McComb suffers controversial defeat to former World Champ

Sean McComb bowed out at the quarter-finals stage of the World Championship on a split decision despite a big performance against Azerbaijan’s 2007 AIBA World Elite champion Albert Selimov.

Selimov, who claimed his world gold for Russia, earned a 29-28,29-28, 27-30 verdict, with one judge giving McComb all three rounds of the battle of the southpaws.

Selimov, who has qualified for Rio 2016 through the World Series of Boxing, edged, according to two judges, the first and second rounds of an extremely cagey and tactical contest.

The Azeri did find the target with a solid right near the end of the first, but otherwise, it was McComb who made contact with the majority of the shots in the opening two stanzas, the  Ulster leftie walking back to his corner after each frame with his hand raised to indicate he felt he’d won each round.

The Irish Elite champion took the initiative in the final frame. The pick of his shots was an uppercut which rocked Selimov, but the decision went to the No. 3 seed.