British boxing bans Russians and Belarusians from fighting on its soil

Russia has a tradition in boxing, but it will not be able to fight in the main centers of the sport. Photo: Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images

Sports sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes have been announced, and now it’s British boxing’s turn to veto it.

The Secretary General of the BBBofC (UK professional boxing regulatory body), Robert Smith, issued a statement that dealt another sporting blow to Russia and Belarus, due to the invasion of Ukraine.

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“The British Boxing Control Board will no longer allow boxers registered or licensed by the Russian Boxing Federation or the Belarusian Professional Boxing Federation to compete in the UK under the jurisdiction of the BBBofC from now on,” the statement read.

There is no doubt that the UK is one of the countries that has proven to be the toughest in its actions against Vladimir Putin. Boxing has responded in recent weeks by not imposing penalties for title fights on Russian soil, but following the BBBofC initiative, organizations and federations from other countries can follow suit.

This casts doubt on the battles in the United States. If the North American country follows the same path, the fight between Mexican Canelo Alvarez and Russian Dimitri Bevol, scheduled for May 7, will be threatened.

It should be noted that a few days ago, the International Boxing Federation, led by Rossi, adhered to the veto proposed by the International Olympic Committee.