By Sean McDaniel: Barry Hearn, the promoter for Paul McCloskey (22-1, 12 KO’s), feels that McCloskey was robbed tonight in a controversial quick 6th round technical decision stoppage loss to WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (25-1, 17 KO’s). The fight was stopped abruptly late in the 6th after McCloskey was cut from a head clash with Khan.
As it turned out, the cut wasn’t a bad one and this didn’t make McCloskey or his promoter very happy about the quick ending.
Hearn, speaking with the Press Association, said “It’s fanciful to think that was a dangerous cut. From what I saw of that referee he should never be allowed in a boxing ring again. I don’t think there’s any doubt that there should be a rematch.”
There is more than a few people who would agree with Hearn that McCloskey deserves a rematch with Khan, because McCloskey was fighting well at the time the referee and ringside doctor pulled the plug on the fight, and Khan looked to be tiring out from his inability to land his big punches. To say that McCloskey was making Khan look bad would be too kind to Khan. McCloskey was giving Khan a ton of headaches in there and was finding it easier to land his own shots towards the end of the fight.
Khan wasn’t in the least interested in talking about giving a rematch with McCloskey after the fight, saying flat out no when asked about a possible rematch. Khan is now looking at fighting Timothy Bradley in a unification bout next. And as for McCloskey, he can join Breidis Prescott and Marcos Maidana, two other fighters who want a rematch with Khan and aren’t getting one.
Comments are closed.