Over the weekend in London (England), local WBA World heavyweight belt holder Daniel Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) almost ran into ex-cruiser Kevin Leren (28-2, 14 KOs) from South Africa ahead of schedule as a clear favorite.
In the opening round, the challenger hooked the champion, and he ended up on the floor. Presumably, the Briton injured his leg in that episode – he took his knee twice more. Gong rescued Dubois. But it sounded 9 seconds earlier than expected.
The champion recovered and seized the initiative in the 3rd three-minute period. In the last seconds, he shocked the African and sent him into a heavy knockdown. This time the referee missed the gong – the decisive blow was delivered after the signal about the end of the three-minute period, that is, it was illegal. Interestingly, the third in the ring did not allow the challenger to recover – he immediately fixed the victory of the champion by technical knockout.
Funny moment: the outdated rule of three knockdowns remained in the WBA rules. That is, Lerena could count on winning after Dubois took the knee for the third time. But it is hardly worth betting on this particular point – the duel regulator British Boxing Council (BBBC) this rule is not followed.
Lerena’s promoter Rodney Berman (Golden Gloves Promotion) stated that he would file a lawsuit with the WBA and the BBC. But it seems that the businessman does not want to sue organizations – he is dissatisfied with the actions of the referee, considers them biased.
With a high degree of probability, he will be able to negotiate an immediate rematch for his fighter. If you are very lucky, the result of the fight can be changed to “failed”. However, on the sidelines they do not believe in it.
A little earlier, Daniel’s coach said that Dubois is the first in line for Usyk.
