Judge Richard Owen, from Manhattan's (New York), United States District Court in Manhattan, has dealt a serious knockdown to the WBC, ordering them to pay its former light heavyweight champion Graciano Rocchigiani approximately $8 million in compensatory damages according to one of Rocchigiani's attorneys Richard Dolan. But, there could be more, as the jury considers whether to add punitive damages to the award.

Judge Owen ruled in February 2001 that the WBC breached the bout agreement it signed in connection with the Rocchigiani-Nunn match. "The language in the written agreement admits of only one possible interpretation," wrote Judge Owen, "the Rocchigiani-Nunn bout was for the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship. The word 'interim' is nowhere to be found within the four corners of the document.

In a move reminiscent of the best of Perry Mason, Attorney Peter Schlam raised Rocchigiani's belt, while looking at the very injured WBC president José Sulaiman dead in his eye and accusing him of stealing the bauble to return it to its former owner and recipient of the WBC's Medal of Excellency Award , Roy Jones, Jr.

Roy Jones, had vacated the title in 1997 as he "planned" to move up to the heavyweight division; when he changed his plans and decided he wanted his belt back, the WBC willingly accommodated him. To add insult to injury, the WBC did not even admit that it was stripping Rocchigiani. Instead, Sulaiman testified under oath at a deposition that his organization's listing of Rocchigiani as champion in three sets of ratings was just a "typographical error." Back at the ranch, the evidence showed that Sulaiman wrote several congratulatory letters, referring to Rocchigiani as the "world champion." A testy Sulaiman later claimed that the Rocchigiani-Nunn bout was only for the interim title and he even stated in a subsequent letter to Rocchigiani's attorney that "what the TV announcers, the ring announcer or any other media called the fight was incorrect if it was called anything other than for the interim title."

Judge Owen gave the WBC's version of events a resolute ten count, stating: "The WBC drafted the agreement, utilizing its standard form, and is and was fully capable of explicitly designating the bout as for the 'interim' title. However, it did not do so. The contract is clear and unambiguous because there can be no mistake regarding what was meant by the words 'WBC World Championship bout of Light heavyweight 175 pounds.' These words cannot reasonably be mistaken for 'WBC Interim World Championship bout of Light heavyweight 175 pounds.'"

Legal eagle Schlam urged the jury to award punitive damages against the WBC, adding "There's nothing that says boxing has to be like this. Mr. Sulaiman and all those like him should be told that decent society won't stand for this type of behavior."