The controversy that blighted Bulwell boxer Shane McPhilbin’s British title defeat has led to the ordering of a rematch.

McPhilbin (26) surrendered his cruiserweight crown when losing on points to Welsh veteran Enzo Maccarinelli at Wolverhampton.

But now the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) has said the fighters must clash again — after Maccarinelli was literally saved by the bell, thanks to an amazing blunder from timekeeper Martin Fallon.

Maccarinelli had been knocked down and was wobbling badly when Fallon sounded the bell for the end of the first round 47 seconds early.

The mistake helped the Welshman to recover and go on to win the fight, robbing McPhilbin of the title he had sensationally snatched from Leon Williams eight weeks earlier.

But the BBBC have ordered the re-match after launching an investigation. Purse bids will be opened next Wednesday (April 11), with a view to the bout taking place in May or June. And McPhilbin’s manager, Carl Greaves, is even hoping the venue could be Nottingham.

Meanwhile Fallon has been stripped of his timekeeper’s licence until January 2013 and told that he must undertake more training.

“I still don’t understand how the timekeeper could have made that mistake,” said McPhilbin this week. “I thought the fight should have been stopped anyway.

“I’m not one of those mardy people who grumble and complain when they lose. But it’s been playing on my mind. The way I lost my title has been doing my head in.”

McPhilbin stressed that he felt no ill-feeling towards Maccarinelli. “He’s a top bloke who I respect,” he said.

“He told me he would have recovered after the first-round knockdown, but I’m not sure that’s true.

“He said he’ll give me the rematch, though, and that’s only fair.

“The fight could still go down as a no-contest. But I just want the re-match.

“Let’s both have a fair fight and see what happens this time. Let the winner be decided in the ring, in the right way, and let the champion be crowned fairly, without all this madness.”