Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz boxed to a highly contentious draw on Saturday night.
Most felt WBC middleweight champion Adames had done more than enough to win but the judges couldn’t separate the two fighters.
Mark Robinson / Matchroom BoxingAdames got the better of the action but the judges scored it a draw[/caption]
One judge had it 115-114 for Sheeraz, another scored it 118-110 for Adames while a third had it even at 114-114.
The scorecards received an angry response from fans who flooded to social media to protest the decision.
One wrote: “OMG I’m sorry but Sheeraz got wasted here that’s a robbery can’t be a draw for s***.”
Another tweeted: “F*** right off!!!! No way a split draw. Sheeraz lost by about 6 rounds. Jesus.”
A third added: “What a f***** scandal – Hamzah Sheeraz split draw??”
Meanwhile, somebody else posted: “Adames has been robbed.”
There was a similar reaction on the talkSPORT commentary desk, which had Adames well ahead.
Former WBA featherweight champion Barry McGuigan, who was acting as a pundit for the night for talkSPORT, said: “That is just crazy.
“115-114 to Hamzah Sheeraz. How in the Mother of God did he come to that?
“How can the other guy have had it even?
“Sit down and explain it to me because you win fights by being aggressive and landing punches, not by sitting there and getting hit by combinations.
“That score is bonkers.”
Sheeraz boxed well on the back foot early doors, picking off Adames with sharp straight shots as the Dominican lunged in.
However, as the fight wore on, the Brit began to hold his feet, allowing Adames to turn the tides.
The champion snapped back Sheeraz’s head with several big right hands and outlanded him over the distance.
In total, Adames found a home for 90 power punches to Sheeraz’s 48 but the judges scored it a split draw.
As a result, Adames retains his belt while a rematch is expected to follow.
Sheeraz appeared to pick up a broken hand during the fight.
