Devastated Tyler Denny is still reeling after Saturday’s controversial draw with River Wilson-Bent for the English Middleweight Title.
The likeable Black Country boxer travelled to Wilson-Bent’s hometown of Coventry to take part in the main event of Hennessey Sport’s Coventry Skydome Show which was broadcast live on Channel 5.
Denny was in the ascendency when the fight was stopped in the seventh round with Wilson-Bent bleeding from a cut above his left eye. Denny reeled off in celebration only for confusion to reign with referee Ian John-Lewis ruling the cut was caused by a clash of heads.
That decision meant the result would go to the judge’s scorecards and though Kevin Parker had the fight 67-66 in favour of Denny, John Latham had it level while Shaun Messer favoured Wilson-Bent by a staggering margin of 68-65.
Minutes later television replays confirmed that the cut had been caused by a sixth round punch.
“I’m still devastated really,” he told bcb-promotions.com. “The whole country knows I’ve won that fight. Everyone who was there, everyone who watched it on television, River; everyone.
“He was gone. The game plan was perfect. He was never going to last the ten rounds. He was looking at his corner as if to say ‘save me’.
“I knew there was no head clash; you saw the way I celebrated when the referee waved it off. The referee never came to either corner to say ‘that cut is from a head clash’. He’s just guessed. It doesn’t make sense when there’s video cameras all over the ring that, within a minute or two whilst the scorecards are being checked could have verified that it was a legitimate punch that caused the cut.
“I’d be the English Champion, rightly, now if that was the case.
“And then when it goes to the cards; it’s just a sickener. There are no words to explain it. I was speechless.
“It’s going to take me a while to get over this one. I’m hoping the Board (BBBoC) will take a look at it. It’s not good for the sport.”