Former junior middleweight champion Liam Smith believes that the referee made the correct call for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois.
Usyk was hurt in the fifth round by a blow to the midriff from Dubois, and as referee Luis Pabon ruled the strike a low blow, the Ukrainian used several minutes on the floor and against the ropes to recover.
Dubois, his trainer Don Charles, and promoter Frank Warren - amongst others - said that Pabon had made the wrong decision and that the 25-year-old should be the new heavyweight champion.
Instead the IBF, WBO and WBA incumbent stopped Dubois in the ninth round as he showed his superiority.
Smith, who is preparing for his rematch against Chris Eubank Jr., believes that Dubois can have little complaint.
"It was low, whether his protector is high or not - which should [have] been pulled at the start of the fight if team Dubious felt it was high - it’s just below [the] waistband. Yes, Usyk milked the time he was allowed but, no one can answer whether he stays down if the ref counts it," Smith said, reported BoxingScene.com.