By Mark Vester
Promoter Dino Duva is not pleased with the WBC's recent decision for an immediate rematch between heavyweight contenders James "Lights Out" Toney, and Samuel "Nigerian Nightmare" Peter. The winner receives a shot at WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev.
He tells the LA Times that a rematch is not needed, and it's unfair to his fighter Samuel Peter, who earned a title shot by beating Toney. The two fighters battled on September. 2 at Staples Center, which Peter won by way of a controversial split decision. The scores were two identical 116-111 cards for Peter, and one judge saw it 115-112 for Toney.
"I honestly do not believe a rematch is justified. I think it would be basically saying, `We don't care what the judges say anymore.' It is not fair to make Sam fight him now when he earned the right to fight for the title first," Duva said.
Toney's promoter Dan Goossen does not agree with Duva, and thinks that a rematch is needed to settle the issue on who won the fight, and to correct what he feels was an injustice to Toney and the boxing public.
"I believe it was an injustice to James, not intentonally, but certainly one that didn't seem fair with the final decision. This is what we need in our industry, to get rid of controversy and do the right thing," Goossen said.
