Reports of financial payments to World Series Boxing (WSB) have rocked the boxing world. Suggestions that the money was intended to guarantee gold medal success for Azerbaijan at the London 2012 Olympics have been strenuously denied by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) as well as WSB. AIBA confirm that a large sum of money changed hands to WSB but deny that this was in connection with any attempt to 'fix' the results.
Claims that the outcome of boxing events has in the past been 'rigged' have led to rigorous investigations into any allegations of corruption in the sport.
Coincidentally the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships opened yesterday at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event is scheduled to run to 10 October and is intended as a qualifying competition for the 2012 Olympics. In all 685 boxers will take part from 127 countries.