By Michael Rosenthal
LOS ANGELES – Tyson Fury kept saying “it is what it is” but “it” bothered him a great deal the morning after his draw with Deontay Wilder.
Fury, his face bruised but his confidence soaring, believes wholeheartedly that he did enough to beat the WBC titleholder even though he down twice Saturday night at a packed Staples Center. Many experts and outraged fans agree with him.
Two judges didn’t, which was the object of Fury’s scorn.
Judge Alejandro Rochin of the U.S. scored the fight 115-111 in Wilder’s favor, meaning he gave the titleholder seven of the 12 rounds. Phil Edwards of the U.K. had it 113-113, seven rounds for Fury. The third judge, Robert Tapper of Canada gave Fury the edge 114-112, eight rounds for Fury.
Fury and his handlers directed great scorn toward Rochin but also were critical of their countryman Edwards.
“Well, to be honest with you, I’ve never seen a worse decision in my life,” Fury said at a Sunday morning news conference at a downtown hotel. “I don’t know what the judges were watching. The guy who had it 115-111 had me losing the first six rounds (actually, the first four). I don’t know what he was watching. But it’s boxing. It’s not the first time this has happened. I think that was the worst decision since the first Lennox Lewis-[Evander] Holyfield fight.”
“… Stuff like this gives boxing a bad name. All the media today is reporting nonstop that it’s a controversy. Time and time again we see it.”
And in regard to Rochin, he added: “If I didn’t get knocked down twice in the fight, on one of the judge’s scorecards, I still would’ve lost. He needs to be banned from boxing because he can’t judge clearly.”
Fury also has called on the British Boxing Board of Control to review Edwards’ scoring.
“What disappoints me was the British judge,” he said at the news conference immediately after the fight. “I don’t know what fight he was watching. … I think the British Boxing Board of Control should have a word with him.”
Fury, clearly frustrated, still had the demeanor of a happy man on Sunday morning.
The Gypsy King had demonstrated that he was winning the battle against his personal demons, that he could compete against one of the two top heavyweights in spite of his long hiatus from boxing and that he was capable of putting on an entertaining show.
He seemed as content as he could be under the circumstances.
Said Fury: “I’m not going to let the decision take away from how good the fight was.”
