By Ricardo Salazar, IBF/USBA Public Relations Director

This past weekend one of our champions was seriously hurt while defending the title he had won earlier this year. When Leavander Johnson captured the IBF Lightweight crown, it was a culmination of a lifelong dream for the New Jersey fighter. New dreams of bigger fights that would secure his financial future were now just a matter of time for him.

Just this past Saturday, however, Johnson faced former jr. lightweight champion Jesus Chavez in an optional defense, in what appeared on paper to be an evenly matched bout between a newly crowned champion and someone whose career did not appear to be in an upswing despite his excellent professional record. Chavez was moving up in weight to face a bigger fighter after having lost to Erik Morales last year. By now the boxing world knows what happened in Las Vegas last weekend. Now Johnson's family, friends and boxing people in general hope for the best, that Johnson regains consciousness and is able to continue on with his life. Everything else should not have much importance now.

It seems, however, that whenever a tragedy occurs it does not take long for people to start pointing fingers. This is professional boxing. As the people involved in this sport know, boxing comes with a risk. For certain people to suggest that this fight should not have happened is foolish. Had the roles been reversed, the question would not have been whether or not Johnson belonged in the ring last Saturday, but whether or not Chavez had done enough to be rated as a lightweight. The finger pointing would still have been directed towards the respective sanctioning body, in this case the International Boxing Federation.

For the record, again, Leavander was in an optional period. He was free to choose any of the top 15 fighters in the IBF lightweight rankings to defend his title. Leavander, his management, and his promoter Lou DiBella chose to defend it against Chavez. The IBF, having Chavez rated at No. 11, approved the fight in accordance with our rules and regulations. Not a single person objected to this fight when it was announced. Why? Because it was a legitimate world championship fight between two capable ring warriors, that's why. All of a sudden it was an out and out mismatch.

As a result, a writer for a boxing website is now calling for the ousting of Marian Muhammad as president of the IBF/USBA. This writer, because of ignorance or because he does not know much about the sport, or both, questioned Ms. Muhammad's qualifications and insinuated that the reason she is president of the IBF is because of a past relationship with a renown promoter. Unbeknownst to this obviously inexperienced writer is the fact that since the forced resignation of former president Robert W. Lee and after Hiawatha Knight's brief tenure as Interim President, Ms. Muhammad has not only demonstrated her leadership abilities but has also established herself as one of the most knowledgeable administrators in the sport of boxing. Ms. Muhammad is not a newcomer to the sport; she has spent the better part of 34 years learning every aspect of it and is determined not to let detractors make up false allegations of wrong decisions on her part, which would certify the "corruption" or "ineptitude" of the sanctioning bodies.

During the current year, journalists and announcers alike such as Nigel Collins and Larry Merchant continuously attack the organizations for decisions or situations they were not well informed on. For example, Larry Merchant called the IBF's decision to strip Juan Manuel Marquez of his IBF Featherweight belt the "last straw." Just how wrong was that "information"? Marquez relinquished the belt because his promoter failed to place a bid on three scheduled purse bids for a match between Marquez and his leading available contender. Not one promoter placed a bid for a purse offering that started at $25,000. Not a single journalist raised objections when the fighter's own promoter chose not to have anything to do with the fighter's mandatory defense. In the meantime, other fighters who have patiently waited while Marquez and his representatives decide on what to do are left waiting for their chance at the title. So when no one placed a bid on the fight, the title was then declared vacant. It could be very well said that the title was relinquished.

The same writer who is now calling for President Muhammad's ousting erroneously reported that Julio Diaz had also been "inexplicably stripped" of his title. Follow the sport well and find out that Diaz relinquished the title voluntarily so that he could fight WBC champion Jose Luis Castillo for the money rather than defending the title against his mandatory challenger. Where is Diaz now? Hoping to rebound his career and again capture another world title. We are confident that he has second-guessed his decision to give up his world title. The road to fame and money starts with the "alphabet organizations" not with the Ring Magazine belt.

The inconsistencies with various media members are blatantly clear. The same writer who is now criticizing the IBF is a staunch supporter of The Ring's ranking system. Yet, this is a quote attributed to the boxing magazine: "Perseverance pays. After three failed attempts to win an alphabet title at 135 pounds, Johnson 134, Atlantic City, New Jersey, finally prevailed 16 years after his pro debut when he stopped fellow veteran Zoff, 134, Monfalcone, Italy, in the seventh round to claim the IBF lightweight title -- "

Leavander is a victim of tragic circumstances. A boxing ring can be a dangerous place, make no mistake about it. But it should be made clear that Leavander is not a victim because he was put in harm's way by a faulty system that puts unqualified fighters in over their heads. Johnson was a fighter with an excellent amateur background who rose in the pro ranks by going undefeated in his first twenty-three bouts, and whose losses have come only against topnotch opposition. His boxing career should be remembered that way, not by making him a victim of "boxing ills." As he fights for his life, we're sure that he wouldn't want it any other way.