Vanzie loses it

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Monday 7th Jun 2004.

Bobby Vanzie will launch an appeal to the boxing authorities after a second hotly-disputed British title defeat.

The Bradford lightweight was livid to lose out again to Luton's Graham Earl at York Hall on Saturday night - a result that leaves him totally out of the picture.

It was deja vu for Vanzie, who had lost his five-year control of the division in equally contentious circumstances in their first meeting 11 months ago.

Many ringside experts gave that fight to Vanzie - and once again felt that he had done enough to get the decision on Saturday.

Sports Network's own website radio commentary labelled the result a "disgrace" and had Vanzie winning by four, a view backed up by Steve Murray, who is scheduled to face the winner.

But referee Terry O'Connor felt different and gave it 115-114 in Earl's favour.

On his scorecard he awarded Vanzie the opening three rounds but then six of the next seven to his opponent. O'Connor gave Vanzie the sixth when a huge right to the temple and uppercut had Earl wobbling against the ropes and looked to be on his way out.

Vanzie, who stormed from the ring after hearing O'Connor's decision, fumed: "It's becoming the worst horror story ever and there's going to be a big inquiry about this.

"My promoter Dennis Hobson will be talking to the board because we want somebody to judge that fight again. I thought I'd won it by five rounds.

"Hopefully we can get it overturned or at the very worst get another re-match because this can't go on. The fans saw exactly what happened but that's little comfort to me because I haven't got my belt back."

Vanzie looked hungry from the start of a fight that had twice been held up by Earl, who was stripped of the British belt because of his inactivity.

Backed by a small group of fans who draped a Bradford City flag from the balcony of the famous York Hall venue, the 30-year-old Viper was typically confident and cocky as he hunted a way back into the title mix.

A chopping right uppercut in the third underlined his early control and then Earl, who was struggling to read where the shots were coming from, appeared to touch down in the fourth - but it was not ruled as a knockdown by the referee. At halfway Vanzie appeared on top - just like last time. But once again he was left angrily questioning the final verdict.

Vanzie, an outspoken critic of the boxing scene, got into hot water for his comments about referee Paul Thomas after the first fight at Dagenham. And he is not bothered about stirring it up again.

Vanzie added: "Maybe it's not meant to be for me in this game. Maybe it is time to hang my gloves up and do something else for a living.

"I'm not stupid, I'm articulate and intelligent and I can do other things.

"Boxing has made me feel like this, the sport has made an enemy out of me."

Nicky Piper, who is on the British Board, said there may be a case for another re-match but Earl's manager Frank Maloney maintained: "The ref is the scorer of the fight and Graham won it on work-rate alone."

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