Eddie Hearn was left raging after the decision to award Artur Beterbiev the victory over Dmitry Bivol in a blockbuster fight on Saturday night.
Beterbiev ended up taking a majority decision win over his fellow Russian undefeated light-heavyweight world champion in a hotly-anticipated, delayed main event in Riyadh, despite many feeling that Bivol had clearly done enough over 12 fascinating rounds to have his hand raised.
Instead it was Beterbiev who became boxing’s first undisputed men’s light-heavyweight champion since Roy Jones Jr more than two decades ago, adding Bivol’s long-held WBA title to his WBC, IBF and WBO versions to complete the full set at 175lbs.
Bivol was humble in the ring afterwards despite losing his title and unbeaten record in Saudi Arabia, seemingly insisting that he had no issues with the result.
However, promoter Hearn was in disbelief as he strongly criticised the outcome, questioning how on earth one judge - Pawel Kardyni - had managed to score the bout 116-112 in Beterbiev’s favour, giving just four rounds to Bivol on the night. Another judge - Glenn Feldman - had it 115-113 to Beterbiev, while a third - Manuel Oliver Palomo - scored the close contest as a 114-114 draw.
Speaking on DAZN, Hearn said: “How can we not talk about what just happened in the ring? We wanna just forget about it, we wanna forget that in one of the biggest fights of our generation, the most important fight of Dmitry Bivol’s life, you give him four rounds in that fight?
“It’s absolutely disgusting. The whole corner, you heard in the 10th round, the corner said to him [Beterbiev], you have to knock him out to win this fight.
“They got in the ring, they stood backed up to their corner, they knew Artur Beterbiev lost this fight. Top Rank new Artur Beterbiev lost this fight.
“Then the word got around that Artur Beterbiev had won a majority decision. I’m absolutely baffled and disgusted at a scorecard of 116-112. 115-113, I don’t like it. 8-4 to Dmitry Bivol. You want to give him four rounds? He boxed beautifully in there tonight.”
Equally fuming in an interview with TNT Sports, Hearn said: “You saw the body language. They were in the corner, they knew they had lost the fight.
“116-112. They gave Bivol four rounds. This is a joke. It’s an 8-4, 7-5 fight to Dmitry Bivol. He was cruising the fight, he gave up some rounds at the end. They were telling him [Beterbiev] in the corner, you have to knock him out.”
Asked if Bivol would now pursue a rematch, Hearn said: “Of course. He was robbed of the undisputed championship tonight. I cannot believe you give Dmitry Bivol four rounds.
“It was a close fight, it was a great fight. They all knew in the corner. They were all standing there waiting for the decision, the word got out that Beterbiev had won and they are all looking at each other. They cannot believe what they’ve got away with tonight.”
In his post-match press conference, Hearn said: “I find it sickening that after a lifetime of hard work, Dmitry Bivol is not undisputed champion tonight. He won that fight.
“I struggled to find anyone who didn’t score the fight to Dmitry Bivol. To find a judge who gives that fight 116-112 and give Dmitry Bivol four rounds in that fight... this judge should never work in the sport again.
“It was an absolute boxing masterclass. It was the perfect performance. A pure show of concentration and skill and defence, with offence thrown in. Dmitry Bivol for me is arguably pound-for-pound number one in the sport and he deserves tonight to sit here as undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world.”
