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A boxing chief said the Bermuda Sun's articles "were critical" in his decision to award Teresa Perozzi a world title.

And outspoken promoter Boxu Potts was already talking up a potential defence of her new NABC title belt before the end of the year, with Monica Nunez of the Dominican Republic touted as a possible opponent.

Perozzi, for her part, is delighted to have a title to defend but said she was not looking too far ahead after the controversies of the past few weeks,

Ed Hutchinson, president of the NABC, said our "story was critical in me understanding the seriousness of the offense."

He said he had read our story in the online edition of the Bermuda Sun, realized he was in a position to help and had done so, by offering to sanction the fights retroactively.

And he said that the WIBC, the organization, which originally sanctioned Perozzi's title fight only to withdraw after the fact, had acted in a 'morally reprehensible' way but had done nothing illegal.

The official recording organization for world boxing, Fight Fax, confirmed yesterday that Perozzi's WIBC title had been stricken from the records, despite reports to the contrary in other media.

A spokesman for the organization said that she was now recognized as the NABC Middleweight Champion only.

Perozzi, understandably, insisted she still considered herself champion until someone called her or wrote to her personally to inform her otherwise.

Don 'Moose' Lewis of the WIBC, has so far failed to do so.

The fighter said she was still upset and confused over the whole saga but was delighted to have an undisputed championship belt to defend.

She said she hoped Boxu Potts could sort out his current situation and promote her title defence.

"The NABC belt is definite, which is a relief. I could end up with two or more belts.

"I'll still be upset if the WIBC thing has fallen through - that's the belt I fought for.

"But the NABC is a creditable organization and it's an honour that they picked up on this."

Mr Hutchinson said the first he knew of the full extent of the trouble in Trinidad and the effect on the fighters was when a friend alerted him to our story.

He said he had been shocked at the 'ugly behaviour' of the WIBC and had called promoter Boxu Potts to offer to sanction the fights.

As all the NABC female belts were vacant (a situation which is apparently not unusual in women's boxing) it was able to appoint the Trinidad winners as champions.

"Your story was critical in me understanding the seriousness of the offence," he added.

He said such disputes were not uncommon in boxing but it was rare that the fighters were made to suffer for organizational and financial battles outside the ring,

Promoter Boxu Potts said he was washing his hands of the WIBC. He was still refusing to accept that Perozzi was not WIBC Champion yesterday.

But he repeated his forecast that the organization was headed for the 'graveyard' and said the NABC belt was a much better one to have anyway.

He said he was already working on organizing a defence by December with Monica Nunez of the Dominican Republic or a re-match with Scroller Carrington touted as possible bouts.

The full press release from the NABC credits the Bermuda Sun for bringing the Trinidad situation to light and may be read at www.nabc.net[[In-content Ad]]

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