Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech has retroactively been awarded the WBC super-featherweight championship over 30 years after being robbed of the victory.
Fenech’s 1991 bout with Azaumah Nelson in Las Vegas has long been a topic of controversy in Australian boxing history.
Judges declared the bout a draw in what has been called the worst robbery in boxing.
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The result was so controversial that more than 30 years later WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman formed a ’special committee’ to review the fight.
And as such the committee decided that the boxing legend be awarded his fourth world championship at the World Boxing Council convention.
Mauricio Sulaiman said: “All the ring officials from all over the world score the bout in favour of Jeff Fenech.
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“The WBC board of governors approve the motion to crown Jeff Fenech to become a four-time world champion.
“It is our great pleasure to crown and award the WBC Feather and Super Featherweight Championship to Jeff, the Thunder from Down Under, Fenech.”
The boxing great was in attendance at the conference to accept the belt and was congratulated by the likes of Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez and Miguel Cotto on stage.
He now joins the likes of greats such as Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard to have won world titles across four weight divisions.
He told News Corp: “It’s crazy, brother. It would’ve meant more to me back when I really won the fight. But for them, the WBC, to do this is so special.
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“Far out, it means so much to me.
“I’ve got 20 or 30 Aussies who have flown over with me. It’s an incredibly special night.”
On that infamous night official judge Jerry Roth had awarded Fenech the fight 115-113, Miguel Donate had scored it 116-112 for Nelson, and Dave Moretti scored it 114-144.
The announcement of a draw had been booed by everyone in attendance at the Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
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Feneche said at the time: “It’s total bullcrap - I’ve been robbed.
“The whole world knows I won.”
He told FoxSports in 2018 that he had been left ‘heartbroken and disappointed by the result.
Jayden Collins