Promoter Eddie Hearn wasn’t pleased that the referee didn’t let his fighter, Justis Huni (12-1, 7 KOs) continue after he beat the count after being dropped in the tenth round by the local British fighter Fabio Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KOs) on Saturday night in Ipswich, England.
The premature stoppage saved Wardley from a defeat to the better-skilled Huni. It was a completely one-sided fight until the miracle stoppage. The way the fight ended left a bad taste in the eyes of fans, who felt that Huni was given a raw deal.
Wardley-Huni Controversy: Referee’s Stoppage
“Well, the referee didn’t even let him get to 10. He actually stopped it at nine pretty much, but Justis was slow in getting up,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to the media about the premature stoppage by the referee John Latham for his fighter Justis Huni in the tenth round.
I agree with Hearn. The referee, Latham, pulled the plug on the fight at the count of nine, and the contest should not have been halted. It looked like he’d already made up his mind that Huni wouldn’t rise and then failed to make an adjustment after he surprisingly got up.
It made Wardley look like he had been given favorable treatment because he’s a Brit. If the shoe were on the other foot, and it was Wardley beating the count, fighting prematurely stopped, it wouldn’t be a big fuss.
Fabio Wardley’s Tainted Victory
This was a non-Brit, Huni, given the business. Wardley was in dire shape, needing a miracle knockout. Unfortunately, the results are tainted with the black cloud of controversy, but that’s what happens. Poor Huni.
“I thought Justis boxed so well. He beat him up in almost every round and battered him. Fabio is so game, so tough that he never gives up. Unfortunately, Justis switched off and he did what he didn’t need to do, which is trade,” said Hearn.
Huni was sitting on a big lead and didn’t need to put himself at risk by going for a right-hand power shot in the 10th. If he had continued to box Wadley on the outside, he’d have cruised to a one-sided decision victory or knocked him out.
Wardley looked exhausted and beaten by at that late stage of the fight. He was utterly desperate going into the tenth round. You could see it in his eyes and the way he fought harder in that round than he had in the three previous ones.
Wardley Rematch Unlikely, Says Hearn
“They’re [Team Wardley] aren’t going to want to rematch Justis Huni. I mean, he [Fabio] lost pretty much every round,” said Hearn. “But Justis will be back, and he’ll be back in big fights. There are big fights for him in Australia. There are big fights for him over here. His profile went through the roof the roof tonight. Everyone knows he’s a world class heavyweight.”
There is no chance that Wardley’s promoters are going to give Huni a rematch. They’re going to take this win and run in the other direction, looking to challenge the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois fight next month. They might also take on WBA secondary champion Kubrat Pulev for the lesser belt. That’s a trinket belt.
With the way Wardley looked tonight, the 43-year-old Pulev would be a risky fight for him to take. I wouldn’t let Wardley anywhere near Pulev if I were his promoter because he’s too limited, and this guy has size and technical ability that he can only dream of having.
“He took the risk here tonight for four or five weeks’ notice, but it was a risk for a lot of money. It was a fight that we all believed wouldn’t be that one-sided, but we felt it would be a comfortable win,” said Hearn.
