Former professional boxing WBA/IBF world super bantamweight champion Murojon Ahmadaliev (Uzbekistan, 28) camp expressed dissatisfaction with the scoring of the world fight held on April 9, 2023 and demanded an immediate rematch. The US boxing media “Boxing Scene” reported on April 12.
-
Akhmadaliev (Photo: Aflo)
It was Naoya Inoue’s target, but…
Ahmadaliev competed in the World Championships held in Texas, USA on April 9, losing to challenger Marlon Tapales (Philippines, 31) by 1-2 decision. Two judges favored Tapares by two points, 115-113, with one judge giving Akhmadaliev the win, 118-110.
The match between the southpaws, who both boast strong hits, was a close battle from the beginning. As the back-and-forth offense and defense continued, Akhmadaliev went on the offensive in the final stages, but fell short and suffered his first loss as a professional. On the other hand, Tapares has achieved the world’s second class domination following the bantamweight.
For Ahmadaliev, this match was a step towards a big match with former world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (Ohashi, 29).
Inoue, who has switched to super bantamweight, will challenge WBC/WBO world super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton (USA, 28) on July 25 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. For Inoue, who is aiming to unify the four groups in the super bantamweight division, the champion of the opposing group was a candidate for a match, and Akhmadaliev was a strong candidate.
“This grading is unacceptable”
Akhmadaliev did not hide the shock of the loss, saying, “I feel like my life is over,” and manager Vadim Kornilov was furious with the scoring and demanded a direct rematch from the WBA and IBF.
“This grading is unacceptable. Ahmadaliev has devoted his life to boxing,” said an angry Kornilov. “We believe an immediate rematch should be ordered.”
According to the media, WBA world light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (Russia, 32), who is close to Akhmadaliev, commented, “Frankly, this grading is shameful and very harmful to the sport of boxing.” It is said that
Ahmadaliev participated in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and won a bronze medal in the bantamweight division. He made his professional debut in 2018 and won the WBA/IBF world super bantamweight title in January 2020 in his eighth professional fight. His fourth unsuccessful title defense took him to 11 wins (8 KOs) and 1 loss.