Heavyweight boxer Dereck Chisora could face a life ban after his press conference brawl with bitter British rival David Haye, British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) general secretary Robert Smith said on Monday.
Smith, when asked if a life ban was possible, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Of course it is. The board have many powers — they can fine, they can suspend and they can withdraw a licence.”
Chisora returned to the United Kingdom from Germany late on Sunday following his astonishing altercation with Haye who he threatened to shoot.
Chisora, who had been defeated by defending champion Vitali Klitschko in Saturday’s WBC heavyweight title clash in Munich, was detained by police, along with trainer Don Charles, at Munich airport as he was preparing to board a plane home.
The pair gave statements, but were released on Sunday evening and allowed to return home.
Sanctions
German police have yet to speak to Haye after he disappeared following the unsavoury scenes at the Olympiahalle venue.
Haye does not have a BBBofC licence, having officially retired in October, so the governing body is unlikely to be able to sanction him, but they will continue their investigations into the weekend’s events on Monday.
Smith said: “I’m on my way to the office. I have to speak to the chairman of the boxing federation and the German police, the authorities, to see what the situation is with regard to them over there, and then obviously take the appropriate action.”
“I will have to gather all the information from those authorities and put them before the main board of control … I’ve spoken to a number of stewards already and I’ve spoken to the chairman on a number of occasions, and I’ll put something out as soon as possible today, but it certainly will entail a hearing, a disciplinary calling — certainly for Mr Chisora because he is a licensed boxer. David Haye is a retired boxer — he’s no longer a licence-holder with us.” — AFP