The camp of Murodjon Akhmadaliev wants the World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation — and even the Texas Boxing Commission — to force Marlon Tapales to face the fallen Uzbek in an immediate rematch.
Vadim Kornilov, who manages Akhmadaliev, came out smoking yesterday in a statement, threatening to “take action on this and protest the decision with both the WBA and IBF, as well as the Texas Boxing Commission.”
“This is just not something that is acceptable. Murodjon has dedicated his entire life to the sport, he’s built a very successful career in the United States as a professional boxer, far away from his homeland, he became a unified world champion and has made three defenses of his titles with two of them being mandatory challengers ordered by the WBA and the IBF.”
Tapales was awarded a 12-round split decision last Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, with Javier Alvarez of Texas awarding the fight to Akhmadaliev, 118-110, while Sergio Caiz Jr. of California and Jose Roberto Torres of Puerto Rico both scoring it 115-113 for Tapales.
“We cannot let things like this happen in the sport and just act like it’s okay, or that is mere incompetence or someone’s subjective view of the fight,” Kornilov added.
But it was Akhmadaliev himself who sustained the worst emotional hurt over his unsuccessful fourth defense.
“I came into the dressing room and I felt like I was dead, my body was still moving, but I knew my life was over, everything I worked for my entire life was now over,” he said.
“I did take a couple of big shots in the first couple of rounds, but I felt like I recovered well and was taking the fight to him from round four on. After watching the fight at home now, I am seeing why my team was so supportive, I do not believe that he did enough to win this fight and take my hard-earned titles away from me!”
The loss was the first in the pros for Akhmadaliev, who dropped to 11-1-0 with eight knockouts.
“I’ve worked hard my entire life to get to this point of being a world champion and on the way to an undisputed world title fight; it’s just very hard to fathom that everything was taken from me in one night, and they didn’t deserve it.”
Kornilov insists there is just one way to settle the issue once and for all.
“We believe that there should be an immediate rematch ordered, and if Tapales won this fight by split decision the first time, now being the champion, he and his team will only have more confidence and all the ‘champion’s perks’ on their side to get a unanimous decision in the rematch,” Kornilov added.
