“Like the Ref Isn’t Next to the Fighters”: After Witnessing It for the First Time on Canelo vs. Ryder Undercard Title Fight, Fans Skeptical About VAR Review in Boxing

At long last, both Canelo Alvarez and John Ryder will have an opportunity to showcase their skills in the boxing ring. The arena is filled with eager fans awaiting the Mexican champion’s triumphant return home after nearly 12 years. The preliminary fights leading up to the main event have not disappointed thus far. While the judges’ scoring of Gabriel Gollaz vs Steve Spark’s match left some fans perplexed, the fight between Julio Cesar Martinez and Ronal Batista ended before it even reached the final round. No suspicions of foul play were raised.

The fight was for the WBC flyweight championship. Martinez was initially dominated by Ronal Batista during their fight. Batista was able to back Martinez into the ropes and then land body shots. Though both fighters landed some hard shots throughout the fight, Martinez showed his versatility by switching to a southpaw stance and hitting Batista with hard shots of his own. He eventually emerged victorious in the 11th round, stopping Batista with a flurry of power punches that prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Martinez was able to get back into the fight after he dropped Batista in the seventh round. This is where the controversial moment took place. When Martinez clearly knocked down Batista, the referee decided otherwise, however, after a VAR review, he overturned the decision. The fight also had other gray areas, such as the two times when Martinez hit Batista even after the bell had rung after the rounds ended. He did so out of frustration in the initial rounds and even lost a point for it. Boxing fans shared their reactions after the fight had ended with the referee awarding the victory to Martinez via TKO.

Fans share their reaction to VAR review during Canelo Alvarez-John Ryder undercard fight

After witnessing the Canelo vs. Ryder undercard title fight, fans are skeptical about the use of VAR review in boxing. In particular, the decision to award a knockdown to Martinez over Batista after a slip call by the referee caused controversy. Fans took to social media to express their reactions to the decision.

Joe likened the fight to the ‘first instance of boxing’s version of VAR’. He questioned the need for “closer review” when the referee is supposed to be close to the fighters.

Joy Boyz NFT – MINT DATE TBA questioned the WBC’s decision to overturn the slip call and rule it as a knockdown. He wanted to know how Batista felt about this.

Julius Julianis pointed out an incident where Batista’s mouthpiece got knocked out of the ring and apparently landed straight near the commentators (Translated from Spanish).

Adrian Sarabia saw the fight as a gray one but was impressed by Martinez’s eleventh-round knockout of Batista.

William Lynch 2nd was amazed to see Batista go into the ‘championship rounds’. He thought that Martinez’s performance raised questions and was not a good look, even with the stoppage.

MachoBorracho believed that the referee made the right call as Batista was not defending himself and was done.

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In conclusion, fans are divided on the decision to award  Martinez a knockdown after a slip call. Some believe that the referee made the right call, while others question the fairness of the match.

Read More: “If John Ryder Beats Me, I’m Done” – Canelo Alvarez