Boxing VAR? Video shows Paddy Gallagher should have been awarded British title win?

There has been plenty of debate surrounding the scoring of Paddy Gallagher’s British and Commonwealth title challenge on Saturday night, but there is a new groundswell of opinion that claims the clash should never have even gone to the judges scorecards.

The fight scheduled for 12 was stopped in the ninth round after a cut over the left eye of British welterweight champion Chris Jenkins was deemed too dangerous for him to be allowed to continue.

Having ruled the cut came from a clash of heads earlier in the fight rather than being opened by a Gallagher punch’ the referee put the result in the judges’ hands.

All three judges scored the fight 86-85, a card that gave Jenkins the win by technical decision.

Post the fight a disgusted Gallagher bemoaned the decision feeling he had won enough of the eight rounds to be handed the win and the British and Commonwealth titles as a result.

The 30-year-old, who was uncharacteristically irate during his post fight interviews, didn’t complain about the manner in which the fight was stopped nor did he mention the fact he felt he opened up the cut.

However, those not part of the massive 10,000 plus crowd that were consuming the fight on BT Sports, were claimed the cut over the left eye came as a result of a solid jab.

A video has since emerged, but while it shows a shot opened the cut over the Welsh fighters right eye it doesn’t offer substantial proof the cut over the left came in the same manner.

There have been suggestions that the BT and ESPN footage will settle the debate with a host revealing the stations showed replays proving Gallagher should have won.

However, the fight has yet to be put up online.

Robbed.

2 clean punches.
No head clashes. pic.twitter.com/NzgldT6izt

— SFFS67 (@ColmBelfast) August 3, 2019

Even if it’s proved Gallagher was hard done by it may only serve to worsen the feeling of injustice. There is precedent where a result has been over turned in similar circumstances.

At the very least, ‘The Pat Man’ would deserve a rematch, but Jenkins has mandatory obligations for both belts and an immediate return would prove difficult to make.

Regardless of the eventual outcome this incident may open a boxing style VAR debate with regard to cuts.