Ring announcer Lieutenant Dan Hennessey makes a mess of boxing scores

Ring announcer “Lieutenant” Dan Hennessey is being ridiculed after an all-time howler declaring a women’s world title fight.

Ring announcer “Lieutenant” Dan Hennessey has turned Sunday’s world-class boxing event in Perth into an all-time farce.

An event that was already reeling from a shock decision in Andrew Moloney’s title fight that ended with the Aussie retiring on the spot then hit a new low in the women’s WBA bantamweight title fight.

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After a fairly even contest, England’s Nina Hughes was initially declared the winner against Aussie Cherneka Johnson, with Hennessey reading the scores as 95-95, 96-94, 98-92 for the visitor.

Hughes naturally celebrated, jumping into the arms of her trainer and parading around the ring beaming a huge smile.

But seconds later, Hennessey called the confused fighters back to centre ring and made no comment about any mistake before reading out the exact same scores before this time declaring Johnson the winner.

“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.

Nina Johnson reacts after the result is reversed. Photos: Fox Sports

“What are we doing?” Tessitore continued. “We said it before in the last fight, he read the scores incorrectly of the normal standard protocol of how you read scores and then he just did that.

“Can we please get anyone but Lieutenant Dan Hennessey in this spot right now.”

Bradley could only offer: “Oh my goodness.”

Most pundits had earlier felt Moloney had comfortably won his interim WBC super flyweight world title bout until judges handed a stunning split decision victory to Mexican Pedro Guevara.

Then in scenes that reminded many of the classic blunder on the winning announcement of Australia’s Next Top Model back in 2010, the reversal was a shocking blunder on a day of top-shelf world title fights.

The main event is George Kambosos’ vacant IBF Lightweight title clash with Vasiliy Lomachenko.

“I’m not the judges but I definitely feel I won this fight,” Johnson said afterwards.

Understandably after having the belt ripped from her in the most controversial of circumstances, Hughes was filthy.

Nina Hughes couldn't believe the announcement was reversed.

“I just don’t get it. How can they announce I won and then change the scores?” she said.

“I felt I dominated early. She won a few of the later rounds but I felt I won it comfortably.

“It’s a joke. I feel like I’ve been robbed. It’s gotta be a rematch.”

Hughes’ promoter Lou DiBella fumed: “I think the announcement that’s wrong shouldn’t happen. It was a very close fight.

“I’m shocked. It’s unfair to suffer through that. To think you’ve won and celebrate and have a decision turned over, that’s screwed up.”

Boxing reporter Dan Rafael wrote on X: “The ring announcer sucks. Re-read cards and Johnson won the fight and title. He f***ed up reading the cards for Moloney-Guevara also. What a joke.”

Main Event’s Kath Loughnan summed it up: “What on earth is going on inside RAC Arena?”

Originally published as Ring announcer Lieutenant Dan Hennessey makes a mess of boxing scores