Rico was saved by spitting out his mouth guard

Correct, Rico's cheating is what has caused the controversy. Rico wasn't going to survive another 7-10 seconds getting battered like that. At the least there likely would have been another knockdown if not a stoppage and Rico would have been even more beat up going into the 12th and with the scorecards more in Usyk's favour also after a 10-7 round.

 

Usyk’s corner were yelling “Ви повинні підійти до нього зараз!!!”

 

He never spat out his mouthpiece though. It was the Usyk right uppercut which sent it flying out, not a conscious decision to spit it out. It was his chief second who never put the mouthpiece back in right in the corner because he had butter fingers, not Rico.

 

Did he really spit his mouthpiece? I never saw it live tbf.

 

You could argue it got knocked out. It's absurd that the coach needs to be the one to put it back in.

Something I noticed from a different angle is that the ref does the ten count, then says walk to me and Rico remains leaned back in the corner EXACTLY like Joshua was vs. Ruiz. The ref paused and asked again. That could've been an instant stoppage.

 

What's your point? Because he lost his mouth guard, it justifies the awful cards and stoppage?

 

The ref should have waited until the end of the round to put the mouth guard back in.

 

Agree, that ruling should be mandatory, stuff their teeth, but, it is what it is, Usyk deserves all the controversy for stinking the joint out, karma.

 

Usyk had 9 seconds after the ten count. Doubt he would’ve KOd him clean in that time.

 

Yeah tend to agree. I think the ref should have let it go on till the 12th though. Maybe he should have been docked a point for that and given the 12th round to fight on.