The WBO has ruled that Mairis Briedis intentionally fouled Krzysztof Glowacki in their cruiserweight world title bout and that referee Robert Byrd made multiple errors in officiating the fight, but it acknowledged that it is powerless to overturn the decision to a no-contest as sought by Glowacki in his formal protest.
Briedis claimed the WBO 200-pound world title from Glowacki by third-round knockout on June 15 in the semifinals of the World Boxing Series tournament in Riga, Latvia, Briedis' hometown, but the result was highly controversial.
Although it cannot change the result, the WBO, in a ruling issued on Friday, "strongly recommends" that the World Boxing Super Series winner defend the title against Glowacki within 120 days after the completion of the tournament, which is expected to conclude in November. Briedis is due to meet Yunier Dorticos, who won a vacant belt in the June 15 co-feature, to unify their world titles in the final of the eight-man tournament.
Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs), 34, scored three knockdowns against Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs), 32, of Poland, in a wild fight that ended in a storm of controversy. The WBO said it reviewed video of the bout and agreed that Briedis had committed an intentional foul and that Byrd made various errors.
In the second round, Glowacki nailed Briedis with a left hand behind the head, which is illegal although his punch did not appear purposeful. Briedis retaliated with an elbow that caught Glowacki square on the jaw and knocked him down. Byrd missed Glowacki's rabbit punch but docked one point from Breidis for the elbow while ordering a hurt Glowacki to get to his feet.
Briedis scored two knockdowns later in the round, but the second one came way after the bell had rung to end the round. The bell was ringing continually to signal the end of the round, and while the broadcasters, crowd, fighter corners and the boxers all had heard it -- the fighters even said afterward they knew the bell rang -- they continued to fight for at least another 10 seconds, with Briedis scoring a knockdown with a right hand. Byrd was oblivious, claiming he had not heard the bell. Glowacki had not recovered by the time the third round began, and Briedis dropped him with another clean head shot, prompting Byrd to stop the fight at 27 seconds.
Glowacki promoter Andrew Wasilewski filed a protest with the WBO on June 17 contending that, according to the WBO ruling, because of "numerous errors of the applicable rules of boxing executed by the appointed referee Mr. Robert Byrd, the resolution of the foregoing contest was substantially irregular and, therefore, Mr. Briedis should be disqualified, suspended and the official bout result be overturned and/or reversed and declared a no contest."
The WBO said that Raimond Zeps, representing Briedis, responded to Glowacki's protest and said that the point deduction for the elbow was "satisfactory" and that Glowacki should also have been subject to a point deduction for the blow behind the head. Also, Zeps said that Briedis should not be punished for fighting after the bell because both men were doing do.
"Mr. Zeps, on behalf of Briedis, affirms and welcomes a rematch against Glowacki after the completion of the WBSS," the WBO wrote in its ruling.
The WBO said that it lacks jurisdiction to change the result, which can only be done by the Latvia Boxing Federation, but it added that it "acknowledges that a clear misapplication of the rules of boxing occurred" and recommended the WBSS winner fight Glowacki next.