In a rare showing of good judgement, the WBC has determined that the heavy-handed punishment imposed on Ivan Redkach by the New York State Athletic Commission was sufficient enough that they don’t need to take any further action themselves.
Redkach recently challenged Danny Garcia in a welterweight fight in Brooklyn where in a bizzare moment he yelled ‘Mike Tyson’ and sort of playfully bit Garcia on the shoulder. Most folks didn’t notice it happen live, but after being spotted on replay by NYSAC, they decided it warranted suspending Redkach for a full year, imposing a $10,000 fine, and ordered Redkach’s entire purse to be forfeited.
Most believed that trying to appropriate Redkach’s entire fight purse was well beyond justifiable considering these particular circumstances, but it seems that NYSAC didn’t get their hands on the money before it got to Redkach anyway so it’s not clear how that will work itself out.
In any event, considering the fight was also sanctioned by the WBC, they’ve had to issue a statement on the incident, where they say that NYSAC’s punishment was enough that they don’t need to take further disciplinary actions against Redkach.
“Yes, Ivan fouled Garcia by biting him on the shoulder. Ivan’s foul was intentional and constitutes ‘unsportsmanlike behavior in the ring.’ Therefore, it is a violation of the WBC Rules & Regulations and the WBC can take disciplinary measures.
“Fortunately, Ivan’s foul in no way affected the outcome of the bout. Compared to other fouls and incidents that have occurred in the sport, Ivan’s foul, on the surface, seems to be a minor one.
“The media has reported that the local jurisdiction where the Garcia v. Redkach bout took place has suspended Ivan’s license and has imposed a $10,000 fine against him. The WBC considers that the severity of those penalties constitutes sufficient punishment for Ivan.”
The WBC would continue by mentioning that they know Redkach to be a good man and that they will try to help him learn from this misstep.