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Lennox Lewis didn’t trust American judges in the Mike Tyson case – for good reason

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Lennox Lewis wasn’t just preparing to beat Mike Tyson in 2002. He made sure he never experienced the Evander Holyfield situation again.

By the time Lewis and Tyson finally stepped foot in the ring in Memphis, the undisputed heavyweight champion had already learned a painful lesson about leaving his fate in other people’s hands.

Three years earlier, Lewis appeared to out-do Holyfield over twelve rounds at Madison Square Garden. Most observers believe he did enough to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Instead, he walked away with a lopsided draw.

Referee Eugenia Williams somehow scored the fight for Holyfield, creating one of the most controversial scorecards in heavyweight history.

Lewis openly disputed the result.

Rainfall at Holyfield

The injustice was finally righted eight months later when Lewis defeated Holyfield in a rematch and finally secured the undisputed championship.

Even then, the scorecards still raised eyebrows.

Bill Graham scored the fight 117-111 for Lewis. Chuck Giampa had it 116-112. American judge Jerry Roth saw it much closer at 115-113.

This time, Lewis got the decision he deserved, but the contrast between the scorecards only reinforced concerns that had lingered since the first fight.

The Briton had already been burned once, and even when the verdict was finally reached in the rematch, one of the judges still saw the fight much closer than most observers.

Rightly or wrongly, these experiences left a mark. For Lewis and his team, the doubts never completely disappeared.

Opportunities were missed

When Tyson became his next opponent, Lewis entered the biggest fight of his career carrying those experiences with him.

Tyson remained boxing’s biggest attraction. The fight took place in America and millions of dollars were at stake.

Reports at the time indicated that the Lewis camp was pushing for the creation of a panel of judges that would not include U.S. officials.

After what happened in the first Holyfield fight, and after another American referee scored the rematch much closer than most thought, Lewis no longer wanted to leave anything to chance.

Whether viewed as wise caution or lingering distrust, the move showed how deeply the Holyfield story influenced Lewis and those around him.

Tyson never made it to the judges

Ultimately, Lewis never needed the scorecards he was worried about. The champion crushed Tyson via submission in the eighth round.

After years of wondering whether the referees would treat him fairly, Lewis removed them completely from the equation.

When the biggest fight of his career finally came, Lewis made sure Mike Tyson never came close to leaving the outcome in the judges’ hands.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili: Croke Park Undercard Results and Highlights

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Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili: Croke Park Undercard Results and Highlights

World Boxing News provides undercard results and updates as Katie Taylor faces Flora Pili in a historic homecoming at Croke Park in Dublin.

Taylor puts her IBF, IBO and WBO super lightweight titles on the line against undefeated challenger Pili, with the vacant WBC championship also at stake over ten two-minute rounds.

The card also features an all-Irish welterweight clash between Paddy Donovan and Tyrone McKenna, while David Allen faces Thomas Carty in a ten-round heavyweight contest.

WBN provides live results and updates from every bout as they happen, plus selected scorecards.

Scorecards:

Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna
David Allen vs. Thomas Carty
Molly McCann vs. Sylwia Doligala


Results

All times are local.

21:01

David Allen vs Thomas Carty ended in a first-round no contest after a horrible ending at Croke Park. Carty fell out of the ring after being caught by a punch to the back of the head and was unable to continue.

The Irish heavyweight received oxygen at ringside before the bout was officially declared a no contest.

20:16

Paddy Donovan scored a fourth-round TKO victory over Tyrone McKenna after a damaging all-Irish battle. McKenna was dropped by a body shot in the second before suffering a nasty gash over his right eyebrow, forcing the contest to be stopped in round four.

19:46

On the first bout of the main televised card, Taylor Bevan scored a sixth-round knockout over Emmet Brennan, ending their all-Irish super middleweight clash emphatically at Croke Park.

18:50

Molly McCann produced a dominant performance at Croke Park, winning all eight rounds on the WBN scorecard to defeat Sylwia Doligala. The former UFC star controlled the contest throughout to move to 5-0 as a professional boxer.

Official scores were 80-72, 80-73 and 79-73 as the Liverpudlian moves closer to a world title shot.

18:01

Joe McGrail stopped Matthew Boreland to claim a regional title and continue his ranks through the super bantamweight ranks. McGrail is now 14-0.

17:22

Bobbi Flood defeated Jack Swallow in an entertaining four-rounder before an announcement was made about the opening fight between Paul Ryan and Paddy Gallagher.

Initially, Gallagher was named as the victor. However, that result was overturned and Ryan was declared the winner 58-55 on points.

17:03

Heavyweight Adam Olaniyan made brutally short work of Matej Hudak, blasting him out inside the opening round to extend his perfect professional record to 4-0 with four stoppages.


Katie Taylor vs Pili Running Order for Tonight


TV Coverage

The event is available live on DAZN.

Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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Boxing

Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili: Live Results and Updates on the Fight

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Katie Taylor vs Flora Pili: Live Results and Updates on the Fight
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Molly McCann (5-0) defeated Sylwia Doligala (8-3-2) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in their super bantamweight bout. The judges scored the fight 80-72, 80-73, and 79-73. McCann controlled the action from the opening bell with steady pressure, a high work rate, and combinations to the head and body. Doligala remained durable but spent much of the contest moving backward and struggling to establish her offense. The accumulated punches left Doligala with swelling beneath one eye and blood on her vest by the later rounds. McCann completed the eight-round distance comfortably and earned her fifth win since leaving mixed martial arts for professional boxing.

Super bantamweight Joe McGrail (14-0, 7 KOs) stopped Matthew Boreland (7-1) with a left hook to the body in the fifth round of a 10-round scheduled bout. The win earned McGrail the vacant WBA Continental Gold title. Boreland fought competitively from the opening bell and began building momentum as the rounds progressed. McGrail remained composed, worked to the body, and found the decisive opening late in the fifth. His sharp left hook dropped Boreland, who remained down for the referee’s full count. The stoppage gave the 23-year-old Liverpool southpaw his seventh knockout and handed Boreland his first professional defeat.

Paddy Gallagher (17-6-1 entering) was initially announced as the majority decision winner over Paul Ryan (11-2 entering) after six competitive middleweight rounds. The score was given as 58-55 for Gallagher, but later reports stated that the referee’s card had been read incorrectly. The actual score was reported as 58-56 for Ryan, leaving the announced result subject to an official correction. Gallagher applied steady pressure and used his experience to force exchanges throughout the fight. The taller Ryan worked from his southpaw stance, boxing at range and looking to counter the advancing Belfast veteran. There were no knockdowns, and the result remained in question while the fighters’ official records were being updated.

Bobbi Flood (4-0, 2 KOs) defeated Jack Swallow (4-14-1) by unanimous decision over four rounds in a junior middleweight fight. The referee scored the contest 40-36, giving Flood every round. The 21-year-old Dublin native controlled the action from the opening bell with his cleaner and more consistent punching. Flood used his amateur experience to outbox Swallow, who remained durable but offered little effective offense. No knockdowns occurred as Flood continued piling up points without placing himself in unnecessary exchanges. The Croke Park crowd supported the local prospect throughout his comfortable points win.

Heavyweight prospect Adam Olaniyan (4-0, 4 KOs) overwhelmed Matej Hudak (6-3, 6 KOs) for a first-round stoppage on the preliminary card. The aggressive 20-year-old immediately closed the distance, established his jab, and hurt the much heavier Hudak with combinations upstairs.

A sustained flurry sent Hudak to a knee as blood flowed from his nose and face. Referee Emile Tiedt stopped the fight after Hudak covered up without returning fire. Eddie Hearn is extremely high on Olaniyan, who has the raw talent and marketability to become Matchroom’s flagship heavyweight after Anthony Joshua retires.

Taylor vs Pili Start Time and Streaming
Main card: 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
Main event ring walks: Approximately 5:08 p.m. ET / 2:08 p.m. PT
Streaming: DAZN
Irish television: RTÉ
Location: Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland

Taylor-Pili Fight Card

Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili, undisputed light welterweight championship
Dave Allen vs. Thomas Carty, heavyweight
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna, welterweight
Taylor Bevan vs. Emmet Brennan, super middleweight

Live Results

Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili:
Dave Allen vs. Thomas Carty:
Paddy Donovan vs. Tyrone McKenna:
Taylor Bevan vs. Emmet Brennan:

The main-card times and projected ring walks are confirmed by DAZN.

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Boxing

Paddy Donovan vs Tyrone McKenna Fight Scorecard Analysis

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"Paddy Donovan vs Tyrone McKenna Fight Scorecard Analysis"

World Boxing News provides a scorecard as Paddy Donovan faces Tyrone McKenna in an all-Irish welterweight clash at Croke Park in Dublin.

Donovan and McKenna collide over ten rounds on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s farewell fight against Flora Pili.

WBN will score every round live below.


Donovan vs McKenna Scorecard

Round DONOVAN MCKENNA
1 10 9
2 10 8
3 10 9
4 TKO
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total

Officia Result: Donovan WINS TKO4 (stopped on cut)

Donovan vs McKenna

Donovan enters the contest looking to strengthen his position in the welterweight division after building an impressive professional record, while the vastly more experienced McKenna represents a significant test on the biggest stage of the night.

McKenna has shared the ring with several established names during a long professional career and brings the experience of numerous high-profile contests into the all-Irish clash.

For Donovan, victory at Croke Park would represent another important step toward world-level contention. McKenna, however, has the opportunity to upset his fellow Irishman and produce one of the biggest wins of his career in front of a huge Dublin crowd.

The ten-round welterweight contest forms part of the Taylor vs Pili card at Croke Park and is available live on DAZN.

Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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