Belfast boxer Conlan said after Tuesday’s contentious decision that his Olympic dream had “been robbed”.
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According to AIBA, there’s a difference between being inept and corrupt and, following an internal investigation, amateur boxing’s governing body sent home an unnamed group of referees and judges from the Olympic boxing tournament.
AIBA challenged anyone with evidence of deliberate wrongdoing to prove it or face legal action, saying in a statement that it had carried out a “thorough examination by the relevant commission”.
They would not however specify which matches caused concern and added that “In accordance with AIBA rules the result of all the bouts will stand”.
Russian heavyweight Evgeny Tishchenko’s victory over Kazakh champion Vassiliy Levit sparked a wide public outcry over the decision, which rewarded Tishchenko’s retreat over Levit’s power and excitement.
Tishchenko was booed all the way to the podium.
Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin reacts as he won a men’s bantamweight 56-kg quarterfinals boxing match against Ireland’s Michael John Conlan at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.
Nikitin finished the clash with blood streaming from a cut eye and from the side of his head and yesterday Russian official Igor Kazikov confirmed he would not be boxing for a place in the bantamweight decider.
However, there are further twists. Nikitin still received the decision in a hard-fought bout, prompting an outraged Conlan to denounce AIBA and Russian Federation as conspirators in corruption.
The withdrawal did not surprise the USA camp, with coach Billy Walsh quoted on Wednesday evening as saying the Russian’s face was “a mess” from cuts sustained during the Conlan fight and two tough bouts before that.
Irish former boxing judge Seamus Kelly made detailed allegations of AIBA corruption in the Guardian earlier this month. “We welcome all parties to come forward and provide evidence in order to take appropriate and immediate action”. AIBA declined to name the judges or to state the reasons for their dismissal from Rio. Those duties will be handled for the tournament’s final four days by Franco Falcinelli, a vice president of the executive board and the president of the European Boxing Confederation. I saw your fight in Rio and you should have won because you are the best boxer in the world.
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“I haven’t seen it as bad since then”, he said noting that judges can be “very, very subjective”. Although many interpreted it as a reference to Michael O’Reilly’s failed drugs test, but he was actually referring to the Kelly controversy.
