Reuters
Boxing – Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk Weigh-in – The O2, London, Britain – September 24, 2021 Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk during the weigh-in as promoter Eddie Hearn looks on Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Reuters
Boxing – Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk Weigh-in – The O2, London, Britain – September 24, 2021 Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk during the weigh-in as promoter Eddie Hearn looks on Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
There is no denying that the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch will be a cherishable fight for the fans. And, an equally scintillating undercard would have been a cherry on the top. However, the undercard fight featuring Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera was marred by controversy.
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Jack faced Rivera at the King Abdullah Sports Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. And, it seemed certain right from the start that Rivera was in control. Jack, on the other hand, was able to land a few significant shots.
JACK GETS IT 👀
Badou Jack gets the win via split decision against a game Richard Rivera, what do you make of the scorecards?#UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/SJ1mXfsy6X
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 20, 2022
But the entire scenario changed in the eighth round. The ‘4 minute round’ saw Rivera at the receiving end of a merciless volley of punches from Jack. Moreover, at the end of ten rounds, Jack was declared the winner by decision.
Read More: Badou Jack vs. Richard Rivera Stats: Age, Height, Weight, Reach, Net Worth, Record, and More
Notably, the timekeeper had erroneously stretched the eighth round to 3 minutes and 58 seconds instead of the regular 3 minutes.
Fans hate the Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera showdown’s timekeeper
Fans were outraged by the timekeeper’s blunder victory and Badou Jack’s victory as well. In fact, many fans took to social media to voice their concerns about the controversial fiasco.
#UsykJoshua2 all bets on Rivera should be voided if Badou Jack wins this fight. Never seen bullshit like that in boxing
— blick morrison 🦧 (@nick_is_solid) August 20, 2022
User @nick_is_solid was quick to disregard Jack’s victory. Moreover, the user mentioned that all bets on Rivera should be voided.
These judges nowadays Mate , @BadouJack lost that fight popeye won that fight by a country mile !#UsykJoshua2
— EmDePen (@EmDePen1) August 20, 2022
Similarly, user @EmDePen1 also felt that Jack was not the real victor of the fight. And, the user even stated that Rivera ‘won that fight by a country mile’.
Absolute robbery, probably won't be the last one of the night tho
— Joey (@Joey_CFC) August 20, 2022
User @Joey_CFC also mentioned that Rivera was robbed of his victory.
Badoa Jack took full advantage of an erroneous 3:58 8th round to land/throw fight highs 19 of 52 punches. @WeAreWhisperTV
— CompuBox (@CompuBox) August 20, 2022
Moreover, per CompuBox data, Jack took advantage of the spuriously given 58 seconds.
A disgrace to boxing and fair competition. It's every big card now something dodgy happens and nothing ever changes. Boxing the most corrupt sport there is and as a fan it makes me want to turn off and stop buying PPV
— Jack Sanderson (@JackSan18993396) August 20, 2022
On the other hand, user @JackSan18993396 felt that the bout was a disgrace to fair competition and to the sport of boxing in general. In fact, the user even went on to accuse the organizers of corruption.
Absolute fix. Total joke. Letting the 8th round go 30 seconds over when Jack had the upper hand certainly doesn’t seem like a mistake after the judges decision. As if you can accidentally go 30 seconds over anyway…
— leekern (@leekern13) August 20, 2022
Similarly, user @leekern14 also felt that the fight was fixed. The user even mentioned that his doubts were cemented once he heard the judges’ decision.
What was the time keeper doing ?
— Ian (@Ian_skee) August 20, 2022
Fire the time keeper! How does one let a round go 4minutes! Smh 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/mtsWMtVMfL
— Mike (@maq10) August 20, 2022
Many users were quick to question the timekeeper’s mistake. Moreover, user @maq10 even mentioned that the timekeeper should be fired for letting a round stretch that long.
Great performance from Rivera, gutted for him!
— Alright John (@Phil2466) August 20, 2022
This dude gained a new fan! Shame they robbed him of a life changing victory..Jack is going absolutely nowhere at cruiserweight. If he dares challenge for a cruiser title he'll get brutally ko'd
— Felix (@Theosis28) August 20, 2022
I hope not. Very entertaining fighter in and out of the ring and would@love to see him fight some of our UK Cruiserweights
— Huckleberry (@RightJDH) August 20, 2022
However, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Rivera. While he may have lost the fight, he gained the respect of fans. In fact, user @Theosis28 even mentioned that Rivera ‘gained a new fan’.
WATCH THIS STORY – 7 Things Anthony Joshua Can’t Live Without
What do you think of Jack’s victory? Let us know in the comments below.
