British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles: Paddy Gallagher lost to Chris Jenkins pts
THE sourest note of the night by a distance. There were a lot of close rounds but Gallagher had dropped British champion Jenkins at the end of the sixth round and looked to have done enough to have his nose in front when referee Howard Foster called a halt because of a cut over Jenkins’ right eye.
There was controversy there too because the cut looked to have been opened by a Gallagher punch, not a clash of heads and if that was the case it shouldn’t have gone to the judges.
“What’s a man to do?” asked despairing Gallagher afterwards. He fought his heart out but once again didn’t get the decision.
“I put him down, I put the pressure on, I had him cut, he was scared of me,” said Gallagher.
“What am I to do? It was a British and Commonwealth title shot in my home town and it meant so much to me. I’m just absolutely raging.
“I knew it was close when it went to the scorecards but I put him down. I won that round by two and it went nine rounds so I only had to win another three and there is no way I didn’t win at least another three rounds there. I think I won another four but here I am, standing here, with no belt and he’s running around with two around him after getting put down and getting his face opened up like a fish.
“I’m standing here empty-handed.”
Gallagher was busy and accurate, finishing the round with Caneloesque left hook to edge it and jabbing, cutting the ring off and keeping Jenkins where he wanted him, keeping the pressure on.
The Welshman’s right eye was busted at the end of the sixth and Gallagher trapped him in his own and sent him down with another clubbing right hand.
Referee Howard Foster had the ringside doctor take a look at the cut during the eighth round and waved it off midway through the ninth, announcing that it would go to scorecards because, in his view, the cut had been opened because of a headclash. There were howls of protest when it was announced that Jenkins – who apparently didn’t expect to get the decision himself – was announced an 87-86 winner.
Gallagher, who was come close before and deserves a break. When the dust settles he’ll realise that he came within a whisker of winning the British title and he should work on his fitness and come back better for another try. However, on Saturday he was distraught and angry.
“It’s the same as when I was in America,” he said, referring to the decision he lost against Brad Solomon who he also dropped.
“What’s the point of scoring points? What is the point? I put him down there and now I’m standing here with nothing.”
