Three days before the final bell, the fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ben Askren continues to create controversy. Now, even the referee is involved in the controversy, after some fans are asking for an investigation to be opened against him.
The referee’s career dates back to 2004 when he officiated his first match. Before that, he was a prominent amateur boxer who received several state accolades. He has also been a boxing promoter and judge.
Despite his achievements in unpaid boxing, the referee only fought one fight as a professional, which he won on points in 1997. After that, he focused on becoming a referee and after his debut 20 years ago, he has become one of the most respected officials today.
According to his profile, the referee has officiated 365 fights. Among the most notable are the fights between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, and Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.
Despite his impressive record, the referee found himself in hot water after some questionable decisions in the fight between Johnson and Askren, which have sparked protests from fans and professionals.
One of the fiercest critics following the fight is mixed martial arts fighter Demetrious Johnson. In a video on his Instagram account, Johnson said he was frustrated by the way the referee officiated this Saturday’s fight at Barclays Center. He considered that it was the referee’s decisions that prevented him from knocking out Askren since he did not punish Askren when he grabbed Johnson’s legs, cutting the pace of the fight when Johnson dominated the actions.
Johnson’s protests have been joined by those of a large number of fans and those of Askren himself. In his account on Twitter, Askren highlighted that he could have knocked out his rival in the seventh round, but the referee’s intervention prevented him from doing so.
