Taiwanese tycoon Dr CK Wu whose ambitions go far beyond simply ruling the Boxing world was hit with a good old one-two in the past week.
Dr Wu has made no secret of his plans to try and take over professional boxing as well as the amateur ranks. His payment of top amateurs opened a can of worms of which the International Olympic Committee has failed to put a lid on. With amateurs now receiving money, what is to stop the top boxers in the world being selected and competing at the Olympics?
First of all the World’s best amateur boxer Vasyl Lomachenko from the Ukraine announced that he was going to reject Dr Wu’s APB Tournament and like Britain’s Anthony Joshua turn professional.
Lomachenko is a double Olympic and World Champion and was the star attraction at the World Series of Boxing, and AIBA of which Dr Wu is the head, were planning a huge marketing campaign based around the Ukrainian. Lamachenko however has signed up with Manny Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum and his Top Rank Promotions.
AIBA had previously placed a blanket ban on the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) over governance issues. A move which meant that many schoolboy boxers were robbed of the chance to compete at the European Championships.
At the end of last week the Chairman of ABAE, Richard Caborn submitted a 60-page rebuttal of AIBA’s allegations. He hopes that while this is being reviewed the ban on English boxers will be lifted, so no other amateur boxers suffer.
Many in the know believe that the matter will still end up in the Court of Arbitration, but even if it does it could make no difference as Dr Wu, who has ambitions to head the International Olympic Committee, has already stated that AIBA will not recognise its judgements.
As they say at all the big fights, ‘Let’s get ready to rumble!’
