FOUR CLEAR KNOCKDOWNS NOT COUNTED AS PETALCORIN LOSES SPLIT DECISION IN WBC SILVER FLYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 16 Apr 2016
Petalcorin and Kimweri during the weighin.
Referee Malcolm Bulner, a naturalized Australian who was a Sri Lankan who fought in the Olympic Games, failed to count at least four knockdowns scored by former WBA light flyweight Interim champion Randy ?Razor? Petalcorin at the Melbourne Pavilion Friday night raising a howl of protest from the Filipino?s co-, managers Jim Claude Manangquil and multi-titled Australian promoter Peter Maniatis.
In a telephone call with The Standard shortly after the fight, Maniatis said the split decision in favor of Omari Kimweri was a travesty and they would file a formal protest with World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman.
Highlights of the fight posted on Facebook clearly showed the knockdowns which Bulner unbelievably failed to count.
Another issue that surfaced was why, aside from Bulner being the referee, his wife Samanta was a judge who aided her husband by voting for Kimweri.
Rules regarding knockdowns are clear and that is if a fighter held up by the ropes as in the case of Kimweri at least twice, it should be counted as a kmockdown.
Either referee Bulner didn?t know the rules or he was part of a conspiracy to rob Petalcorin of the decision and to favor the naturalized Australian boxer.
Manangquil and Maniatis said they were both ?shocked and disgusted by the decision. It was horrible for boxing. We will protest the decision which was horrible for boxing. This is killing the sport that we love but also hurts the boxers who work hard.?
In a pre-fight interview with us, Maniatis predicted there would be ?fireworks? in the ring but regrettably he, Manangquil and Petalcorin were all burned by Bulner.
Rappler?s Ryan Songalia also noted that the referee knew Kimweri was ahead significantly on 3 scorecards when he finally took a point for roughhousing. He had previously hit Petalcorin when he slipped in round 1 and hit him well after the bell to end round 3.
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