two
weeks, then one week, then the
day before the fight. Our chief
medical man, the highly
respected Dr. Adam Balogh, is
busy on this issue at present.
Not too
long ago, there was a case where
your current female flyweight
world champion Amira Hamzaoui
won the title by decision over
then-champion Raja Amasheh, only
to see that it was later
announced that the WBC (who also
had a title on the line in the
fight) and the German Boxing
Federation (BDB) apparently
changed the verdict to a
No-Contest after Amasheh
protested the result. However,
the WBF maintained the original
result and I believe there was a
lawsuit. Can you clarify what
the situation is now?
The lawsuit is between Ms.
Hamzaoui and the BDB and it is
pending in a German court. All I
can say is, the WBF will never
overrule its judges’ decision
even if they are controversial.
The minute judges’ decisions are
overruled then boxing becomes a
free-for-all where anything goes
such as with certain sanctioning
bodies. Controversy is part and
parcel of world boxing, and
sometimes boxing decisions will
be controversial.
Onto
another legal matter, is there
any development at all in
regards to the British Boxing
Board of Control coming to terms
with the fact that they are
violating European trade laws by
refusing to allow other
sanctioning bodies other than
the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO
to operate in the UK on BBBofC
sanctioned shows? I believe this
was something the WBF was
arguing with the BBBofC about
some time ago...
I wouldn't say we were arguing
with the BBBofC but rather that
I sent a letter to them asking
to meet and that I would fly to
the UK at any convenient time to
discuss the WBF with them. All I
asked for was a simple meeting
for me to introduce the new WBF
to them. Sadly they didn't even
bother to reply which I felt was
completely unprofessional and
discourteous.
When members of the BBBofC sit
in high positions on other
sanctioning bodies, their views
on other sanctioning bodies such
as ours might certainly not be
impartial. All we asked for a
was a meeting and yet they
couldn't even grant that. No
reasons were given why we were
not allowed to work in the UK,
and still to this time, they
have been silent. It is pleasing
from a moral perspective that
they are being challenged at
this time on certain issues.
Besides
presiding over the WBF, what
does Howard Goldberg enjoy
doing? I know you used to work
as a judge and referee, do you
still do that?
I used to be a serious soccer
player thirty years and thirty
kilos ago. I also represented
South Africa at chess although I
don't play competitively
anymore. Professionally I was a
teacher and headmaster years
ago. I used to referee and judge
in many world title fights.
Now occasionally I am asked to
referee in charity events, which
I do. In fact, in Germany next
month, my good friend Francois
Botha is 'fighting' against Uwe
Hück of Porsche in a charity
bout to raise money for
children, and I have been roped
in as the guest referee for this
charity event. It’s all a bit of
fun, and it’s for a good cause,
and the WBF is always happy to
be involved in events for
charity.
What has
been your most enjoyable moment
as the WBF President? And what
is the most enjoyable part of
your job in general?
Boxing is in
my blood. I have been involved
in boxing for more than 40
years. Everything, both the
enjoyable aspects and the
frustrating aspects, of which
there are many, is what I live
for. I like to solve problems
and I like success. I like to
empower the team at the WBF to
be professional and to do the
best they can. I am also
privileged to work with an
executive which is honorable,
professional, fun to be with,
and who can calm me down when
needed.
Being from
South Africa, please give us
your views on the state
professional boxing in your
country?
South Africa is probably the
most complicated boxing country
in the world. Politics,
television and a few other areas
have held South African boxing
back over the past few years.
Maladministration within Boxing
South Africa (BSA) with several
CEO's being fired have not
helped either.
Thank goodness BSA has a new
Chairperson if the form of Ms.
Ntambi Ravele who I respect
completely. She has been
instrumental in trying to change
BSA from being a disgraced body
to a respected one and she is
succeeding.
Television has returned which
has enabled promoters to start
promoting once again. Having
said that, boxing is still
complicated and I guess only if
you live in South Africa can you
actually understand fully what I
am saying.
But what is for sure, is that
fighters from South Africa are
undeniably on a par with the
best in the world, and the top
fighters can compete on any
stage anywhere in the world.
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