Botha wants fight expunged from record

ROUGH AND TUMBLE: Francois Botha punches Sonny Bill Williams during their heavyweight bout at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia last Friday. Picture: GETTY IMAGES

VETERAN boxer Francois Botha has confirmed he will be taking his own drug test, saying he wants a heavyweight defeat to Sonny Bill Williams scrapped from the record.
As the post-bout confusion continued three days after the contest on Friday, Botha said in a statement: “I have asked my manager to apply to have the bout expunged from my record.”
Williams, a former All Black rugby star, won the fight on points in Brisbane on Friday, though the match has been labelled a farce in some circles after it was seemingly cut short by two rounds.
Australian media reported on Sunday that Botha had tested positive for banned substances Phentermine and Benzodiazepine.
The fight was initially scheduled for November, over 10 rounds, according to Botha’s promoter, Tinus Strydom, but was postponed to this month after Williams picked up an injury while playing rugby.
Williams’ management had applied for the bout to be upgraded to a World Boxing Association (WBA) International title fight, allegedly without Strydom’s knowledge.
“When I first heard about it I did not think that the WBA would grant it and therefore I did not question the development, since I firmly believed that the fight’s [status] would not change,” said Strydom.
“However, all the while, Nasser Khoder’s promotion material, both television and print in Australia, advertised the bout as a 12-rounder.”
When he arrived in Australia a week ahead of the contest, Strydom said it “seemed a foregone conclusion” that it had been declared a 12-rounder and that Khoder, Williams’ manager, had succeeded in acquiring the WBA International title status for the fight. Reports later claimed that no WBA officials were at the tournament.

Botha confirmed he would be conducting his own drug test to try and clear his name. — Sapa