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via Reuters

via Reuters

There is no denying that the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch will be a cherishable fight for the fans. And, an equally scintillating undercard would have been a cherry on the top. However, the undercard fight featuring Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera was marred by controversy.

Jack faced Rivera at the King Abdullah Sports Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. And, it seemed certain right from the start that Rivera was in control. Jack, on the other hand, was able to land a few significant shots.

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But the entire scenario changed in the eighth round. The ‘4 minute round’ saw Rivera at the receiving end of a merciless volley of punches from Jack. Moreover, at the end of ten rounds, Jack was declared the winner by decision.

Read More: Badou Jack vs. Richard Rivera Stats: Age, Height, Weight, Reach, Net Worth, Record, and More

Notably, the timekeeper had erroneously stretched the eighth round to 3 minutes and 58 seconds instead of the regular 3 minutes.

Fans hate the Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera showdown’s timekeeper

Fans were outraged by the timekeeper’s blunder victory and Badou Jack’s victory as well. In fact, many fans took to social media to voice their concerns about the controversial fiasco.

User @nick_is_solid was quick to disregard Jack’s victory. Moreover, the user mentioned that all bets on Rivera should be voided.

Similarly, user @EmDePen1 also felt that Jack was not the real victor of the fight. And, the user even stated that Rivera ‘won that fight by a country mile’.

User @Joey_CFC also mentioned that Rivera was robbed of his victory.

Moreover, per CompuBox data, Jack took advantage of the spuriously given 58 seconds.

On the other hand, user @JackSan18993396 felt that the bout was a disgrace to fair competition and to the sport of boxing in general. In fact, the user even went on to accuse the organizers of corruption.

Similarly, user @leekern14 also felt that the fight was fixed. The user even mentioned that his doubts were cemented once he heard the judges’ decision.

Many users were quick to question the timekeeper’s mistake. Moreover, user @maq10 even mentioned that the timekeeper should be fired for letting a round stretch that long.

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However, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Rivera. While he may have lost the fight, he gained the respect of fans. In fact, user @Theosis28 even mentioned that Rivera ‘gained a new fan’.

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WATCH THIS STORY – 7 Things Anthony Joshua Can’t Live Without

What do you think of Jack’s victory? Let us know in the comments below.