Danny Green’s knockout win over Paul Briggs for the IBO cruiserweight title will be investigated after concerns were raised over the bout which lasted just 29 seconds.
The Western Australian Professional Combat Sports Commission announced Thursday it will hold an inquiry into Wednesday’s fight, which ended when Briggs was counted out after being felled by a seemingly innocuous punch from Green in the first round.
The fight had earlier been moved from Sydney to Perth after the New South Wales state Combat Sports Authority refused to sanction it out of concern for the health and welfare of Briggs, who had not fought since 2007 reportedly due to neurological problems.
Two betting agencies, which experienced a rush on bets for Green to win by first-round knockout, welcomed the inquiry.
“This is the most farcical thing we’ve probably seen in many years in this country,” Centrebet media director Neil Evans said. “We probably held more individual wagers on a round one knockout in this fight than we have in combined fights in this country in the last 20 years.”
The Western Australian commission said its inquiry would address a section of the Professional Combat Act which states: “Where in relation to a contest the commission is of the opinion … that the contest is a sham contest the commission shall inquire into the promotion, arrangement and conduct of the contest.”
Green, who was initially livid after the fight and told the crowd that Briggs was lower than a dog and didn’t deserve a cent for his performance, changed his attitude on Thursday after reviewing the tape.
Green told a packed news conference that he’d seen the replay in slow motion and was convinced that Briggs was “legitimately hurt.”
“I caught Briggs on the soft part on the skull on top of the head,” Green said, adding that even though it looked like the punch only glanced Briggs, that it had caused damage. “To the naked eye it appears it hasn’t … (landed) but this is proof he’s been felled by a legitimate blow to the head and actually a brain stem kind of injury has occurred. It’s almost like a collision.”
Briggs’ trainer Billy Hussein told local news website thewest.com.au that Briggs was taken to hospital after the fight on the recommendation of the official doctor.
“Paul doesn’t know what happened in there—he can’t remember,” Hussein was quoted as saying. “I haven’t got a clue what happened in there. I know Paul has had problems in the past but I’m speechless.”
Briggs was unavailable for comment Thursday.
The 37-year-old Green, the former WBA light heavyweight and WBC super middleweight world champion, improved his record to 30 wins from 33 fights, with 27 knockouts. Since coming out of retirement last year, he has beaten Puerto Rico’s Manny Siaca, Anthony van Niekerk, Julio Cesar Dominguez and Roy Jones Jr.
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=A0wNdbQ1AkhMtXoAD62UxLYF?slug=ap-australia-green-inquiry
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