Paulie Malignaggi blasts judge in Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury fight, says he ‘should never work in boxing again’
The American retained his WBC heavyweight title as the epic fight was controversially scored a draw
Paulie Malignaggi summed up how every boxing fan felt after watching Tyson Fury cruelly denied a sensational victory against Deontay Wilder.
The former two-weight world champion was working ringside as an analyst for Showtime and could barely contain his anger at how Alejandro Rochin scored the WBC heavyweight title fight.
The Mexican judge scored it 115-111 in Wilder's favour and with other judges scoring it 112-114 (in Fury's favour) and 113-113, it meant the world heavyweight title fight ended in a draw.
Fury had to twice climb off the canvas, including surviving a dramatic 12th round knockdown, but the majority of observers believed his performance merited a points win.
Malignaggi certainly felt the Briton was hard done by, blasting: "Guys, I don’t even care about any of these replays. I really don’t, because they matter nothing.
"This decision is a joke. Alejandro Rochin better never work another day of his life in boxing.
"I don’t know what else to tell you. We’re looking at highlights of a fight we should be breaking down and why the result is the way it is, but I can’t tell you why the result is the way it is.
"We’re looking at certain highlights, but then I’ve got to explain why the result went this way?
"I don’t know what to tell you anymore. I can’t even do my own job."
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennow Lewis, who contested a disputable draw with Evander Holyfield back in 1999, also empathised with Fury.
"They need to get some good judges, these judges were terrible," Lewis said.
"It happened to me and I knew it was going to happen to him. Everybody could see who won. Boxing definitely won and Tyson Fury won the fight to me.
"But that's why you've got to go in and try and knock the other person out, especially if you're not on home soil. You've got to make your fists be the judges."
While there is talk of a rematch, Lewis was far from impressed with the American, despite him retaining his titles.
"I think Deontay boxed terribly. He has a great right hand but he wasn't able to put it to bed until the last couple of rounds.
"He's always got that power. I think when he's tired he's more dangerous because he just flings those punches around and if one of them hit you round the head, you're going to go down and it happened.
"To me Tyson Fury put himself in harm's way and caused himself to get knocked down."
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Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) are to lodge a complaint about the scorecards.
“I’ve spoken to Charlie Giles, president of the British Boxing Board of Control and they, along with us, will be writing to the WBC asking that they look at what’s gone on there and to order the rematch,” Warren said.
“The Mexican judge (Alejandro Rochin) got it wrong. I genuinely feel sorry for Tyson. He’s been robbed and it wasn’t right.”