SOME FAITH RESTORED...

The WBC act quickly following a blantant robbery in Canada

THE World Boxing Council restored some faith in justice when they almost immediately objected to a horrible decision rendered by the judges that gave Ryan Rozicki an undeserved 10-round victory over Yamil Peralta in Sydney, Canada on May 7.

The bout, for the organisation’s vacant International bauble at cruiserweight, looked to have been won comfortably after 10 rounds by Peralta, an Argentinian fighting in his opponent’s home country.

From the first round, the speed and mobility had Rozicki

[above] struggling. Peralta was peppering him with jabs and the slower local was finding the Argentinian a difficult target. It was the fifth before Rozicki was able to score enough to feel he had won the round but Peralta was back in charge in the sixth. Rozicki was never really in the fight. The Argentinian rocked Rozicki in the ninth before he was deducted a point in the last round for holding. Scores from the three local judges, all from Nova Scotia, were 97-93 and 95-94 for Rozicki and 95-94 for Peralta. A genuine travesty.

A sporting Rozicki showed what he thought of the decision. He stood a dejected figure with his head down as the scores were read. He did not celebrate but immediately reached past the referee’s body and lifted Peralta’s hand!

The WBC reviewed the video of the fight and decided that the title would remain vacant and ordered a rematch which will be held on October 15 again in Sydney but with neutral officials.

Not the ideal outcome but a welcome step in the right direction.