McDonagh shocked as IBU deliver knock-out blow on purse

PETER McDONAGH’s joy at shocking raging favourite Michael Gomez for boxing’s Irish lightweight title quickly evaporated yesterday after the Irish Boxing Union announced it was withholding his purse pending an investigation into allegations that the fight had been rigged.

The claim followed alleged betting irregularities on Saturday’s National Stadium bout. A spokesman for Boyle Sports said that they had suspended betting on the fight on Saturday afternoon following unusual betting patterns.

It’s understood a lot of money was laid at odds of 125/1 that McDonagh would stop his man in the fifth round - so much so that the price dropped to 18/1 before betting was suspended. The fight did end dramatically in the fifth round when Gomez turned his back on his opponent and walked to his corner. That was after he had been floored by a left hook to the body, followed by a right to the head.