(AUG 4) According to
Boxrec.com on Saturday night (31st July 2021) Coatbridge’s Ben
McGivern and Middlesbrough’s Chris Wood both made their
professional boxing debuts at New Douglas Park in Hamilton,
Scotland. McGivern beat Lewis van Poetsch (9-126-2) and Wood
drew with Corey McCulloch (4-1-0). Event Results 31st July 2021:
Link to boxrec
However, according to reliable sources within the sport,
McGivern made his professional boxing debut on the 4th September
2016 against Jody Meikle at the Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort,
Cumbernauld and Chris Wood made his debut against Edgars
Milevics on the 29th March 2015 at the Pryzm, Woodhouse Lane,
Leeds. McGivern's Boxing Record on Boxrec:
McGivern's
records on Boxrec Mcgivern's Boxranking record:
Record of Ben
McGivern on Boxranking Chris Wood original
Boxrec record (2015)
Record of Wood
on BoxRec Chris Wood ‘New’ Boxrec record
(2021) (which Boxrec listed as CJ Wood despite being fully aware
that this is the same Chris Wood who fought on MBC, BDF and BIBA
events between 2015-2017):
Chris Wood on
Boxrec Chris Wood Boxranking record:
Wood's record
on Boxranking
Following his victory over van Poetsch, McGivern’s current
record is in reality 7-1-1 and Wood’s true record is now 5-4-1.
It should also be noted that both McGivern and Wood have fought
for professional boxing championships prior to the 31st July
2021.
McGivern is both the Professional Boxing Council (PBC) and
World Boxing Union (WBU) International Light Heavyweight
Champion, both victories were over Navid Iran, the first on the
17th November 2018 and the second on the 22nd June 2019, which
was broadcast live on Fite TV.
17th November 2018 McGivern vs Iran 1 Youtube Video:
Link
22nd June 2019 McGivern vs Iran 2 on undercard of Decastro vs
Jacobs headed event - Broadcast live on Fite TV:
Link Other Links:
https://www.facebook.com/BibaBoxing/;
https://m.facebook.com/BibaBoxing/posts;
https://nowboxing.com/2019/06;
https://go-boxing.net/2019/06/19/news-no-discussion-the-title-is-mine-says-iran-ahead-of-22nd-june-mcgivern-rematch-live-on-fite-tv/
;
https://go-boxing.net/2019/03/08/news-video-iran-ready-for-war/
;
https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news ;
https://www.ringnews24.com ;
https://boxeomundial.com/fight-report ;
http://philboxing.com/news/story
Wood is a two time title challenger, having challenged Sammy
Hill for the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) British Welterweight
Championship and Tommy Jacobs for the British Masters Bronze
Super Welterweight title.
Sammy Hill vs Chris Wood WBF British title fight
https://youtu.be/6T_lBmftB7w
Tommy Jacobs vs Chris Wood British Masters title fight
Youtube Video ;
https://scottishfightnews.wordpress.com/2015/04/30 ;
https://www.boxing247.com ;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/boxing ;
http://philboxing.com/news/story ;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ ;
https://www.facebook.com ;
queensburyboxing.co.uk/news ;
https://www.britishboxers.co.uk
So why has Boxrec.com listed them as professionally debuting on
the 31st July 2021?
The answer, according to Boxrec, is that they do not recognise
the British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA), who previously
licensed both McGivern and Wood, as they have a policy of
recognising only one commission per country, and in the case of
the UK that is the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).
However, according to Gianluca Di Caro, Vice President of the
British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA) that is “Total
Bulls**t”, adding “there is no genuine Boxrec policy of one
commission per country, the reality is that Boxrec are acting in
a protectionist manner on behalf of the BBBofC in our particular
case, and what’s more we have the evidence to prove this is the
case.”
“Just one example is Germany, where there are three German
Commissions, Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer (BDB), German Boxing
Association (GBA) and Bund Deutscher Faustkämpfer (BDF), and in
addition the Austrian Boxing Federation (ABF) have also
sanctioned events in Germany and they are listed by Boxrec.
The most recent being a Sauerland event that took place at the
Fraport Arena in Frankfurt that was headlined by an IBF
Championship fight between Leon Bunn and Leon Harth on the 4th
May 2019.”
ABF sanctioned event Ludwigshafen, Germany 17th August 2019
https://boxrec.com/en/event/791769
Upcoming BDB sanctioned event in Hamburg, Germany 21st August
2021
https://boxrec.com/en/event/835781
Upcoming GBA sanction event in Neuwled, Germany on 14th August
2021
https://boxrec.com/en/event/837376
“Whilst the BDB, GBA and ABF listings and results can be
verified by just going to Boxrec’s website, at this time you
will not find anything regarding the BDF, as Boxrec removed BDF
as a commission and began listing past BDF events and results as
‘unsanctioned’ and does no longer update any BDF events reports
and results following a public dispute between the BDF’s UK rep
and Boxrec’s Management back in 2018.”
BDF Events on Boxrec prior to BDF ban by Boxrec:
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/BoxRecBDFhistoriclistings.pdf
2016 BDF event as listed on Boxrec today:
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/BoxRecBDFEvent15thJuly2016.pdf
“The dispute was over Boxrec failing to update the records of
boxers that fought on BDF sanctioned events in the UK initially,
including the Tommy Jacobs vs Chris Wood British Masters titles
fight, both of whom were licensed by BIBA, as were most pro
boxers on BDF UK shows.”
Youtube video of Jacobs vs Wood British Masters title fight
sanctioned by BDF which was broadcast live on Eurosport
https://youtu.be/W4CUIEvSH_c
“As I said earlier Boxrec act in a protectionist manner on
behalf of the BBBofC.”
“A few years earlier Boxrec threatened the GBA with a similar
punishment unless they stopped sanctioning events in the UK,
unlike the BDF, who continued to sanction events in the UK, the
GBA withdrew immediately, interestingly the records and results
of the GBA sanctioned UK events prior to receiving threats of
removal are still listed on Boxrec”
GBA/PBA e.mail re BBBofC attempts to stop GBA sanctioning events
in UK
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/BBBofCLetterGBA.pdf
York Hall 27th April 2013
https://boxrec.com/en/event/668727
York Hall 4th October 2013
https://boxrec.com/en/event/672305
“Boxrec tried similar tactics with the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC),
albeit more underhandedly via the championship organisation the
European Boxing Union (EBU), following the MBC sanctioning
events in the UK, again the reports and most of the results are
still listed on Boxrec, including three of the events that Chris
Wood fought on, there is a fourth which has since been wrongly
removed by Boxrec.”
MBC sanctioned event in Leeds UK 29th March 2015
https://boxrec.com/en/event/705083
MBC Sanctioned event in Garforth, UK 2nd August 2015
https://boxrec.com/en/event/712833
MBC Sanctioned event at York Hall UK on 29th August 2015
https://boxrec.com/en/event/715595
“The Chris Wood fight result removed by Boxrec, took place at
the Rivals Gym in Wishaw, Scotland on the 25th April 2015 and
was against Sam Allan and this one was removed by Boxrec when
Allan switched to BBBofC so Boxrec could list Allan as debut and
Boxrec’s John Shepherd justified this because the event took
place at a gym. Incidentally Boxrec removed the two fights Sam
Allan’s record, the one against Chris and another against Marty
Kayes without a genuine reason”
Video highlights of Allan Vs Wood 25th April 2015
https://youtu.be/F-chGaTzWWU
Sam Allan Boxrec record:
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/715542
Sam Allan Fight Fax Record:
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/FightFaxRecordSamAllan.pdf
“in 2017 John Shepherd used video of the event as so called
‘evidence’ that the BIBA was not a suitable commission to
Championship organisations at the Association of Boxing
Commissions (ABC) annual convention a few years ago,
conveniently forgetting to mention that the event was actually
sanctioned by the MBC, not BIBA, or that the BBBofC also
sanctioned events at Rivals Gym.”
E.Mail re John Shepherd’s actions at ABC conference:
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/ABCConferenceRivals
GymEventsMBCandBBBofC.pdf
BBBofC sanctioned event at Rivals Gym 1st June 2012
https://boxrec.com/en/event/641159
BBBofC sanctioned event at Rivals Gym 6th October 2012
https://boxrec.com/en/event/647499
BBBofC sanctioned event at Rivals Gym 7th December 2012
https://boxrec.com/en/event/655837
BBBofC Sanctioned event at Rivals Gym 15th February 2014
https://boxrec.com/en/event/685187
Boxrec listed MBC Sanctioned event at Rivals Gym 25th April 2015
(minus Wood Vs Allan Result)
https://boxrec.com/en/event/712052
“This is far from the first incident of Boxrec and BBBofC
colluding to maliciously and without foundation try and cause
serious problems for BIBA, and not just with the Championship
organisations, although the example I will now cite do relate to
e.mails from BBBofC Secretary General Robert Smith to the
International Boxing Federation (IBF) after the IBF added a
number of BIBA licensed boxers to the IBF rankings.”
“In 2017 the International Boxing Federation (IBF) added a
number of BIBA licensed boxers to the IBF Intercontinental
rankings. Literally within days the secretary general of the
BBBofC Robert Smith e.mailed the IBF stating “Dear Lindsey
Please note that the following boxers are not licensed by the
BBBC but an organisation not recognised by the BBBC- Sandy Robb
Nathan DeCastro, Tasif Khan. It is noted they are rated by
yourselves.””
“IBF Ratings Director Anibal Miramontes responded “Dear Robert,
I don't rate fighters based on where the license is from. This
fighters fight for a different organisation that also does
fights in the UK regularly.””
“Robert Smith responded with “They have licences withdrawn or
not granted by BBBC due to medical queries. many of the boxers
competing for this organisation have had licences withdrawn or
not granted. Boxrec can confirm. Speak at the weekend.””
“The IBF e.mailed myself the following “Below you can see e-mail
exchanges between Mr. Robert Smith General Secretary of the
BBBofC and myself. I will really appreciate if you can send
proves that the fighters rated have no medical issues to be
license.I don't understand what boxrec has to do with this, they
are not a commission, decision makers regarding medicals or any
other issue regarding boxing licenses, but I will reach for John
Sheppard, boxrec's owner, as requested by Mr. Smith. In the
meantime, and for precaution I will remove the fighters mention
by Mr. Smith until I receive confirmation that don't have any
medical issues.””
“I responded by not only sending the then current medicals but
also historic ones, as well as any specialist reports that we
had regarding the two boxers that had been wrongly refused
BBBofC licenses, by return e.mail in most cases, and within two
days for the Scottish based boxers as their medical records are
kept by our Scottish Area Chief Medical Officer not head office,
which proved that Mr Smith was providing false information.”
“BIBA boxers remained ranked by the IBF, and in fact two of
those from the original fighters ranked that Mr Smith named in
the e.mail are still ranked by the IBF some four years later.”
EMail thread BBBofC IBF :
boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/IBFRatingsBBBofCBoxrecInterferance.pdf
IBF Super Middleweight Rankings 8th March 2021
boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/IBFIntercontinentalSuperMidRatingsMarch2021.pdf
IBF Junior Bantamweight Rankings 8th March 2021
boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/IBFInterrBantamRatingsMarch2021.pdf
“I have a similar case of interference by Boxrec regarding a
very recent Championship fight, Lee McAllister versus Richmond
Djarbeng World Boxing Organization (WBO) title fight that took
place in Aberdeen back in May - which was broadcast globally as
well as streamed live on Fite TV and Viva Live TV”
“Following the event the WBO submitted the results to Boxrec
only to be informed by Boxrec that the BBBofC are the only
commission recognised in Europe (by Boxrec), that is aligned
with the WBO as the excuse not to list the fight on Mr
McAllister or Mr Djarbeng’s records.”
WBO Rep’s E,Mail re Boxrec not listing Championship results
boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/McAllisterVsDjarbengIIWBOAfricaZone
Championship.pdf
ringnews24.com/2021/05/29/wbo-championship-honours-on-the-line-for-l
ee-mcallister-vs-richmond-djarbeng/
https://www.boxing247.com/press-boxing/mcallister-kos-
djarbeng-adds-a-wbo-title-to-his-collection-of-championship-accolades/179801
Link to the free replay of the event on Fite
https://www.fite.tv/watch/let-battle-commence-iv/2p9er/
Lee McAllister inaccurate Boxrec record:
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/148337
Lee McAllister accurate Boxranking record:
https://boxranking.com/boxer/view/625602
“Boxrec’s refusal to update Mr McAllister’s and Mr Djarbeng’s
records with the WBO title included is in violation of the ABC’s
Official Record Keeper Criteria Rule 15. “Boxing Officials
Registry for world title bouts sanctioned by the International
Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association (WBA), World
Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).””
ABC’s Official Record Keeper Criteria:
https://www.abcboxing.com/official-record-keeper-criteria/
“The whole issue of Boxrec is insane, the Association of
Professional Boxing Commissions (APBC), of which I am currently
the Chairman, has recently been undertaking research ahead of
deciding who should be appointed as the APBC Official Record
Keeper for 2021/23.”
“During this period of research the APBC has received close to a
thousand cases of Boxrec failings and wrongdoings from every
corner of the globe, everything from faked records to entire
events removed without reason and of course many instances of
records failing to be updated as well as failing to list
commissions or add or update their fighters records.”
“Yet in the same period the APBC have not received a single case
or complaint against Pro Boxing Records (Formerly Fight Fax),
other than cannot view records on-line, or against
BoxRanking.com, other than only features current active boxers,
which of course is a minor factor with regard to accurate
records being available for matching etc, and not all
commissions yet submit results to them, again only a minor
factor and one I am sure will change in the near future.”
Association of Professional Boxing Commissions website:
https://apbcboxing.com
http://www.womenboxing.com/NEWS2021/news
070121part-1-boxing-records.htm
http://boxingtalk.com/Op-Ed-Is-BoxRec-suppressing-
legitimate-results-And-should-the-ABC-do-something-about-it-
If have problem with the link above to BoxingTalk please
download PDF article at:
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/BoxingTalkBoxRecArticle.pdf
Broadcast re Boxrec failing to recognise commission leading to
event being moved
https://youtu.be/QwhjkijbheU
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/boxing/2954457/
foreign-boxers-fake-stats-to-land-lucrative-fights-with-
uk-champs-a-georgian-insider-claims/
“Luckily for our beloved sport there are these two further
official record keepers; Pro Boxing Records (formerly Fight Fax,
official professional boxing record keeper since 1984) which
unfortunately doesn’t list the results on-line, although believe
that will change soon, and Boxranking.com, which is a very
recent addition to the Record Keeping domain so currently only
lists recent and active fighters results.”
About PBR/Fight Fax:
https://www.boxbiba.com/?page_id=424
Boxranking website
https://boxranking.com
“Both PBR/Fight Fax and Boxranking only accept results from
Commissions so their record keeping tend to be 100% accurate,
unlike Boxrec which is only 60-65% accurate and dropping fast
due to their failing to update quite a few results as well as
listing fake results from non-commission sources.”
“It’s a crazy situation that Boxrec can have such a dominant and
extremely important role in our beloved sport when they act the
way they do, it’s not just my view either, besides the obvious,
such as those that have been wronged, one former ABC President
Greg Sirb e.mailed current ABC President Mike Mazzulli stating
“I have become increasingly frustrated by the way Boxrec
(Marina) has single handedly decided what fight results shall be
included in the ABC database. Boxrec like Fight Fax is a record
Keeper, that is it, they are not a commission, Boxrec does not
decide what is a good result and what is not, the fact is that
if a boxing result comes in from a commission (anywhere in the
World) that result must be posted.””
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/GregSirbReBoxRecMisdeeds.pdf
ABC’s Website:
https://www.abcboxing.com
“Following conversations between myself and Mike Mazzulli back
in 2016, shortly after the ABC appointed Boxrec as co-Official
Records Keeper with long time appointee Fight Fax, Mike sent an
e.mail to both Boxrec and FightFax with the heading “Boxrec -
details of record manipulation and failure to list events or
update records.” In which he wrote; “In an effort to resolve
this issue, all ABC Boxing Record Keepers will actively
recognise and record all pro boxing contest for all commissions
(including those in the United Kingdom) that are sent in by
those Boxing Commissions that are recognised by the ABC.””
https://boxbiba.com/Boxrec2021/ABCToBoxRecFightFaxE.Mail.pdf
“Mr Mazzulli probably should just have said that Boxrec needed
to comply to the ABC’s Official Record Keeper Criteria Rule 14:
which states “Records must be kept on ALL boxers, United States,
Canadian, European, Asian, Mexican, and South American to ensure
Boxrec understood that it is a term of appointment as ABC
Official Record Keeper.””
ABC’s Official Record Keeper Criteria:
https://www.abcboxing.com/official-record-keeper-criteria/
“Either way you would have thought that Mr Mazzulli’s
instructions were clear enough, yet Boxrec continued to ignore
the ABC edict and continues to do so even today, and something I
am sure they will continue to do until someone dies because of
their actions, or is that lack of action”
“That may sound a bit dramatic and I really hope never happens,
but think about it Ben McGivern is an experienced big punching
Championship winning fighter who had fought professionally eight
times yet is listed by Boxrec as a debut when he fought on
Saturday, what if they do the same with another fighter of an
even higher calibre and he ‘debuts’ according to Boxrec and
faces an inexperienced but game fighter.”
Mr Di Caro has highlighted the situation in the United Kingdom,
but this is not just a UK issue, not by a long shot. There are
similar issues being highlighted in the media in the Middle
East, Europe, Africa and South America on virtually a weekly
basis, which lead to the conclusion that Boxrec fail in
spectacular fashion at its main role within the sport RECORD
KEEPING, but what can be done about it.
The simple answer is nothing, zero, zilch, as the organisations
that provide them with Official Record Keeper status, such as
the Association of Professional Boxing Commissions (ABC),
Championship organisations World Boxing Council (WBC) and the
European Boxing Union (EBU) and of course the British Boxing
Board of Control (BBBofC), just don’t seem to care, probably
because it suits these organisations right now, as they hold the
dominant positions within their particular sectors within the
sport.
The ABC, which represents North American Commissions, has been
provided details of many Boxrec failings and wrongdoings, in a
recent case Brian Dunn, the recently retiring ABC President,
said this “I am sorry to hear about this situation.
Unfortunately, I am afraid there is nothing I can do to help
resolve it. Boxrec is the official record keeper of the ABC,
but they are also a private company, not even based in the
United States.
I'll admit to not really understanding how boxing "commissions"
work internationally, as it is much different than in the US
(and other international ABC member commissions). After many
conversations with John and Marina, they do understand the
situation and they only record what they deem to be accurate”.
In my view this reply raises more questions than answers, to
actually state that he, an actual Commissioner as well as
President of the Association of Boxing Commissions, does not
know how other commissions operate but John and Marina Shephard
do is unbelievable, neither of these people have held roles
within a commission and as such neither could possibly know even
the basics.
I am utterly flabbergasted by Brian Dunn saying and clearly
accepting, “they only record what they deem to be accurate”. Is
even crazier as that is not the role of Record Keeper, their
role is to record results of Professional Boxing Contests not be
judge and jury on which commissions, championships, promoters
results are deemed to be legitimate, and should they be given
such power to the detriment of boxers themselves.
The BBBofC appears to work maybe a little too closely with
Boxrec, possibly in an attempt to maintain a close to 90 year
monopoly of Professional Boxing in the United Kingdom, that was
until the British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA) launched in
2016.
The BBBofC also have a highly unusual and without doubt unique
arrangement with the WBC, they are the only commission that has
a standalone affiliation, one that is the same as a Continental
Association of Commissions, such as the African Boxing Union
(ABU), the European Boxing Union (EBU) etc and as such should
any European or UK commission wish to become a member of the WBC,
they must first affiliate with the BBBofC and/or the EBU
according to WBC Secretary General Robert Lenhardt.
Another interesting fact is that the President of the BBBofC, Mr
Charles Giles is not only a Vice President of the WBC but also
the EBU.
The BBBofC has the largest amount of votes of all commissions
within the EBU, in 2012 they had 134 votes, whilst the BDB 34
and the next highest Swiss Boxing has 24 votes, all other
members had between 1-5 votes per commission, this exceptionally
large disparage enables the BBBofC to dictate actions within the
EBU.
An example of the BBBofC’s incredible power within the EBU is
the expulsion of the Luxembourg Boxing Federation (LBF) from the
Championship organisation in 2012, following the LBF sanctioning
Haye vs Chisora at Upton Park in London, UK in July that year
and even possibly the expulsion of the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC)
some months later, as the MBC licensed most of the undercard
fighters on the Haye-Chisora bill, as well as vocally supported
the LBF at the EBU Convention in Bruges, Belgium in 2012.
Have to admit, a pattern seems to be emerging here, one that
requires some serious research for a follow up article in the
near future.
WBAN welcomes a response from BoxRec, and will publish such if
they choose to address these troubling issues. They can
contact us at wban100@aol.com
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