Boxing Community Rallies Against BoxRec's Omission of Fights

International matchmaker Sean Gibbons has raised significant concerns regarding BoxRec, a prominent platform that serves as the foremost record keeper for professional boxing. His discontent follows the website's omission of critical fight results, including those involving Filipino boxers.

Concerns Over Recent Fights

Among the notable omissions are the recent fights of former champion Marlon Tapales and rising star Criz Laurente, both of which took place in Thailand. Gibbons highlighted that Tapales defeated Nirun Baonok by technical knockout to secure the WBF International Featherweight title last September, yet this achievement was not reflected in BoxRec’s database.

Similarly, Laurente secured the WBF Intercontinental Lightweight title with a third-round knockout of Benchalong Tanbu on the same date, but his victory also went unrecognized on the site. Gibbons expressed his frustration, stating, “BoxRec is no longer the reliable record-keeping body we once knew; their focus seems to be on commercial interests rather than accurately documenting professional boxing results.”

Global Reaction from Promoters

Gibbons is not alone in his criticism. JC Mananquil, head of Sanman Promotions, expressed disbelief that such prominent fights were disregarded by BoxRec. “For 26 years, BoxRec has been critical in recording boxing events, yet they failed to include these significant outcomes. Fans expect results to be available,” he pointed out.

Promoters from various regions, including Jordan, the UAE, Thailand, and China, have echoed similar sentiments. They describe BoxRec’s actions as unacceptable, noting that many legitimate fights sanctioned in their regions have vanished from the site.

“The most frustrating aspect is to see fights initially recorded, only to have them removed the next day. Even older fights appear to have been disregarded,” lamented Jordanian boxing manager Mohammad Nabil Mohammad Alawneh.

Highlighting the impact on athletes, he added, “These are real fighters with aspirations. We seek fairness and transparency in documenting their careers.”

Further Accusations Against BoxRec

Jose Mohan, founder of Middle East Professional Boxing, expressed confusion over BoxRec’s unexplained deletion of sanctioned fights, criticizing it for acting more like a regulator than a mere record keeper. “Every athlete should have an accurate history, irrespective of their promoter,” Mohan stated.

In a more pointed challenge, Thai promoter Eaung Laosuwanwat demanded that if BoxRec cannot rectify the incomplete records of his boxers, they should remove their entire competitive history from the site. “Incomplete records can be damaging and misleading to the public,” he asserted.

Additionally, Chinese boxing promoter Liu Gang condemned BoxRec for unauthorized changes to his promoter status and raised alarms about alleged intimidation tactics against fighters who don’t comply with the platform’s new policies.