Peters handed controversial defeat as Australia win twin boxing silver

Australian middleweight Callum Peters has been handed a controversial defeat in his gold-medal bout in Birmingham, losing a split decision to tough Scotsman Sam Hickey despite seemingly dominating the telling final round.

Three of the five ringside judges had the scores level after two rounds and the fight was up for grabs in the third. Hickey had landed some terrific shots in the second but it was the Australian who looked clearly the better man in the third.

Callum Peters lands a blow on Sam Hickey.Credit: Getty

Four of the five judges agreed but another inexplicably awarded the round to Hickey, who triumphed 29-28 to take the gold medal. Peters, just 19 and in his first international tournament, had some excellent moments and was gracious when the decision was handed down.

It looks just the start for the young man, who is already firmly on the radar of Australian promoters, but this one will sting. He needs to tighten up his defence but made some terrific adjustments in the final round, finding a home for his uppercut after Hickey showed great agility to duck under his left hooks time and again.

This wasn’t quite a highway robbery but it was a puzzling and – for Peters and his team – infuriating decision that shows the vagaries of judging at this level of the sport.

They were also critical of the refereeing, with Peters feeling he was headbutted throughout the fight. Hickey was warned repeatedly but no point penalty was forthcoming.

“That last round, I thought I landed heaps more punches. This stuff happens. I thought there were a lot of headbutts throughout the rounds, he got about 16 warnings. Oh well. You learn from it,” Peters said.

“I don’t know what they [the judges] see but I just have to rewatch the fight and see how I went.

“It’s my first time fighting international, I’m young, 19, still learning. I can’t wait to get back in there again.”

Peters is a hugely promising talent and said the professional ranks would beckon one day. But for now he has locked in the Paris Olympic Games as his major goal.

Rosie Eccles punishes Kaye Scott in their gold-medal bout.Credit: Getty

In the other gold-medal bout featuring an Australian, Kaye Scott was stopped for the first time in her decorated career when she was on the wrong end of a brilliant and brutal performance from Rosie Eccles from Wales.

Scott, 38, had long dreamed of gold, while Eccles won silver on the Gold Coast four years ago. But from the start, it was clear the Welsh hurricane was going to prevail and it was only a matter of how long Scott could withstand the punishment.

She showed enormous heart and toughness but after Scott had been given her third count at the 1:40 mark of the second round, the referee sensibly halted the contest.

“It didn’t eventuate the way I had planned in my head. I just don’t think I was there in the moment. That’s competitive sport, it wasn’t my night and Rosie was bang-on. She applied the pressure and rattled me a little bit there,” Scott said.

“She kept those punches coming on and it didn’t look good to the ref. I’ve never been stopped before and I don’t think it needed to be stopped but I understand. It makes it a bit harder to swallow but it is what it is and it’s happened now.”