Boxing Board, Warren to lodge complaint over Fury verdict
Frank Warren and the British Boxing Board of Control are to complain about the scorecards for Tyson Fury’s drawn WBC heavyweight title fight with Deontay Wilder after the challenger was controversially denied victory.
The 30-year-old excelled throughout, impressively recovering from two knockdowns - the second remarkably heavy - but was ahead on only one of the three ringside judges after scores of 115-111 (in Wilder’s favour), 112-114, and 113-113.
Victory would have represented the completion of one of the finest comebacks in the history of the sport but, even with a rematch inevitable, Fury’s promoter and the BBBC will move to protect their fighter’s interests.
“I’ve spoken to Charlie Giles, president of the British Boxing Board of Control and they, along with us, will be writing to the WBC asking that they look at what’s gone on there and to order the rematch,” Warren said.
“The Mexican judge (Alejandro Rochin) got it wrong. I genuinely feel sorry for Tyson. He’s been robbed and it wasn’t right.”
Reflecting on what unfolded at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, the 30-year-old then said: “It was a great performance, if I do say so myself.
“I’m very happy with the fight, but put it this way, if I didn’t get knocked down twice in that fight, on one of the judge’s scorecards I’d have still lost, so he needs banning from boxing forever because he clearly can’t judge.
“I’ve never seen a worse decision in my life. I don’t know what fight those judges were watching; the guy who gave it 115-111, I don’t know what he was watching. It ain’t the first time this has happened.
“That’s as bad a decision as the first Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield fight (in 1999), but who am I to say anything? I’m just a fighter, I’m not the judges.
“You can’t take anything away from me or Wilder; we done our best. (But) it’s stuff like this that gives boxing a bad name.”
After overcoming mental health issues, depression and nearly 3 years out of the ring, we believe @Tyson_Fury overcame @BronzeBomber tonight too.
— Frank Warren (@FrankWarren) December 2, 2018
It sounds like a lot of you agree.
WE WANT THE REMATCH!#WilderFury pic.twitter.com/tgiYe92RBA
Fury was also unable to explain how he got back to his feet after the heavy 12th-round knockdown by Wilder that appeared to have left him unconscious.
“I had a holy hand upon me, that brought me back, and I’ve got a fighting spirit and I never say die, I get back up.
“Even in the 12th round when I got knocked down heavy, I got back up and probably won the round, fought back and wobbled him a bit.
“I was brought back. I rose to my feet from the brink of defeat. I can’t tell you (how I did it) because I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. That round should probably have been a draw. It was a great fight.
“A year ago I was 400lbs and in terrible shape. I was so, so terrible.
“Two-and-a-half years out of the ring, living like a rock star, and a very low time. I fought back from suicide, (bad) mental health, anxiety, and I wanted more than anything to show the world that it can be done. Anything’s possible with the right mindset.
“I’m the lineal champion of the world, I ain’t just going to stay down because I got punched in the face and knocked back down. I’m not the champion for nothing.
Wilder reflected: “I don’t know how he got up,” he said. “I thought I had him out of there; it was a right hand and a left hook and I saw his eyes roll into his head. I thought it was over; God knows how he got up.”
