BBBofC to review referee’s performance on Saturday night.
Last Saturday, the boxing world was treated to a good, old-fashioned heavyweight slugfest between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder.
Anyone familiar with either operator knew the fight couldn’t have been fought in any other fashion, and the contest entertained all who enjoy an entertaining scrap.
Wilder would end up breaking British hearts when he won in his first points victory in over ten years, though one card had him losing.
Overall, it was a very competitive fight and a great night of action, and nobody could be disappointed with the effort that both men put in.
However, many were left disappointed by Mark Bates, the referee. A large number of viewers felt that Bates showed bias towards Chisora with his in-ring actions.
This led to a series of odd moments, the first being when a grappling match between Chisora and Wilder against the ropes led to Alexis Demetriades (Chisora’s cornerman) entering the ring.
Ordinarily, this would be grounds for a Chisora disqualification loss. However, given how anticipated the fight was (as well as the fact that it was only the second round), Bates’s decision to let things go on is understandable.
However, another incident later in the fight saw Chisora complain about an eye issue, after which Bates momentarily halted the action for no apparent reason.
Wilder was also deducted a point (for many, harshly) in the 8th round, and it remains unclear whether Bates scored a knockdown against him or not. BoxRec, however, doesn’t mention one as having occurred.
It was reported a couple of days ago that Bates would face no disciplinary action for his refereeing last week, but Robert Smith (the general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control) has stated that that isn’t strictly the case.
“We’re certainly going to look carefully at it”, Smith told BoxingScene. “In situations like this, there will always be a review. Once it’s reviewed, a decision is then made if further action is required.”
Smith also commented on when Chisora was knocked through the ropes in the 8th round, upon which it appeared he was helped up by his corner.
“The initial reaction [upon seeing someone falling towards you] is always to put your hands up”, Smith said. “They certainly stopped him from going through the ropes and falling to the ground … We will be looking at it.”
“It was a rough-and-ready fight, and it was a very difficult fight to referee”, stated Smith. “It will all be reviewed.”
The matter is set to be discussed by the BBBofC in a board meeting today.
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