Arthur - "I was robbed"

http://www.sportinglife.com/boxing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=boxing/08/09/07/BOXING_Arthur_Nightlead.html

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ARTHUR BLASTS ENGLISH JUDGES
By Ronnie Esplin, PA Sport

Alex Arthur claimed he was "robbed" of his WBO super-featherweight title in Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday night by the three English judges who gave Nicky Cook the verdict.

The Scot started sluggishly, allowing Cook to build up a good lead.
And despite a decent finish, most observers, and more importantly the judges, believed the Essex man had done enough to wrest the belt south of the border.

Terry O'Connor scored the contest the closest, giving it to the Dagenham fighter 115-114, while Dave Parris made it a more convincing 117-111, with Roy Francis scoring it 117-112 in favour of Cook.

Promoter Frank Warren and Scotland's former WBC lightweight champion Jim Watt, who was working as a television pundit at ringside, also thought the Edinburgh fighter had fallen short.

However, Arthur refused to accept he was beaten fair and square and claimed Cook told him he had retained his title.

"I really think that they robbed me of my title, I really do," the 30-year-old said.
"It was three English judges - in England.
"A fighter knows in his heart if he has won or lost a fight and I really thought I had won.
"I could see the shock on some people's faces at ringside. I don't think a lot of them could believe it.
"I thought I was controlling the fight and it seemed that Nicky was running away in the last two rounds. He didn't want to fight.
"And at the end, he thought I had won it.
"He came up to me and said, 'You're a great champion, you have won the fight. Well done.'
"So I do not feel like I lost it and I am a wee bit shocked.
"Obviously, I would love a re-match. I don't think I will get one but I would love it."

Contrary to Arthur's claim, Cook insisted he felt comfortably ahead going in the final couple of rounds.

He said: "I was confident that I had been slipping ahead on the judges' cards.
"I thought I was comfortably winning and, in the last couple of rounds, I just made sure that I boxed sensibly.
"Alex is a fantastic boxer and I didn't realise he was that strong but we had a game plan and stuck to it for 12 rounds.
"We kept it simple and it paid off and I'm a world champion now."
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