WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO release joint statement, won’t sanction fights in Russia until further notice
All four major boxing sanctioning bodies — the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO — will not sanction any boxing fights or events in Russia for now following the country’s invasion of Ukraine
All four of the alphabet sanctioning bodies in boxing — the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO — have released a joint statement called, “The World of Boxing United for Immediate Peace” in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The statement announces that for the foreseeable future, there will be no sanctioning of boxing championships, fights and events in Russia.
The statement was signed by the presidents of all four bodies — Gilberto J. Mendoza (WBA), Mauricio Sulaiman (WBC), Daryl Peoples (IBF) and Francisco Valcarcel (WBO).
All four major boxing sanctioning bodies release joint statement following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia; boxing halted in Russia
The WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF have issued a joint statement in response to Russia invading Ukraine, announcing that they will no longer “sanction fights in Russia until further assessment of the situation.” Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/uddp406DAs
— Carlos Toro Torres (@CarlosToroMedia) February 26, 2022
“The four boxing governing organizations in the world join together to express their position with regards to the tragic war which is taking place as Russia has invaded Ukraine,” the statement reads. “Just as the world claims for cease of fire, our organizations have decided to not sanction any boxing championships in Russia. Just as this war has put a stop of boxing in Ukraine, our organizations will not sanction fights in Russia until further assessment of the situation.
“May God bless everyone and bring peace to our world.”
On Feb. 25, Sulaiman and the WBC expressed an “action for peace” in which it had stated the sanctioning body, acting on its own accord, would not sanction boxing in Russia until the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was “resolved in an agreeable manner.”
Mendoza, meanwhile, called for a WBA meeting to be held on Monday, Feb. 28, about the potential suspension of world, international and regional WBA title fights in Russia.
Valcarcel, meanwhile, tweeted out that the WBO was considering not only the stopping of sanctioning boxing events in the country but also potentially stripping Russian fighters of their rankings.
All four sanctioning bodies have also, in their own way, expressed support for former heavyweight champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, who are joining the frontlines of their home country to battle against the invasion.
Vitali is the mayor of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine that has experienced several attacks since the Russian invasion began in the early morning hours of Feb. 24.
As of the morning of Saturday, Feb. 26, in the United States, there have been reportedly 198 Ukrainians killed and at least 1,115 injured in the invasion, according to a Facebook post from Viktor Liashko, Ukraine’s Minister of Healthcare.
Next. Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte: Early preview and prediction. dark