CHAGUANAS, Trinidad, CMC – Local boxing officials are investigating a shocking performance by judges that resulted in local fighter Ria Ramnarine claiming victory over Venezuela’s Ana Fernandez in a regional women’s flyweight title fight on Friday night.
Fernandez totally dominated Ramnarine but the judges stunned the crowd when a split decision victory for Ramnarine was announced at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Complex.
Local fans attended the card to back their local star but ended the night pouring out their full support for the Venezuelan while expressing outrage at the judges’ scoring.
Two judges, Trinidad & Tobago’s George St Aude and Guyana’s Eion Jardine appallingly scored the bout for Ramnarine 87-86 and 87-85 respectively.
The third judge, Guyanese Trevor Arno, was the only judge scoring in favour of Fernandez, 87-85.
The bout had been prematurely stopped at the end of the ninth round because of an accidental head butt that damaged Ramnarine’s eye. She complained of blurred vision and in accordance with boxing rules, the bout was decided on the points at the time of the stoppage.
The two met for the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim mini-flyweight and Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) title, sanctioned by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Dr Calvin Inalsingh, the WBA supervisor, has launched an immediate investigation into the judging and has openly declared his astonishment at the scoring that favoured the local boxer.
The Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC) Member and Bout Supervisor Franchot Moore did not agree with the points win for Ramnarine.
“I am very disappointed with the judging,” Moore told CMC Sport.
Moore, also a former professional judge, expressed embarrassment over the scoring and declared he is totally against the approach suggesting home fighters should be favoured.
“We have to get away from this type of judging,” Moore said.
“This thing about when a foreigner comes here that we have this thing about keeping it (the title) here in the Caribbean has to stop,” he added.
Also on the card, Sean Corbin stopped Theo King inside three rounds of their all-Guyana light heavyweight bout, Kevin Placide beat Ian Blue on a sixth-round technical knockout, and T&T’s Wendy Allen beat Guyana’s Mandessa Moses on a unanimous points decision.
