5th June, 2013
There are strong indications that Nigeria may lose the hosting right to stage the Guinness Book of World Record bout between World Boxing Federation Cruiserweight, WBF, champion, Bashiru Lawrence Ali, OON, to Germany.
The International Boxing Union, IBU, under which the title fight will be organised has given Bashi Ali until Friday, 7 June to pay Sanctioning Fees of $1 million failure which will force the governing body to give the hosting right to a promoter in Germany.
The IBU communicated this to Bash Ali in a letter dated 22 May and signed by the Chairman of the IBU, Don “Moose” Lewis.
The letter reads: After much deliberation and with my personal pleading, the IBU Executive Committee has granted your request for a final extension to complete all details for the record breaking fight card to be held in Nigeria. We anticipate your meeting with the Chairman of the Peoples Party Democratic, Dr. Bamanga Tukur to be the final step in moving forward with the event. Therefore, we expect the IBU Sanctioning Fees of USD$I Million to be transferred and received by the IBU no later than 5p.m New York time on 7 June, 2013.
“Again, please understand that this is the deadline for monies to be received-not initial process of transfer. Contact has been made with all parties and all fighters anxiously await the official confirmation from the IBU of such occurring as they await their own respective opportunity to finalize their contracts in order to come to Nigeria and be a part of history.
“As you are aware of, the complete initial investment that must be prepaid is only a fraction of the financial return to be received. This historical boxing card is a “KO” for all parties involved in many ways and will cement all persons and parties involved a place in history forever.
“Be aware Mr. Ali that if the 7 June, 2013 date passes without the government showing their interest in hosting the event by demonstrating the good faith initial transfer of funds to the IBU, as your friend, I advise you at 5:01p.m. New York time, 7 June 2013 to immediately contact me to accept the standing offer of €10 million plus 20 percent of pay-per view revenues from the promotion group in Germany for the WBF/IBU Cruiserweight World titles.
“Should you fail to act accordingly, I have no choice but to inform them to move to the next available contender for the title. This puts you in a position of not having another opportunity to fight for our title until spring 2014 at the earliest and at your age, time is a greater opponent than the man opposite you in the ring.
“It is my most fervent hope that you are successful in this final push to fulfill not only your dream to get Nigeria to host the first Guinness World Record bout in Africa but to also establish sports academies and a sports equipment manufacturing factory.”
P.M.NEWS Sports gathered that after receiving the IBU letter, Bashi Ali wrote the National Chairman of the PDP, Tukur pleading for his intervention.
“I respectfully ask for your continuous intervention so Nigeria can beat the IBU deadline of 7 June and successfully host this first Guinness World Record fight to ever hold on the soil of Africa in Nigeria to the glory, honour and joy of all Africans,” he wrote in the letter to Tukur.
Bash Ali recalled that “George Foreman of the USA set the Guinness World Record as the oldest boxer to win a world boxing title in his country. Joe Bugner of Australia broke the record in his country. So, it is only befitting that Bash Ali of Nigeria rewrites boxing history in his country, Nigeria.”