Over in Las Vegas tonight, the Bristol fighter Lee Haskins should have been taking on the American fighter Randy Caballero for the IBF world bantamweight title.
Here at Vital Boxing, earlier this week, we suggested that Haskins, the interim champion, had a formidable task against an opponent who had won all twenty-two of his fights.
Even though Caballero was coming back from an injury lay-off that had seen him side-lined, courtesy of an ankle injury, for over a year, the bookmakers made him the hot favourite.
However, at the weigh-in there was a huge shock when Caballero stood on the scales. The American was five and a half pounds overweight and was, immediately stripped of his belt.
The 25-year-olds camp did offer Haskins a catch-weight fight that was Haskins, quite rightly rejected.
The shenanigans though left Lee Haskins as the new IBF word champion with his manager, Jamie Sanigar remarking,
‘It’s a strange one to process.
‘Lee was disappointed when I told him what was happening. I told him the fight was off but then in the next sentence I’m telling him he’s a world champion.’
The debate rages on as to whether 32-year-old Haskins will receive his full purse after the events at the weigh-in but here at Vital Boxing we believe Haskins has done no wrong and should, therefore, get his full whack.
Here at Vital Boxing we?d like to offer Lee Haskins our congratulations in becoming the world IBF bantamweight champion, albeit in a rather unorthodox manner.
Haskins Claims IBF Title in Strange Circumstances
