Worrying for British boxing going forward. Jorge Linares pretty clearly beat Anthony Crolla last night, with 117-111 being anything but an outrageous score. Eddie Hearn doesn't like the fact it was handed in against rather than for Crolla though, so at the post-fight press conference bragged that he has ''had a word'' with Gilberto Mendoza so that said judge ''can have a nice rest''. Tallying a scorecard the promoter agrees with isn't in the boxing judging manual. Throw in Terry O'Connor dragging Linares away for throwing body punches and then actually warning for pivoting and spinning Crolla at one point, as well as the fact that two judges had it so close Linares had to win the last round to walk away with the titles, Matchroom need to be careful how they act if they want to continue bring foreign, elite fighters to this country.
When I read the title I thought they finally got rid of that disgrace of a referee Carry O'Corner... but no, it turns out Hearn scoffs the one judge that put in the right score. Can't have that sh_t of course, judges being on the level.
Surely Eddie shouldn't be having a "word" in any officials ear and go down the proper channel for any complaints Poor attitude from him especially when Aanthony never thought he'd actually won
I had it 117-111 too. Guess Eddie wouldn't appreciate my card to much either. My brother had it 116-112. Not sure how anyone could have it any closer than that, despite O'Connor's best efforts to limit which punches Linares was allowed to throw and which moves he could use to evade Crolla's punches.
If derry beats Campbell (he stops him late imo) and crolla looses to linares again I would like to see the trilogy made
I had 117-111 to Linares. I enjoyed the fight and anyone with half a brain could see Linares was a level or two above AC ...know shame in that at all he tried his best and came up short to a better fighter.
It's not surprising that a promoter would do such a thing, and that sanctionig bodies can be influenced by promoters. What's worrying is that Eddie Hearn (who holds a near-monopoly of big-time televised boxing in this country) has grown arrogant and c0cky enough to openly boast of it in a press conference !
Britain is the most corrupt country in world boxing, we have some cheek to slag the Germans and the Italians before them...
Hearn will be having a word with Paulie Malignaggi too, for the outrageous crime of calling a fight as he saw it and against the Sky fighter. Namely a lopsided win for Linares. Which it was.
This behaviour by Eddie Hearn is far worse than that of Keane or O'Connor who could try and excuse the fact that was how they saw the fight at the time but Eddie calling for the only proper judge to be banned is inexcusable and is a pre-meditated act of a promoter who then gloats about the undue influence he is exerting. Hubris dear Eddie.