If you did not catch the ShoBox series on Showtime tonight you missed out on a very climatic fight. Librado Andrade went to the hometown of the undefeated champion Lucian Bute to try to take his title.
During the early part of the fight and towards the later rounds Bute was able to stick and move and box well landing cleanly on the durable and tough Mexican Fighter Librado Andrade.
The Hometown advantage was in full effect and it was terribly biased throughout the fight. Referee Marlon B. Wright was in total favor of the Canadian Champion Lucian Bute even counting a slip by Andrade as a knockdown for Bute.
Behind on the cards, Andrade still fighting and moving forward with all his heart was able to land some shots in the 11th round hurting Bute, Librado went to his stool at the end of the 11th round knowing he needed a Knockout to win. At the start of the 12th round Librado pressed on forward and during the last few seconds of the round Andrade hurt Bute who was wobbling out on his feet all over the ring and knocked him down at the end of the final round it was clear Bute was out cold.
Now the travesty ensues the Ref Marlon B. Wright gave one of the longest counts in boxing history it was more like a 20 second count then a 10 count,Bute gets up still groggy and the ref gives him a standing 8 and the fight goes to the cards. The ref blamed Andrade for the delayed count saying the fighter did not go to the neutral corner when he told Andrade to go there. It was obvious Andrade was in the corner already and the ref was giving Bute recovery time by arguing with Andrade while Bute was slumped on the canvas. Since the fighter cannot be saved by the bell he must be given a mandatory count even when the bell rings and the round is over. Now if the Ref counted fairly Bute would of been counted out and we would of had a new champion, but the Decision went to Bute in one of the worst recent controversial hometown robberies in Boxing I have seen.
It made me sick to my stomach when Andrade got denied a classic dramatic come from behind victory KO at the very end of the 12th and final round. Even though Andrade was losing the fight he never stopped coming forward in his usual fashion. His Miraculous storybook ending should of happen that night but Andrade was denied of his sweet reward by hometown biased ref Marlon B. Wright.
Sidenote: Andrade’s Corner man Howard Grant started shoving the Ref at the end of the fight but Andrade held his corner man back and told him it is okay. Andrade after being unjustly robbed showed class,civility and restraint by calming the situation down, he was even hugging Bute and giving his corner hugs before the decision was announced showing his sportsmanlike respect. Andrade is a class act and a great ambassador for the sport.
