Paulie Malignaggi has defended boxing referee Mark Nelson after he was criticised for his performance in Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Tyson Fury on Saturday night.
Fury and Usyk played out a classic in Saudi Arabia, with the Ukrainian winning via split decision.
There was controversy, however, with some fans feeling Usyk was denied a knockout.
In the ninth round, the 37-year-old wobbled Fury – who clung onto the ropes in a bid to stay on his feet.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk referee Mark Nelson has been defended after he stopped the fight on Saturday night
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Referee Nelson briefly halted proceedings, preventing Usyk from landing a decisive blow.
He has since faced a backlash, with David Haye expressing a belief it wouldn’t have happened if the roles of the two fighters were reversed.
Yet Malignaggi, speaking to ProBox TV, thinks criticism of Nelson is unfair.
And he also believes the boxing referee made the right decision, insisting other referees have been doing it wrong.
“David Haye actually mentioned this and said ‘if Usyk (taking all those punches) that fight gets stopped.’
“Possibly, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right decision.
“There’s more emotion there because the bigger guy is planting you onto the ropes and hitting you with those unanswered punches and the optics of it might look worse.
“Honestly, it doesn’t mean that it would’ve been the right decision.
“Also, a couple of things I’m going to keep in mind.
“Tyson Fury has this reputation for not going away even when you think he’s going away.
“Keep in mind the first Deontay Wilder fight when he looks like he’s gone and instead he gets up beats that count.
“So, you have that situation and certain guys can referee different.”
He continued: “Plus, the rule is if the ropes hold you up, it’s a knockdown, not a knockout.
“Just because a lot of referees in the emotion of the moment make the wrong call and stop those fights, doesn’t mean that Mark Nelson should now be criticised for setting the correct precedent.
“Why are we criticising Mark Nelson, who did what other referees have done wrong?
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Tyson Fury was wobbled by Oleksandr Usyk during their boxing match on Saturday
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“They’re the ones who are wrong, guys.
“Mark Nelson did the right thing by not stopping the fight and counting Tyson Fury out.”
As for Haye, the former boxing star said Fury was ‘all over the place’ as Usyk landed blow after blow in the Middle East.
“First and foremost, the fight should have got stopped in the ninth round,” he told TNT Sports.
“I don’t know why the referee gave a count.
Tyson Fury saw his unbeaten record ruthlessly ended by Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday
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“I understand they say if the ropes are keeping you up, that means if anybody is on the ropes getting hit the referee should jump in and give you a count.
“I thought the ref should have let him either finish him off or stop the fight. It seemed like a fair and square stoppage from my point of view.
“He was all over the place, he falls over. If it was around the other way, if Tyson Fury was doing this to Usyk the referee would have probably stopped it.
“But for some reason the referee gave him a count and gave him a long 20-second count.
“The referee stopped him from finishing his opportunity. Everybody at ringside was really upset at the referee.”