Matty Fagan has challenged Joe Murray to a re-match after he suffered a highly controversial defeat to his stable-mate and rival.
Chester-born Fagan was adjudged to have gone down to a 96-93 loss to Murray in their British title eliminator at the reopened Manchester Arena on Saturday.
Both super-lightweights raised their hands at the conclusion to one of the chief supports to the showdown between WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker and Hughie Fury.
But it was former Olympian Murray who was awarded the victory to the surprise of most punters in the arena, which was staging a boxing event for time since the May terror attack.
Fagan, 29, from Ellesmere Port, put the Mancunian on the floor in the second round and was aggressive throughout.
And his prospects looked even brighter when, later on in a closely fought 10-round contest, Murray, 30, was docked a point for repeated fouling.
It came as a huge shock, then, when the judges delivered their verdict.
Fagan told VIP Boxing: “Walking out of the ring I had loads of travelling fans and they were saying, ‘you were robbed, you were robbed’.
“And it was not just the travelling fans. People I’ve never met in my life were saying the same thing.
“To get beat by three rounds when I had a knockdown and had a point taken off him... it’s hard to take. I knew it was close but with those two things, it’s shocking.
“I felt like I did well and I did think I had won. If I did get beat, which I don’t think I did, then it’s certainly not by three rounds; not with what happened in the fight. It’s a travesty.
“I was shocked. We both had our hands up. I thought I’d nicked it, he thought he’d nicked it. I honestly thought I’d won it by about two rounds.
“He obviously thinks he’s going off to do different things but I’m going to demand a rematch. Forget the money, I’d box him at Leigh Sports Village for a grand.
“If Joe Murray wants it again, he knows where I am. Put it on the line.”
