Danny Williams lodges complaint

WILLIAMS LODGES COMPLAINT

Danny Williams will urge the British Boxing Board of Control to take action over the controversial circumstances surrounding his victory over Konstantin Airich in Bilbao on Friday night.

Williams scored a dramatic seventh-round stoppage success despite being knocked down three times and having at least three points deducted by Spanish referee Alfredo Garcia Perez for unclear offences.
Williams recovered and had Germany's Airich in trouble in the sixth only for the bell to ring prematurely. Television replays clearly showed the round ended over 90 seconds early, implying outside interference.

Williams said: "It was incredible. There were rounds ending early and I lost count of the number of points I had taken away. I knew I had absolutely no chance of winning the fight unless I stopped the guy."
In the latest chapter of his remarkable career, Williams, who famously knocked out Mike Tyson in 2004, did just that, piling on the pressure until the towel came in from the Airich corner.

Williams added: "The whole situation is ridiculous. It also happened in my last fight against Oleg Platov in December, when they knew I was going to win so they stopped the fight on an injury and got a no-decision.

"I've got to urge the British Board of Control to put in a complaint because things have got to change. I had even been warned beforehand by friends not to take the fight because I couldn't win it.
"But I thought boxing was supposed to be about how good you are, not about where you are fighting or who you are fighting for. I need to stand up over this to make sure other British fighters don't have the same problems I have had."

The British Boxing Board of Control's general secretary Simon Block said he was awaiting a video of the contest with interest. "I am very concerned," Block said. "I won't hesitate to take action if it is deemed appropriate."

Williams had accepted the fight despite already being scheduled to defend his British title against John McDermott in Dagenham early next month. With victory, he also handed hot prospect Airich his first professional defeat.

Williams said: "I took the fight because Airich didn't look too good on the videos. But I couldn't believe how hard he punched. His power was up there on a level with Vitali Klitschko."

Williams, decked twice in the third round and once in the fourth, added: "I wasn't mentally prepared for that kind of power. But I got used to it, and everything that was going on just spurred me on to get the win."