Martin Gethin lost to a journeyman last night

[Asterix]

MARTIN Gethin’s shock defeat at Pat Cowdell’s dinner show last night at the Birmingham Holiday Inn caused anger at the ringside.

Referee Shaun Messer awarded the decision to Chris Long, from Calne in Wiltshire, 39-38 and that came as a massive surprise to Gethin’s coach Errol Johnson.

Normally a placid laid-back expert Johnson stormed: “That result was never right. Gethin didn’t box well but he certainly didn’t lose the fight.

“The referee got it all wrong. He totally misread the fight and it is an expensive mistake.

‘‘He gave Gethin a mandatory count of eight in the last round but Gethin went down from a slip rather than a punch. It should not have been a count.

“I had Gethin lined up for a shot at the Commonwealth title but the referee’s mistakes have knocked that on the head. I am protesting to the Board of Control officials,” he growled.

http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingha ... -23658187/

Gethin's record: http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?ca ... _id=282307

[Adamj1987]

wow gethins on the down since lawton beat him maybe it took his confidence away

[Coco]

Chris Long is a decent fighter, always goes for it, real crowd pleaser

[saturday_kid]

I like Chris Long, he's come round this way to fight quite a few of our local fighters and always gives a good account of himself.

Looks a pretty controversial decision, a slip being counted as a knockdown etc. Also Gethin does start slow sometimes, with it only being a 4 rounder that could have harmed him.

[Coco]

Strange article really, crying robbery but the reporter said he gave it 2 to 1 with one even for Gethin, so it looked to be a close fight, prob just poor tabloid journalism

[Dioufy]

Always knew Gethin was about English level, but he should never have struggled in this fight. Shocker.

[TerribleTerry]

That is the danger with 4 round fights - not long eneough to turn things around if the first couple of rounds go badly.

It is a mere blip. Gethin will come back from this.

[tijuana1]

Gethin is a good solid 10 / 12 round fighter. He will bounce back, Box 6x3 at the minimum in future. The show probably had a budget for each fight.

[WestEndRiot]

“I had Gethin lined up for a shot at the Commonwealth title"

Whoever runs the Commonwealth boxing board is making a mockery of the title recently. Even if he had won yesterday, two losses to domestic fighters followed by a win over a journeyman do not qualify him for a title shot IMO.

Even the WBU had higher standards than this!

[Counter-puncher]

I like Chris Long, he's come round this way to fight quite a few of our local fighters and always gives a good account of himself.

Looks a pretty controversial decision, a slip being counted as a knockdown etc. Also Gethin does start slow sometimes, with it only being a 4 rounder that could have harmed him.

first, yeah, Gethin is not suited to the 4 round distance. at all. its not the first time scoring has been maybe a bit iffy for him, it was i think carl Allen who was slightly controversially given a draw against Gethin, a couple of years back in Dudley i think on the Eastman - Ashira undercard.

Gethin will be back. apart from anything else he may find it easier to get fights having had his lustre tarnished a little bit.

[rhino222]

the report was a biased one from gethins corner.....were any of the posters there last night who can give us anymore details?

[Counter-puncher]

I don't go to dinner shows :(

[The Law]

I don't go to dinner shows :(

I was in attendance. There were 3 competitive slugfests on the night. Very enjoyable show.

[whiskey]

I like Gethin and hoped for him to do well this year, however it's turned into a stinker for him.

[bennie]

Chris Long is tastier than his record suggests, you know. In his last two fights he has held the previously unbeaten Rob Hunt to a draw (Hunt was 12-0 going in and was put down, although Long was down himself) and outscored Gethin, of course, also putting him down.
I don't think P.J. Rowson will be using Long as an opponent again.

[Autobarn]

Given that Gethin came out of nowhere to beat Siddique and Fewkes, why oh why wasn't he looked after and push into a British title fight?

He has obvious strengths and obvious weaknesses, but his fine little run is well over and his take on anyone approach seems to have backfired badly, starting with the (late notice?) fight with Lawton.

[Adamj1987]

Given that Gethin came out of nowhere to beat Siddique and Fewkes, why oh why wasn't he looked after and push into a British title fight?

He has obvious strengths and obvious weaknesses, but his fine little run is well over and his take on anyone approach seems to have backfired badly, starting with the (late notice?) fight with Lawton.

wasnt lawton the 1 on late notice?

[Autobarn]

yeah, that's what i was suggesting but wasn't sure of

[Adamj1987]

was a good fight reguardless of what its done to gethin since
that cut was bad i was sat 6 rows from ring and you could see the blood spurting about 6 inch abouve his head

[The Law]

was a good fight reguardless of what its done to gethin since
that cut was bad i was sat 6 rows from ring and you could see the blood spurting about 6 inch abouve his head

Talking about blood, I got splattered repeatedly with blood on Monday night at the dinner show. There are advantages and disadvantages of sitting next to the ring ......

[Coco]

was a good fight reguardless of what its done to gethin since
that cut was bad i was sat 6 rows from ring and you could see the blood spurting about 6 inch abouve his head

Talking about blood, I got splattered repeatedly with blood on Monday night at the dinner show. There are advantages and disadvantages of sitting next to the ring ......

Getting a bit of blood at ringside is half the fun!

[The Law]

was a good fight reguardless of what its done to gethin since
that cut was bad i was sat 6 rows from ring and you could see the blood spurting about 6 inch abouve his head

Talking about blood, I got splattered repeatedly with blood on Monday night at the dinner show. There are advantages and disadvantages of sitting next to the ring ......

Getting a bit of blood at ringside is half the fun!

Not when you're wearing a quality suit and a white shirt!

[bennie]

I remember when American Horace Shufford took on and was clattered by Lloyd Honeyghan in eight rounds at Wembley in 1986, Shufford had this particular habit of turning his head and spitting during the action.
Plenty of ringsiders served as spitoons.

[Adamj1987]

I remember when American Horace Shufford took on and was clattered by Lloyd Honeyghan in eight rounds at Wembley in 1986, Shufford had this particular habit of turning his head and spitting during the action.
Plenty of ringsiders served as spitoons.

[saturday_kid]

Chris Long is tastier than his record suggests, you know. In his last two fights he has held the previously unbeaten Rob Hunt to a draw (Hunt was 12-0 going in and was put down, although Long was down himself) and outscored Gethin, of course, also putting him down.
I don't think P.J. Rowson will be using Long as an opponent again.

I agree, I also think in his fight before those 2 (again on a bill round these parts) he was unlucky to not get the nod in his British Masters title fight against Scott Evans.

According to people I know who went the other night the knockdown against Gethin shouldn't have counted, but they maybe biased.