By Declan Taylor
OLDHAM super-featherweight Aqib Fiaz has announced that the British Boxing Board of Control have cleared him of ‘any wrongdoing’ after his June fight with Kane Baker was pulled due to suspicious gambling irregularities.
Fiaz and Baker were supposed to meet on the Matchroom bill at the Birmingham Resorts World Arena on June 22 but it was mysteriously cancelled on the morning of the fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn later confirmed that he had decided to pull the encounter and launch an investigation into the information he had received.
He said: “I was made aware of some betting irregularities on that fight. I was given some information, I followed it up myself and with my team, the gambling commission and British Boxing Board of Control. Having spoken to a number of people, I decided to pull the fight pending a further investigation.” Fiaz, 12-1 (1), vehemently denied that he was involved in the situation and now he has confirmed that the Board’s investigation is complete.
On an Instagram post, he said: “After a lengthy investigation by the British Board of Control into allegations following my cancelled fight in June, I am pleased that the Board have considered all documentation and evidence supplied and reached the decision that no further action is required and have cleared me of any wrongdoings.
“I always maintained that I had no involvement or knowledge of any of the allegations surrounding that fight and the evidence I and others provided to the Board demonstrated exactly that.
“I am grateful to Matchroom, my manager, trainers and sponsors for their full support during this process and I cannot wait to get back in the ring.”
Fiaz has not boxed since the only defeat of his career when he was stopped in the eighth round by Reece Bellotti in a challenge for the Commonwealth super-featherweight title a year ago this month.
