Josh Warrington’s dad and trainer Sean O’Hagan claims respected official Howard Foster should never judge again after saying Kid Galahad won their world title fight.
Warrington retained his IBF featherweight title with a split decision and Foster scored the contest 115-113 to the challenger Galahad.
O’Hagan claims he was stunned by Foster’s scoring and says the experienced South Yorkshire official should be banned for judging any more fights.
O’Hagan could not believe Foster gave the fight to Galahad when he says he only came to spoil.
He also claimed referee Phil Edwards should have disqualified Galahad for his repeated fouls instead of letting him off with a series of warnings.
“There’s working inside without turning it into WWE!” said O’Hagan. “He was there to spoil. I feel sorry for people out there who paid to watch that and I can only apologise to them.
“The judge who gave it his way was absolutely appalling and shouldn’t be judging. Any other referee he would have been disqualified because he was diabolical. Not just holding, headbutts, shoving, elbows, everything. We could see it.
“I don’t think anyone could say there would not have been surprised if he had been disqualified. It wasn’t just once or twice, it was round after round. Go away and watch it and you’ll see I’m right.”
Warrington claimed the fight had settled the bad blood between the pair and said Galahad needed be more ambitious to beat him in front of his home fans at Leeds’ First Direct Arena.
“There was a lot of expectation after the last two fights, but they’re not all going to be fight of the year,” said Warrington, who stretched his unbeaten record to 29-0.
“He’s got the typical Sheffield style, he wants to spoil. I did not want to sell it as a scruffy fight, but there were times I knew it would be like that. There were times he was holding and trying to grab my nose and bend it round the back of my head.
“You’ve got to come to the champion’s back garden and take the title off the champion and to hit in ones and twos and then hold as quick as you can, you’re not going to take the title like that, coming to spoil. We’ve done the business and move on.”
Warrington, 28, wants a unification fight in the US with either the WBO champ Oscar Valdez or the WBA Super king Leo Santa Cruz.
“It’s got to be another world champion for me,” he said. "Valdez would be a fantastic fight or Santa Cruz, he’s top of the tree. I don’t want to be coming back here and have to defend my title against someone who works on the car wash on York Road. I want the big fights to carry on this journey.
“I’d like to fight in America for the memories and the experience. If Frank and the team can make it happen, that’s what I’d like to happen.
“I can’t go down the streets of Leeds now without people shouting at me ‘when are we going to Vegas, Josh?’. That’s what everyone is waiting for now and I’d like to give them a trip to remember.”
