Ring announcer “Lieutenant” Dan Hennessey has hung up the microphone following his big mistake on the George Kambosos vs Vasiliy Lomachenko card on Sunday in Perth.
Following the women’s WBA bantamweight title fight, Hennessey initially declared England’s Nina Hughes as the winner 95-95, 96-94, 98-92.
But moments after she began celebrating he called both fighters back to centre ring, made no comment about the blunder and read out the scores again before declaring Australia’s Cherneka Johnson as the victor.
The moment quickly set the boxing world alight with fans left seething over how he had made such a mess of reading the scores out wrong.
“Is this guy for real?” commentator Joe Tessitore said on the US ESPN broadcast.
“I’m dead,” his offsider, Hall of Fame boxer Tim Bradley added.
“Is this guy, Lieutenant Dan Hennessey, for real?” Tessitore asked again.
“Get this dude up out of here man,” Bradley stated.
As the backlash came in thick and fast the long-time announcer took to social media in the wake of the controversy to apologise to boxing fans around the world.
“I own it. It’s all on me,” he wrote.
“I have apologised to all involved and now I apologise to you. I am sorry for what happened. Again I own it and can only try and do better next time. Not my best day in the office.”
But days later, as the backlash continued to flood in, Hennessey issued another statement, this time declaring his time in the ring was over.
“I love all the support from everyone. Thank you all for the kind words. Unfortunately the worldwide backlash is absolutely incredible and it’s effecting (sic) my mental health to a degree where I will have 1 more show ever,” he wrote.
“I am doing this show because I am still a man of my word and promised Sam Rapira that I would do it because he is a great mate and I refuse to leave him hanging.
“I love and will keep in touch with all my friends from around the world. Thank you. No longer the world’s punching bag. I’m out.”
Hennessey’s howler came after Australian boxer Andrew Moloney was robbed of the interim WBC super flyweight world title after the judges handed a stunning split decision victory to Mexican Pedro Guevara.
It appeared Moloney had built a lead on the scorecards early and had done more than enough to hold on despite Guevara working his way into the fight in the last six rounds.
But the judges sensationally awarded Guevara victory via split decision 115-113, 113-116, 115-113.
An absolutely filthy Moloney blasted the decision, explaining he believed he dominated the fight. He announced his retirement from boxing on the spot in a bombshell move.
“I felt in total control,” he said.
“I did what I had to do in there to get through the rounds and win.
“I don’t want to make excuses but I went into this fight with a torn bicep so I couldn’t throw the left hook unless I needed to. But I didn’t feel like I needed to throw it because I was in total control.
“I just want to say thank you to Top Rank, thank you to my team for everything you’ve done for me. But I’m done with this sport, that’s the last you’ve seen of me. I want to thank my sponsors for backing me over the years because I’m retired, I’m out.
“I love you all but sorry, f*** that.”
