By James Slater – Allan Green, who lost in the 8th-round against the remarkable Glen Johnson this past Saturday, started complaining even as he was laid prostrate on the canvas. Having just taken a right hand to the side of the head as he was leaning down to one side, Green was left in no condition to fight on against Johnson, but he still had the wherewithal to complain to referee Robert Byrd.
No too much was thought about Green’s protest at the time of “The Road Warrior’s” win, but now it has been announced how team-Green will take the protesting much further – all the way to The Nevada State Athletic Commission..
It has been officially announced how Green and his attorney Josh Dubin will appeal for the result to be overturned. Green says he beat the referee’s count, and that the punch that put him down in the first place was an illegal rabbit punch.
“A review of the fight makes it clear that the blow which put Mr. Green to the canvas and led to Mr. Byrd stopping the fight was a rabbit blow,” Dubin is quoted as saying by SI.com. “There is absolutely no point in having the rules in the first place if they are not going to be enforced. Now it’s just a matter of asking the Nevada State Athletic Commission to apply its own rules. I have full confidence the Commission will do that.”
So what kind of a case does Green have? Many people have already pointed out how it was Green who was LEANING OVER, leaving the side of his head wide open at the time of the fight-ending punch, therefore wasn’t it Green’s own fault he was hit there? And as for him beating the count, surely that means nothing if the referee deemed him unfit to box on. Imagine if Byrd had allowed the disorientated Green to continue, and then the fighter was badly hurt. We’d all be witness to a far bigger mess than we are now!
Still, Dubin has in the past won cases of this kind. Back in August of 2009, the attorney was hired by Nate Campbell’s team, who wanted Campbell’s stoppage loss to Tim Bradley overturned. Dubin, as records show, won that one – will he now succeed in having Johnson’s stoppage win demoted to a No-Contest also?
If this does happen it will be unclear what happens with regards to the “Super Six” scoring. Johnson was awarded three points for the win, and he earned a fight in the semi-finals, against the winner of Nov. 27th’s Carl Froch-Arthur Abraham clash. Does Johnson now face losing his three points?
As for Green, Saturday’s loss put him out of the tournament; will he stay in if he wins his appeal?
What we can all agree on is the fact that this latest episode is yet more bad press for the beleaguered “Super Six.”