Haye vs Chisora: Warren and Sulaiman Trade Jabs

Few fights have stirred up controversy the way the scheduled July 14 bout between David Haye and Dereck Chisora has, at least before the fight has gotten to the ring or indeed even had more than the obligatory official announcement press conference. If it weren't for everyone who dares a real drug test failing them lately, this would no doubt be boxing's hottest topic at the moment.

The newest hype and chatter comes thanks to boxing's precious, precious sanctioning bodies, starting with the WBC, which has threatened to expel the Luxembourg commission (I'm certain, with all they do that has anything to do with the WBC, this is a terrible scare for them). Dictator-for-life Jose Sulaiman also is all mad at Frank Warren.

"We will not condone such a disgraceful behavior after seeing that this boxer [Chisora] has no idea of what good behavior is, by accepting to participate in the intent to threaten and embarrass the organization of boxing with such an act.

"We will expel Luxembourg from our organization if the commission went ahead as well as any person or institution that has relations with them. I'm sure the European Boxing Union is on the verge of a strong position against Luxembourg.

"I'm also furious with the promoter who is trying to blast the ethics, honesty and seriousness of the sport of boxing."

Warren, who has never been shy to retaliate verbally when he feels the need to do so, has of course retaliated verbally:

Sulaiman has conveniently forgotten that he installed Mike Tyson as the number one contender in their rankings straight after being released from prison in 1995 after serving four years for rape, tried to cheat Buster Douglas out of his rightful win over Mike Tyson in Tokyo, when Antonio Margarito was banned in the USA for loading his gloves against Shane Mosley, Margarito was sanctioned by the WBC to fight in Mexico for the International Belt then went onto fight Manny Pacquiao and recently Sulaiman said that hitting women "was not a major sin" – all in the good name of WBC sanction fees.

Though I don't believe that Sulaiman's idiotic comment about hitting women was much to do with WBC sanction fees, you do have Sulaiman otherwise, and calling him honest or ethical would be a stretch. I do hope this doesn't cause him to have another of his famous melodramatic tantrums and retire from this overwhelmingly mean business.

Really, the Haye-Chisora situation seems a perfect fit for the WBC, and it's almost crazy that they aren't putting some level of trinket up for the bout. So why aren't they? Because as many have noted, the BBBofC President, Charles Giles, is also a WBC Vice President. Go figure.

The WBO and WBA are on board with the fight, both putting up minor belts. I guess at least this is causing everyone to put their cards on the table. And none of this is even close to settled. Frankly, it could all get pretty ugly by the time the fight is actually in the ring. And then there's the fight itself, which our friend Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport called a clash between "two lunatic fringe members looking to cash in on notoriety not earned in the ring" in a tremendous piece that if you have not read, I do recommend highly.