Jeff Fenech rages over ‘slip’ controversy in Carney-Prince NRL All Stars fight

The NRL All Stars Fight Night has kicked off with a controversy that legend Jeff Fenech said exposed the weakness of Aussie boxing.

Todd Carney and Scott Prince share the spoils.

Todd Carney has made a lucky escape against Scott Prince with the former NRL stars fighting out a majority draw in the All Stars Fight Night in Townsville.

Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech was left baffled by a knockdown call that ultimately saw the former stars share the spoils.

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Prince entered the ring with headgear while Carney went without but it the wardrobe choices turned out to be the least of the drama after a first round slip from Prince was ruled a knockdown.

Carney, who came into the fight nearly 10kg heavier than the 40-year-old Prince, rocked him in the first round with a right hand, but Prince then dropped to his knees but seemingly not from the force of the punch.

Post fight, Prince said: “I thought it was a slip, must be the humidity up in Townsville”.

But the referee called it a knockdown, meaning Carney won the round 10-8, assuming the judges went along with the call.

It was called a knockdown with Prince coming back to win the next two rounds.

Was it a slip or not?

The judges called it a majority draw with the scores 29-28 to Prince along with two scoring it 28-28.

Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech was cranky that it was ruled a knockdown after the fight but wasn’t surprised.

“What that judge saw was correct, he saw it with his own eyesight,” Fenech said. “It wasn’t a knockdown and Scott Prince really won the fight. It’s a little upsetting but that’s the referees and judges we have in Australia at the moment, it’s not the greatest.”

The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent was equally baffled by the call.

“The rules of boxing state that if a fighter goers down and it’s ruled a knockout, it’s a 10-8 round to the fighter,” Kent said.

“But they don’t have to do that. It’s not a mandatory decision.

“It was clearly a slip. The punch did land roughly at the same time, but it wasn’t a knockdown punch. It was a slip.

“It amazes me that on an amateur night like tonight, the judges still can’t get it right.”

But the pair want to go around again with Carney saying the pair will be back for a proposed card later in the year.

“Me and Princey just said October, we’ll do it again,” Carney said.

“I’ll work harder, he’ll work harder. The main message is we’re not boxers, we’re ex rugby league players who are putting our bodies on the line – I’ll start next week for mine, I love it.

“That’s another tick off the bucket list; the crowd, my mum and fiancé here, my little baby, who is not born yet, it’s a hell of a rush.”

The fight kicked off the night with six NRL match ups on the card.