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Boxing

02nd Dec 2018

Frank Warren to formally write to WBC following controversial draw

The WBC can expect a letter

Darragh Murphy

All signs point to a rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

A controversial split draw in the WBC heavyweight title fight on Saturday night sparked cries for a rematch, which means more money for the fighters involved, for whichever athletic commission governs the fight and for the venue that eventually hosts Fury vs. Wilder II.

An inexplicable 115-111 scorecard for Wilder, who was dominated for large portions of the bout, was the most egregious tally of the lot and an immediate rematch is now expected.

Fury enjoyed the better of the early stages but Wilder’s two knockdowns in the second half of the bout proved crucial and while both remain undefeated after this weekend’s clash, it’s hard to escape the anti-climactic feeling.

‘The Gypsy King’ and promoter Frank Warren called an impromptu press conference at a hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning and it was there that Warren revealed his plans to run it back with ‘The Bronze Bomber.’

“I was very disappointed with the scoring of the Mexican judge,” Warren said. “Showtime had Fury 5-1 up after six rounds so quite what fight he was watching, I don’t know.

“We will be formally writing to the WBC to ask for a rematch. And I’m sure Mauricio Sulaiman, being the proud Mexican that he is, will want the rematch because it was his judge that got it wrong.

“He is some ballsy guy. And I genuinely feel sorry for him because it would have been the greatest comeback in boxing, certainly in my time in the sport.

“In some ways I think he has been robbed. The only reason there won’t be a rematch is because Wilder doesn’t want it. Tyson wants it. And the fans want it.”

At Saturday night’s press conference, Fury campaigned for the rematch to take place at Old Trafford while Warren was eager to see London host the second meeting of the undefeated rivals.

“I thought Tyson won it and won it well, whatever the result of the fight. It was a fight that you’d want to see again, irrespective of whether it was a draw or whoever won the fight,” Warren said.

“It’s one of those fights that you want to see again and we want to do it again but we want it in the UK. That’s where the next one should be.

“Tyson came here to Los Angeles, he’s travelled to Germany to Wladimir Klitschko’s back yard. Now let’s let him have some home turf because on home turf, he would have won that fight.”