GBBC reviewing tape of Atwell/Mullings fight as the Jamaican cries foul

THE Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) will be reviewing the tape of the Clive Atwell versus Sakima Mullings World Boxing Council (WBC) CABOFE junior welterweight title fight as the Jamaican boxer claims that he was robbed.

The two fighters met for the title fight last Saturday and the Guyanese was awarded the fight by a split decision.
Jamaican referee Clifford Browne had scored the fight in his countryman’s favour (115-113). However, McKenzie Granger of Trinidad and Tobago scored the fight 116-112 in favour of Atwell and Guyana’s Francis Abrahim scored it 118-111 for Atwell as well.
According to an article which appeared in the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper yesterday, Mullings is appealing to the WBC to either set aside his loss last Saturday night to Atwell, or order an immediate rematch.
Mullings told the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper that the fight was controversial. According to him, Abrahim scored the fight 118-111 for Atwell, while Jamaica’s Clifford Browne scored the bout 116-114 for Mullings and not 115-113 as was seen by Chronicle Sport. He said a Trinidadian judge scored the fight 116-114 for the hometown boxer. But from what was announced on Saturday night, the actual score is 116-112 for Atwell.
Mulling also cited issues with the refereeing by Eion Jardine whom he blamed for his loss.
The 2014 Wray & Nephew Contender champion explained that Atwell head-butted him in the middle rounds, opening a cut over his left eye that caused blood to flow into the eye. The Guyanese referee, he said, ruled that the cut was caused by a legal punch.
However, Mullings said the ring doctor, who looked at the cut after the fight, told him it was too deep to have been caused by a punch.
“The right side of my face had bruises, so how come Atwell suddenly found the extra strength to cause that deep a cut,” he said.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday, GBBC president Peter Abdool said the Boxing Board executives and referees will meet today to view the tape and will make public their findings.
According to Abdool, a fighter has the right to appeal a decision that goes against him and should Mullings send his appeal to the WBC, then the governing body will have to review the tape also.
Abdool said it is the WBC’s rule that if during a fight a boxer gets cut from a head butt and the other fighter is uncut, then the latter fighter will have one point deducted from his score.
According to Abdool, referee Eion Jardine’s report after the fight stated that Mullings was cut from a legal blow and not a head butt.
Abdool further stated that if it was a deliberate butt by Atwell, then two points will have to be deducted from his score.
“We don’t want anyone to come to Guyana and say they get robbed” Abdool stated, adding, “It was Atwell’s corner that was concerned about the choice of the referee (Jardine) because Jardine went to Jamaica and officiated at the Wray & Nephew Contender card and he was more or less looking pro Jamaica.”
According to the Gleaner, Mullings also believes points should have been deducted from Atwell for excessive holding throughout the fight, but especially in the championship rounds, when he hurt the Guyanese boxer.
“I had him knocked out on his feet in the 11th round,” he said, but Atwell kept on holding excessively. “The referee should have warned him and deducted a point.”
The aggrieved Jamaican also said that earlier in the fight, he put his Guyanese opponent down with a punch, yet the referee ruled that the fighter had slipped.
“I am not trying to take anything from the fight, because it was a good fight, but if those points were deducted, the outcome may have been different,” said Mullings, who needed five stitches to close the cut, shortly before he had to depart for the airport to catch his flight back to Jamaica.
“I started off slowly, but I finished strong. I had him out on his feet. I was in great shape. If my face had not been chopped up, I would have done the Sigma Run.”
However, after the fight ended, Mullings stated clearly for everyone to hear that Atwell was better than he on the night and deserved the victory.
Mullings hopes the WBC grants him a rematch in three or four months, adding that he regrets not asking for a neutral referee.

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