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Hlatswayo win reduced to a draw

TAKE THAT! American Devlin Rodriguez, left, is punished by Isaac Hlatswayo during thier IBF welterweight eliminator at Emperors Palce in Ekurhuleni on Monday. 18/11/2008. Pic. Antonio Muchave. © Sowetan.
TAKE THAT! American Devlin Rodriguez, left, is punished by Isaac Hlatswayo during thier IBF welterweight eliminator at Emperors Palce in Ekurhuleni on Monday. 18/11/2008. Pic. Antonio Muchave. © Sowetan.

Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

The points win awarded to Isaac Hlatswayo after his fight with Devlin Rodriguez at Emperors Palace on Monday night has been reduced to a draw.

This means the number one spot in the IBF's welterweight division, which was at stake, remains vacant. Hlatswayo is ranked third and Devlin 13th and that is where they will stay, said supervisor Mahasin Scott.

The winner was to challenge IBF champion Joshua Clottey early next year. But now Kermit Cintron will get that opportunity.

He outpointed Australian-based South African Lovemore Ndou last weekend to earn the number two spot. Their fight in the US was surprisingly billed as an IBF title eliminator.

Promoter Rodney Berman, whose Golden Gloves Promotions presented the Hlatswayo-Rodriguez fight, described last night's situation as a disappointment.

"We were already all geared up for a world title. In fact we had gone to great lengths, and put a lot finance in place to try to secure that fight for South Africa," he said.

"But be that as it may I can't go into the decision. It is out of my power to do anything about it except that there will be a rematch.

"Devlin's camp would be agreeable to coming here," said Berman.

He said they have lined up a bill for Valentine's Day - February 14.

Berman said he was told that one judge's scorecard had apparently been added up incorrectly or misinterpreted. German judge Michael Fischer's card was read as 114-113 to Hlatswayo but later "corrected" to 114-114.

"He told me that that was his scorecard not the first one," said Devlin's manager Stan Hoffman.

But it remains a mystery how Fischer knew this because referee Dave Paris collected scores after every round to hand to fight supervisor Scott, who added them up.

Scott was unavailable to comment.

Judge Shafeeq Rashada of the US scored this closely contested fight 117-110 to Hlatswayo while Wally Snowball had Devlin winning by 115-112. Yours truly had Devlin, who dropped Hlatswayo in round nine, winning by a point at 114-113.

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