By Jim Dower: International Boxing Organization (IBO) cruiserweight champion Danny Green (30-3, 27 KO’s) now thinks that 34-year-old Paul Briggs (26-4, 18 KO’s) was actually hurt on Wednesday night after being knocked out in the 1st round by Green at the Challenge Stadium, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Briggs, 34, was hit with a left hand that grazed the top of Briggs’ head 20 seconds into the fight. Briggs then went down and was unable to beat the count before referee Pat Russell stopped the bout at :29 of the 1st round.

Green, and many boxing fans at ring side, was angry with Briggs, believing that he had just given up and gone down rather than fighting. However, Green now believes that Briggs was legitimately hurt, saying in a media conference “I caught Briggs on the soft part on the skull on top of the head. I viewed the footage this morning and slowed the footage down to an incredibly slow speed and I’m happy I did that, because you can actually see the blow that lands…This is proof that he was felled by a legitimate blow to the head.” Unfortunately, few other people believe that Briggs was knocked out by a legitimate blow.

Many people still believe he took a dive. It would have been perhaps better had Green waited until the Western Australian Professional Combat Sports Commission, who is reportedly investigating the knockout, make their judgment about the stoppage. With Green talking about it, some people might see that as him trying to do damage control. The stoppage doesn’t make Green or Briggs look good. For one, why did Green pick an opponent that hadn’t fought in over three years as an opponent to defend his title against? Out of all the possible fighters that Green could have fought in the cruiserweight division, why choose someone who hasn’t fought in three years? Green already fought and beat 41-year-old Roy Jones Jr. in December 2009. By picking out another seemingly easy mark, it makes Green look as if he’s looking for easy fights to extend his time as a cruiserweight champion.

Briggs was a sparring partner for Green in the past. With the three years off, Briggs looked much heavier, slower and older than he was in the past. He didn’t look good, moving slowly and lunging at Green in the opening seconds of the fight. Green landed a jab to Briggs’ midsection and then a grazing shot that seemed to barely tough the top of Briggs head. At this point, Briggs went down face first on the canvas and was unable to get back to his feet. The crowd booed immediately and booed even more once the fight was stopped.