FANS were left astounded after the result of Artur Beterbiev’s title fight with Dmitry Bivol was announced.
Beterbiev edged out his rival by majority decision as the light heavyweight title fight went the distance.
3
3
3
One judge scored the fight at 114-114, while the other two went 115-113 and 116-12 in Beterbiev’s favour.
However, many fans and pundits at home had scored the bout in Bivol’s favour.
And taking to social media following the fight, one angry fan said: “We just witnessed the biggest robbery OF ALL TIME. WHAT??????”
A second said: “There’s no bigger Beterbiev fan than me and that was one of the worst robberies I’ve ever seen in Boxing. That’s insane.”
A third said: “F*** BOXING. Bivol has just produced one of the best 12 round performances I’ve ever seen and won that fight easily it’s an absolute robbery. 116-112 to Beterbiev is the worst card of all time.”
Three-weight champion Shakur Stevenson posted the score card numbers in Beterbiev’s favour alongside a pair of laughing emojis.
Another said: “No way Beterbiev won that, draw or Bivol. That’s a robbery. Yet again Boxing confuses fans the more fights go on.”
A fifth added: “That is bulls***. Not a robbery but Bivol won that. Thats a great fight. No way it goes Beterbiev’s way imo.”
Another said: “One judge gave Bivol only four rounds there That’s tough to swallow but he’s just oozed class there in that interview and I am not sure if he knows how well he did there. Class from Bivol. Would love to see the rematch.”
Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn was also furious with the surprising 116-112 scorecard.
Speaking after the fight, he said: “In one of the biggest fights of our generation and in the most important fight in Dmitry Bivol‘s life you give him FOUR rounds? It’s absolutely disgusting.
“You heard in the 10th Round ‘you have to knock him out to win this fight’. They knew Artur Beterbiev lost this fight. I’m absolutely baffled and disgusted by a scorecard of 116-112.
“I don’t want to disrespect Artur Beterbiev but Dmitry Bivol should be the undisputed champion tonight and that judge should never work again. Four rounds in a fight of that magnitude is disgusting.”
Beterbiev’s win makes him the first unified light heavyweight champion since Roy Jones Jr.