Boxing: Referee says he was told of bribe claim
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BRISBANE (AP) - The referee who officiated the Sonny Bill Williams-Frans Botha fight tells Australian Associated Press that he was told about an alleged bribe offered to the veteran South African heavyweight boxer before Friday's bout started.
Williams, a dual rugby international for New Zealand, defeated Botha on points in a 10-round WBA bout in Brisbane.
Botha, who challenged Lennox Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko for world titles in a 23-year career, has since claimed he did not know the fight was been reduced to 10, condemned the anti-doping procedures and alleged that Australia-based promoter Khoder Nasser offered him a bribe to throw the contest.
Boxing official Tony Kettlewell was quoted as telling AAP on Thursday that former IBF world lightweight champion Philip Holiday, an assistant in Botha's team, relayed the bribe allegation to him.
