BRITONS AGGRIEVED BY JUDGES’ DECISIONS

Sportinglife.com, UK
July 16 2005

Brian Magee and Howard Eastman vowed they will never fight in Germany
again after controversial point defeats in Nuremberg.

While Londoner Eastman was clearly outworked by up-and-coming Armenian
Arthur Abraham in their WBA Intercontinental title fight, Belfast’s
Magee failed to claim the vacant European super-middleweight crown
following a dubious split decision verdict against Vitali Tsypko.

In a country that is known for notorious home decisions, Magee
was on the front foot from the first bell on. He looked especially
impressive in the sixth and 12th rounds when he thwarted his opponent
with well-timed combinations as well as several shots to the head.

Still, two judges ruled the contest in favour of unbeaten Tsypko
(115-113 and 115-114), who like Abraham boxes out of Germany’s
Sauerland camp. The third judge awarded the contest to Magee (115-114).

“I don’t know what more I could have done,” a heartbroken Magee told
PA International after the fight. “The European title is a big one
and I am very disappointed not to return home as champion. I am very
disappointed for everybody else who worked hard for me.”

In an somewhat awkward clash of two southpaws, Magee stamped his
authority on the bout early. Both fighters kept marching forward in
the first rounds, with Magee a tad more accurate on his combinations.

Things heated up in the fifth round when a bad cut opened up above
Magee’s right eye following an unintentional head butt. Later that
round when Tsypko bombed in a crushing left, further blood poured
down his face but the Belfast fighter comfortably guarded his injury
in the following rounds.

His aggressive mixture of attacking and clinching certainly should
have won him points on the scorecards but not even a successful
final round, when he clobbered Tsypko in a spirited late exchange,
helped persuade the judges.

Asked whether he felt betrayed, Magee replied: “Yeah but that seems
to be the way it is over here. I tried to force the fight the whole
way through and thought I had won clear but in the end I did not get
the decision.

“Maybe I would have had to stop him in the early rounds. He didn’t
seem very confident about his win and if I had gotten the decision
he could not argue about it. That is just the way it is.”

Eastman felt just as aggrieved as up-and-coming Abraham scored a
unanimous – and probably justified – points victory following a
dirty brawl.

“This is like daylight robbery,” a defiant Eastman told PA
International after a 119-110, 116-112 and 115-113 verdict.

“It is ridiculous and a shame to professional fighting. The officials
at ringside were watching a different fight. I really don’t understand
the scoring. It’s like you have to be a German to win decisions here
or you have to kill the guy.”

Abraham got the better of his opponent throughout the full 12 rounds,
landing the more and especially the cleaner shots. To the surprise
of many at ringside, Eastman somehow survived all of the Ukrainian’s
vicious shots to head and body.

“He is raw and strong but not in my league,” Eastman said. “I want
a rematch in London.”

It was not before seconds out in the third round that Abraham picked up
speed. He connected with a fast combination to the head but whenever
in trouble Eastman made good use of his ring smartness to either duck
or clinch into safety.

Abraham looked in complete control during the middle of the fight,
although the Briton was there to connect with occasional counter
punches or combinations of his own.

The Armenian dominated the last third of the fight, which saw several
toe-to-toe exchanges, by continuously attacking the 34-year-old with
thunderous combinations.

“He never hurt me. No fighter has ever hurt me in my life,” Eastman
vowed after only the third loss in his career. “It have always been
the judges who hurt me with wrong decisions at the wrong time.

“I did enough to win the fight. He might be strong and raw but he
is not in my league. In boxing not everything goes according to plan
and this has been a very tricky situation.

“The judges here in Germany are from a different planet.”