Brian Rose says the referee didn't give him a chance before stopping his fight with Carson Jones
Sunday 15 February 2015 14:58, UK
Brian Rose insists the referee didn't give him a chance to recover before stopping his fight with Carson Jones on Saturday night.
The Blackpool light-middleweight was beaten inside the opening round by Jones after referee Ian John-Lewis prevented him taking any more punishment.
Rose, who staggered but never fell, claims the stoppage was too early particularly since Jones had already benefited from the referee's leniency after getting hurt.
"He didn’t give me a chance but I feel he gave Jones a chance. I buzzed him and I had him going worse than he had me," Rose told Sky Sports.
"I’m so annoyed at the referee’s decision, he stood in here 15 minutes before saying he’d give us both a chance if we were hurt. He didn’t give me a chance. I might have been hurt, I felt a buzz but I knew exactly where I was and I was about to start firing my shots back.
"That’s the way I fight, I cover up and let my opponents let their shots go. The referee should know that. I’m the sort of fighter who gets hit, covers up, and takes it on the gloves."
Experience
Rose had initially stung Jones with a right hook but the American turned the tables in the blink of an eye with a bludgeoning overhand right. Jones followed up with a series of blows, culminating in a left hook, before the referee's interruption with Rose defending himself.
Rose added: "He was going to come with a barrage of punches, I know that’s what he was going to do, but I would have soaked them up and it would have been him in the long run losing all his energy. That’s how I fight, he’s an experienced referee, he should know that.
"I hold my hands up, I was hurt, but so was he. I don’t think it should have been stopped. He caught me and I felt a buzz but Demetrious Andrade hit me 50 times like that.
"I demand a rematch. I want something done. He gave him a chance, why not give me a chance?
Rose's trainer Bobby Rimmer was equally shocked to see the hometown fighter's night end so prematurely.
Rimmer said: "It’s the most ridiculous stoppage. He was hurt but when Ian John-Lewis grabbed him I thought ‘what’s he doing?’ I’m still flabbergasted. It’s terrible what’s happened, it’s not right.
"Until Brian got hurt, the fight was going perfectly. All of a sudden Brian gets hurt, Ian runs over and stops the fight.
"He’s got a good chin, he recovers from punches like that, he recovers fast. As soon as the referee grabbed him Brian looked at me and asked ‘what’s going on’ and I didn’t have a clue."
