Nina Hughes was announced as the winner of her WBA bantamweight title defence against Cherneka Johnson in Australia, only for the decision to then be overturned as the Brit claimed: “I’ve been robbed.”
Frantic and chaotic scenes with the scorecard saw ring announcer Dan Hennessey mistakenly announce Hughes as the winner, before going on to correct the mistake, as Hughes suffered the first loss of her seven-fight professional career.
“I just don’t get it,” 41-year-old Hughes said. “How can they announce I had won and then change the scores? I thought I’d dominated early. I thought she won a few of the later rounds but I felt like I won it comfortably.
“I don’t get how you can announce the winner and then change the scores. It’s a joke. I feel like I’ve been robbed big time. There’s got to be a rematch. I didn’t lose that fight.”
In her post-fight press conference, Hughes added: “I’ve got no words. I was countering her jabs with three or four shots; I don’t see how you can win a fight just landing a jab when you get hit with three or four shots every time.
“The ring announcer obviously thought I’d won, that is why he looked at the scorecard and announced it that way. So, to have it overturned…”
Hughes later took to social media and tweeted: “The dirty side of the sport I love.”
A split decision in Johnson’s favour saw the Australian snatch the title with scores of 98-92 and 96-94, with the final judge scoring the bout as a draw.
Hughes’ trainer Kevin Lilley fumed, labelling the result a “blatant robbery” and claiming his fighter had been set up in Perth.
“We have all the respect in the world for Cherneka and her team, they have been good the way through, but that is bull****,” he said. “We’ve been brought over here and set up from day dot.
“That girl has been blatantly robbed tonight, and to do it like that. [To score the fight] eight rounds to two is a blatant robbery. Anyone with a pair of eyes [could see], the girl has won the fight clearly.
“Cherneka has come into the dressing room, stood there, and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not the judge’. The rematch has to happen.”
Speaking immediately after, Johnson thought she had done enough to win and originally felt she was put in a position where she “just had to accept” the verdict when Hughes was initially read out as the victor.
“I’m not the judge and I’m just glad that they figured out the wrong decision,” Johnson said. “Nina was a tough fight. I’m not the judges but I definitely think I won that fight. I’m just over the moon I won this bout.”
In the main event of the evening, a dominant Vasiliy Lomachenko stopped George Kambosos Jr in the 11th round to win the IBF lightweight title in Perth.
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