In the aftermath of the epic heavyweight boxing match in Los Angeles last night between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, controversy reigns after the bout was called as a split decision draw.
Fury had the better of the fight (probably) but Wilder knocked him down twice, including one blow in the final round that would have put a horse to sleep, but Fury somehow dragged himself up from it.
It's not that knockdown that has caused the most controversy, however. There is a growing belief from quite a few observers - admittedly, mostly Tyson Fury fans - that Wilder's first knockdown was a punch to the back of the head, a move that is not permitted in boxing.
Whilst Fury came back fighting from the first knockdown and even ended that round arguably the stronger fighter, it definitely would have affected the scoreline in the British fighter's favour had it not been called as a knockdown.
It sounds petty, but these are the margins that these guys are working with at the elite level of sport. With the scores set at 115 - 111 to Wilder, 110 - 114 in favour of Fury, and 113 - 113, that extra point one way or the other was unquestionably the difference between victory, defeat, and the draw.
Whilst the judge who scored so heavily in favour of Wilder has been criticised, the officials have come under fire for not recognising what looked to some observers like a clear foul.
One Twitter user said:
It ain't just the general public who think that the fight wasn't a draw. Loads of ex-boxers have been queuing up to offer their two cents on the outcome.
Former undisputed heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis said:
He later added:
However, boxing legend and lean, mean, grilling entrepreneur George Foreman saw it differently:
We haven't heard the last of this. That's a good thing for the heavyweight boxing division.
Topics: SPORT, sports news, Boxing, US News