‘He let Usyk grab and hold Fury too much… Usyk was able to out-muscle a guy who is a natural heavyweight’
Former two-weight world champion David Haye has criticized referee Mark Nelson for his performance in the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight title fight.
Usyk defeated Fury via split decision in Saudi Arabia on Sunday night to retain his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles. However, Haye believes that Nelson allowed Usyk to use excessive clinching and holding, which gave the Ukrainian an unfair advantage.
I thought the referee let Usyk grab and hold Fury too much, Haye said on his YouTube channel. I think that’s why Usyk was able to out-muscle a guy who is a natural heavyweight.
Haye also criticized Nelson for not giving Fury a standing eight count after he was knocked down in the 12th round.
I think Fury should have had a standing eight count in the 12th round, Haye said. He was clearly hurt and the referee should have given him a chance to recover.
Overall, Haye believes that Nelson’s performance was unacceptable and that he should not be allowed to referee another major heavyweight fight.
I think the referee’s performance was unacceptable, Haye said. I think he should be banned from refereeing any more major heavyweight fights.
Haye’s criticism of Nelson is just the latest in a long line of complaints about the refereeing in recent heavyweight fights.
In the past, there have been calls for referees to be more consistent in their application of the rules and to take a more proactive approach to preventing clinching and holding.
It remains to be seen whether Haye’s criticism will have any impact on the way that referees officiate heavyweight fights in the future. However, it is clear that there is a growing dissatisfaction with the current state of refereeing in the division.
Kind regards
C. Christensen.
