Thomas Carty tumbled dramatically through the ropes after absorbing a blow to the back of his head during the opening round of his bout against David Allen on the undercard of Katie Taylor's farewell fight at Croke Park on Saturday. The clash ended in a 'no contest' ruling, but Carty's manager Mike Ofo insists the incident warrants a disqualification for Allen under boxing regulations.
The encounter lasted just 1 minute 22 seconds before Carty was unable to continue. According to Sky Sports, Carty required oxygen before leaving the ring area following the incident.
Ofo outlined his grievance to Sky Sports, stating:
I am very disappointed about what happened on Saturday night at Croke Park and the untimely halt to what should have been the crowning achievement of Thomas' career so far. Thomas was pumped to be fighting on such an historic event in front of such an enormous crowd at the home of Irish sport and was gutted by the bizarre turn of events.
The manager alleged that Allen committed two fouls in rapid succession, triggered by Carty's effective jab work that visibly marked Allen's face. Ofo elaborated:
What happened was plain for all to see with Allen blatantly fouling him twice in quick succession in response to Thomas' punishing jab that immediately marked up Allen's face. The second, illegal rabbit punch to the back of Thomas' head knocked him clean through the ropes and there is only one outcome under the rules of boxing in those circumstances - a DQ loss for Allen.
Allen offered a contrasting account of the sequence on his YouTube channel.
I went up a bit close, caught him with a left hook to the body and rattled him a little bit to the head. I think, then he threw a combination, knocked my head back with an uppercut. But then he grabbed me frantically. I'm not aiming for the back of anyone's head ever, but I am aiming about here [the ear]. It wasn't a big shot; I tried to clip him round the ear as I always do, and he's turned his head into it. It's gone round the back of the head.
Allen continued his explanation:
From there on, I don't know. It's not for me to say what's happened. He's a good guy, I do like him. I've caught him behind the head, not on purpose; he's turned into, and he's gone through the ropes. At the time, I said to the referee, 'Are you not going to count?' If that was in the middle of the ring, I'd have won by stoppage.
However, according to TalkSport, the incident was treated as an accident rather than a deliberate foul, which prevented Allen from receiving a disqualification.
Ofo rejected Allen's narrative and expressed confidence that Carty would have secured a stoppage victory had the bout continued.
I see he is already busy trying to set a narrative but that is gaslighting and Thomas and the team were all confident that he would have stopped Allen in the later rounds, particularly in light of the terrible shape Allen turned up in. Frankly, he should change his nickname from 'The White Rhino' to 'The White Hippo.'
The 30-year-old Carty entered the ring seeking what would have been a significant milestone in his career. Reports indicated that Carty held a 12-bout professional record heading into the Croke Park showdown, with this clash representing a major opportunity on a historic card.
The unfortunate conclusion marked another setback for Carty, who suffered his sole professional defeat the previous year after sustaining a freakish knee injury. Ofo signalled his willingness to pursue a rematch once the matter is resolved:
However, once the BUI have reconsidered the referee's decision and done the right thing, we will happily give Allen a rematch and they can settle it once and for all - hopefully inside the ring this time!
Allen declined to respond to Ofo's criticisms at the time of the original dispute.
What happens next
The controversy did not end with the final bell. According to TalkSport, Allen indicated his intention to lodge an appeal against the no-contest ruling with the British Boxing Board of Control. The appeal process will determine whether the decision stands or whether the matter is revisited by the governing body, potentially opening the door to the rematch both camps have discussed.
