Boxing chiefs probe Gomez gamble
Boxing Union of Ireland President Mel Christle confirmed that purses for the two fighters have been withheld due to the manner of the fifth-round stoppage when former British champion Gomez was stopped after turning his back on McDonagh.
Amid reports that at least one bookmaker in Dublin suspended betting on the Irish title fight on Saturday afternoon, the BUI have begun an investigation.
But Peters, who promoted the fight, launched a defence of the bout last night.
“I don’t think there was anything suspicious or untoward in Saturday night’s fight - and I am confident that this will be proven in the investigation by the Boxing Union. They will talk to the referee, both fighters, myself and watch footage and I think that this will show that nothing wrong happened.”
However former world champion Steve Collins claimed that the finish was highly irregular.
He told RTE: “I smell a rat, something’s not right here.”
But Peters countered: “I respect the man to make his opinion and he is entitled to that opinion. But I disagree with him completely.”
He added: “Gomez told me today (Sunday) that he felt like crap, found himself in a war with Peter McDonagh and he said enough was enough and quit. This kind of thing is in Gomez’s character - it would be in his make up to decide to retire in the ring, in the middle of a championship fight. He can be an unstable character.”
It would not be the first time a fighter has quit in the ring. Panamanian boxer, Roberto Duran, is one of only four fighters to hold four different world titles- lightweight (1972-79), welterweight (1980), junior middleweight (1983) and middleweight (1989-90) yet he is most famous for his “No Mas” welterweight title bout in 1980 when he quit in eighth round against Sugar Ray Leonard.
In more recent times, Oliver McCall began to sob profusely in a WBC heavyweight championship bout in 1997 with Lennox Lewis. The English man was subsequently awarded a fifth-round technical knockout.
Peters said he felt for victor McDonagh, whose win appears to be devalued by the controversy.
“Peter is just a bit disgusted that everything is taking away from his victory. He thinks that he simply broke Gomez’s heart.”
But Boxing Union chiefs are adamant that a detailed investigation of all aspects of Saturday night’s fight will be undertaken as a matter of urgency.
Christle said: “I have instructed that the purses be withheld until we have carried out our investigation. The manner of the stoppage gave me great concern so we have look into this matter and hopefully over the next week the issue can be resolved.
“I have asked for a report from our medical team at ringside and the medical officer who did the post-fight medical. It’s a serious matter which we must investigate.”
McDonagh, with bruising around both eyes, said: “Look at my face, do I look like someone who has just been in a fixed fight? The problem is that people just still can’t believe what I’ve done. Nobody expected me to beat Michael Gomez.
“The fact is that I caught him with a great shot to the body and that just took everything out of him and then I caught him to the head and when the referee stopped it he didn’t know where he was.”
McDonagh, who has more defeats that victories, put his victory down to the help of Uri Geller, who was at ringside to witness the upset.
“He’s a special man,” he added. “He made me believe in myself. Now we’ll see where my career can go from here but I just hope that people will believe it when I knock more people out.”
Boylesports spokesman Paul Magee said the firm suspended betting on Saturday - but have pledged to pay out on a fifth-round victory by McDonagh. He revealed that more money was placed on the fight ending in the eight round, than in the fifth.
Said Magee: “We’ve paid out on the people who had him at 125/1 and there was a good few. I’m not at liberty to say the exact amount but it was in the thousands.
“When we cut the odds to 25/1 for a specific round finish we noticed a lot of interest and some big bets. We are not saying anything untoward happened but with the amounts coming in, the traders decided to suspend betting. Such a decision is not unusual and often happens in sports like snooker when people are betting on games to end in specific frames.”
He reported few bets on McDonagh to win the bout at 6/1.
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