After reviewing the performance of the referee for Saturday’s 12-round non-title heavyweight clash between Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora, the British Boxing Board of Control will take no further action.
Mark Bates, who has refereed 807 bouts since 2017, came under fire from split-decision winner Wilder, Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel, and multiple voices on social media, for his apparent failure to retain control of a chaotic contest staged at London’s O2 Arena.
The controversy began at the end of the opening round when the two grappling heavyweights refused to be prized apart. They tumbled into the ropes with Bates in tow before one of Chisora’s trainers, Alexis Demetriades, entered the ring in an effort to assist. Though he left quickly, he was subsequently warned by Robert Smith, the BBBoC general secretary who was ringside, for his actions.
According to Smith, there is no rule within the BBBoC that prohibits trainers from entering the ring, unlike certain commissions and sanctioning bodies in America. “That’s not to say the referee can’t use their discretion and issue a disqualification,” Smith explained to BoxingScene. “And boxers have been disqualified under similar circumstances, albeit when the trainer interferes with the fight or they enter the ring more than once. But on this occasion, the referee used his discretion, understood it was right at the beginning of the fight and, aside from the trainer being warned, no action was taken. We accept that.”
Another incident, which came in the eighth round, saw Chisora tumble through the ropes and appear to be helped up by a member of his team. Smith, who was sat near the fall, did not immediately conclude that Chisora was assisted in his rise.
“I thought [Chisora] was held but, watching it in real time, I did not believe he was helped up. Certainly, he was instinctively stopped from falling onto the television monitors. I’m not saying I’m wrong or right, but it is important to remember that the referee does not get to see multiple replays from multiple angles. He has a split second to make a decision based on what he can see.”
The other incident that drew significant irk was when Chisora, complaining about pain in his eye, seemed to instigate his own timeout. “The referee explained that it all happened exceptionally quickly, and he briefly intervened because he initially didn’t understand what Chisora was saying to him.”
Though Bates’ performance triggered opinions aplenty on social media, and Smith himself was spoken to by Finkel on the night, no official complaints were filed to the BBBoC.
Should the Board have found Bates’ performance to have been problematic, the official would have been called to explain his actions. If his explanation was not satisfactory, then action would have been taken.
“During my time, numerous officials have been called before the Board to explain,” Smith added. “We have withdrawn licences or downgraded officials. On this occasion, however, the Board did not believe any further action was necessary and were satisfied that he refereed a messy fight in an honest manner.”
