Heavyweight boxer Thomas Carty’s management team expects a disqualification victory to be awarded following a chaotic finish to his bout against David Allen in Dublin, according to Sky Sports. Saturday night’s preliminary matchup, held on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s farewell bout at Croke Park, ended in a strange no-contest ruling when Carty tumbled through the ropes subsequent to a disputed foul.
Dispute Over the First-Round Ending at Croke Park
Mike Ofo, representing the 30-year-old Dublin competitor as his manager, asserted that Allen should face disqualification under boxing regulations for landing a succession of illegal punches.
The controversy centers on the closing moments of the first round. According to Ofo, Allen resorted to illegal tactics after struggling with Carty’s early punches. In a conversation with Sky Sports, Ofo contended that Allen committed two fouls in rapid succession, with the second impact hitting the back of Carty’s head and propelling him out through the ropes.
“There is only one outcome under the rules of boxing in those circumstances – a DQ loss for Allen,” Ofo told Sky Sports.
David Allen’s Perspective and Corner Reaction
Allen offered a different perspective on the exchange during a broadcast on his YouTube channel. The English heavyweight recounted stepping inward, delivering a left hook to the midsection, and striking Carty in the head prior to the onset of a clinch.
Allen argued that he did not purposefully aim for the rear of the head, instead proposing that Carty altered his positioning directly into the path of the strike.
“I’ve caught him behind the head, not on purpose; he’s turned into, and he’s gone through the ropes,” Allen said on his YouTube channel, adding that he believed he would have secured a stoppage win had the action taken place in the center of the ring rather than near the ropes.
Coach Jamie Moore, who managed Allen’s corner duties, broke down the sequence afterward in spite of his boxer’s obvious discontent inside the ring.
Speaking to IFL TV, Moore noted that the referee handled the incident according to regulation because an accidental foul prevents a win or a loss for the aggressor when zero rounds are completed.
“He’s gone to hit him in the side of the head. He’s turned his head, he’s hit him in the back of the head, and he’s fallen out of the ring,” Moore told IFL TV. “Dave can’t win on an unintentional foul, but he can’t lose either. So it’s got to be a no contest. By the rules, they’ve done the right thing.”
Regulatory Review and Retirement Implications
Ofo swiftly rejected Allen’s explanation of the incident, expressing complete confidence that Carty was on course for a stoppage victory before the fight was halted. Carty is aiming to secure his 12th professional win following a career setback last year when he suffered a knee injury. His team has urged the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) to review the referee’s initial decision.
Highlighting the stakes of the Dublin fight card, Ofo criticized Allen’s version of events and stated that the camp is anticipating an official overturned decision from regulators.
“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!” Ofo told Sky Sports. Allen declined to comment on the remarks made by Carty’s manager.
The immediate future of the matchup rests with boxing regulators in Ireland. The BUI holds jurisdiction over reviewing the bout’s official outcome following the referee’s handling of the first-round incident at Croke Park. For Allen, the no-contest result still counts as his 39th professional bout, throwing his plan to retire after 40 fights into question as he and his team await formal regulatory guidance.
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