(JULY 12) Mike Schmidt's Cloverlay
Management, the management company representing current W.I.B.A. and
W.B.A super bantamweight champion Lisa "Bad News" Brown, was advised
over the weekend in Atlantic City that the I.F.B.A. has vacated Hyo-Min
Kim’s I.F.B.A. Featherweight title due to her refusal to fight a
mandatory rematch against Brown.
The two boxers fought in Korea last year in what was a step up
weight division for Brown. Given the extremely controversial nature
of the decision and the reaction after the fight, the I.F.B.A. of
its own accord ordered the rematch. After Kim recovered from an eye
injury suffered during the fight the I.F.B.A. was informed that Kim
refused the rematch.
Schmidt commented as follows: "That was a step up in weight class
for Lisa and I really do not need to get into the judging again.
That was all aired out last year. Suffice to say I am still getting
people coming up to me saying, 'It was the worst decision since the
Roy Jones debacle over there.' To refuse a rematch IN KOREA- well
that takes things to a new all time low. When we were over in Korea,
I had time to visit some of the boxing gyms and talk to the old
timers.
All I kept hearing, and it seems to be a popular theme these
days for promoters and managers, was how much country-cultural pride
there was in their fighters. I kept hearing words banded about such
as 'warriors, cultural pride, go out on your shield, etc.' It is a
shame for the fighter.
At 126 lbs Kim is a very big, strong fighter,
humble and goes about her business, but they are doing her a grave
injustice not allowing her to do what is right given the
circumstances. I know a few ladies over here that are going to be
looking for the new belt she is boxing for including Garside and
'Little Tyson' Tsagouris. For us, well if you can’t get a rematch in
Korea, why bother trying. We congratulate the I.F.B.A, and the
W.I.B.A for that matter over the past year, for their stance and
look forward to regaining the I.F.B.A. 122 title that Lisa
unfortunately had to relinquish in obtaining her fight, and
one-sided victory against Ana Julaton, and defending the WBA and
WIBA titles. In terms of true warrior spirit, well Lisa has fought
in backyards from Korea, Australia, Bermuda, the States, and was not
even the promoter’s fighter in her last fight in Canada. That is
warrior sprit!"
#
# # # #
IFBA quoted from their site
the following:
"The IFBA has vacated the Featherweight title held by Hyo Min
Kim due to her refusal to fight a mandatory rematch against Lisa
Brown. The boxers fought in October, 2009 in South Korea for the
vacant Featherweight title, with Kim winning by a controversial
decision. The IFBA ruled that a mandatory rematch must take
place. After Kim recovered from a subsequent eye injury, the
IFBA was informed that Kim refused to fight Brown in a rematch
and her title was therefore vacated."
