WORLD Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman has ordered an immediate review of the hugely controversial split-decision victory of Australia-based Tanzanian Omari Kimweri over Filipino southpaw Randy “Razor” Petalcorin at the Melbourne Pavilion on Friday night.
The decision, aggravated by the failure of referee Malcom Bulner to call four knockdowns by Petalcorin, shocked those watching the fight on live streaming in the Philippines, including some of the leading TV commentators and boxing writers.
Co-managers Jim Claude Manangquil and multi-titled Australian promoter Peter Maniatis expressed their “shock and disgust” over the decision, with highlights of the fight for the vacant WBC Silver title showing the knockdowns, which Bulner unbelievably failed to count.
This cost Petalcorin the fight after he relinquished his WBA light flyweight Interim title to fight Kimweri for the WBC Green and Gold Silver belt.
This reporter communicated with WBC president Sulaiman, who acted promptly and ordered a review, while waiting for copy of the fight, which Maniatis told The Standard he would send to the WBC president, along with a formal protest.
In an overseas conversation early Sunday, Maniatis said he would ask for a reversal of the decision and if that is not granted, at least a rematch promoted by someone neutral party and not the manager of Kimweri, who, “violated the provisions of the Muhammad Ali Act” by appointing Bulner and all three Australian judges, including Bulner’s wife Samantha, who also scored the fight for Kimweri.
Maniatis and Manangquil said it was “horrible for boxing.”
“This is killing the sport that we love and also hurts the boxers who work hard,” said Maniatis, pointing out that Petalcorin had trained in sweltering 42-degree heat in the Philippines before leaving for Melbourne.
Maniatis said that Petalcorin has recovered from the painful decision after they enjoyed some ice cream together and went fishing Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, Australian world champion and Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech has promised to personally contact the World Boxing Council regarding the four knockdowns scored by former WBA Interim light flyweight champion Randy “Razor” Petalcorin against Omari Kimweri in a clash for the vacant WBC Silver title last April 15 at the Melbourne Pavilionf.
Fenech told co-promoter Peter Maniatis he had watched the missed knockdowns and indicated he supports justice even it it was a visiting boxer like Petalcorin from the Philippines.
In a formal letter to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, Maniatis said “Team Petalcorin is humbly protesting the missed four knockdowns in the fight which the referee (Malcolm Bulner) missed and if he did score (the knockdowns) would have altered the scorecards for a wide margin victory for Petalcorin and not a split decision loss.”
He asked that the decision be reversed and the decision awarded to Petalcorin.
The well-known Aussie promoter who was voted WBC Asia “Promoter of the Year foer 2013 and also 2014” and had promoted female WBC middleweight champion Wang Ya Nan in Melbourne in 2009 said “I feel a strong connection to the WBC and that is why I advised Petalcorin to vacate his current WBA title to cross to the WBC family.”
Maniatis informed Sulaiman that he was “not aware of the officials until a few days before the title fight” and that referee Bulner and all three judges were from Melbourne, Australia, the hometown of Omari Kimwerei” while Petalcorin was a visitor from General Santos City in the Philippines.