The bout initially went into the books as a no contest
Well, here’s something you don’t see everyday: a successful protest. WBO flyweight champion Anthony Olascuaga, whose recent defense against Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez ended via no contest after a clash of heads cut Gonzalez, now boasts a TKO victory instead after the WBO accepted Olascuaga’s appeal.
Though nobody disputes that the cut came from a headbutt, Olascuaga’s (8-1, 6 KO) team pointed out that the doctor initially cleared Gonzalez (28-4-1, 14 KO) to continue, only for “Bomba” to claim he couldn’t see 25 seconds later. Per the Japanese Boxing Commission’s letter to Paco Valcarcel, the referee initially ruled it a TKO, only for the “bout supervisor and representative of the local commission” to overrule him.
I think the key here is that distinction between “cannot” and “will not” continue. Gonzalez was deemed fit to compete and elected not to.
As far as the bout itself, nothing really changes from this ruling besides their records; Olascuaga retains the title regardless. The real impact regards Gonzalez’s chances at a rematch; the WBO hasn’t updated its rankings since the two fought, but it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll keep his spot atop the rankings or surrender it to no. 2 Sunny Edwards.
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