Loughran loses out on a fortune

IRELAND'S Eamonn Loughran saw a fortune slip away in just about the time it takes the National Lottery balls to declare another millionaire.

Loughran's Saturday night in Liverpool turned out to be a nightmare 51 seconds after, Mexico's Jose Luis Lopez blasted away his WBO welterweight title.

His promoter, Barry Hearn, insisted "It could have cost him a million dollars."

Loughran, from Ballymena, walked into a right hand thrown by the 22 year old Mexican and there was no way back. After three knock downs it was all over and Loughran was minus his title in his sixth defence.

Loughran "The dressing rooms were cold, and I got caught cold. He just caught me with a good shot and I couldn't get my senses back together.

"I couldn't get up for the fight." I'll be carrying on most definitely. I'll have a rest and a think about the future. It was one of those things."

Defeat cost Loughran a lucrative defence against Ramon "You Boy" Campas in mid summer, and that could have led to a big money unification fight against the WBC's long reigning Pernell Whitaker.

The route back could be via a shot at Kevin Lueshing's British title, or an all Ireland fight against 1992 Olympic Gold medallist Michael Carruth.

And ITV's Scottish viewers doubtless felt short changed when an advertising row denied them more extensive coverage of the other WBO title bout on the Everton Park Sports Centre bill, the light flyweight return between South Africa's Baby Jake Matlala and Irvine's Paul Weir.

ITV objected to the advertising of a national bank on Matlalas' trunks and virtually pulled the plug on the fight.

Only 20 seconds were shown, making a little over a minute of action including Loughran's swift defeat, and the programme time was filled with a re run of the Sugar Ray Leonard Tommy Hearns classic of 1981.

Hearn became so incensed at the switch off that he let his feelings be known to ITV's Gary Newbon at ringside while the fig, ht was still going on and being, beamed live to South Africa.

"Weir fought his heart out in a great fight and I looked across the ring and saw Reg Gutteridge and Jim Watt not commentating on the fight. There should have been a commentary out of respect," said Hearn.

"I told ITV I'd given them an extra title fight for no extra money because the South Africans had paid for it.

"I'm doing my best to keep boxing on ITV, but Matlala had to wear advertising on his shorts. It didn't break any rules at all.

"How do they justify it? I asked them to record the last few rounds. I put on a £100,000 fight I didn't need to put on. I'm doing everything I can to keep my patience. I don't know where we are going."

Newbon countered "We have a clear policy about advertising on shorts. Years ago we agreed to allow ring post and canvas advertising so the sponsors would get something out of it, but they, didn't take it.

"We decided not to show the fight, we didn't ask to put the fight on. We stuck to our principles."

Weir gave Matlala a tar better fight than in their first meeting last November, but the strength and persistence of the tiny South African was finally too much, and the Scot was halted in the 10th after twice hitting the canvas.

"I've got no excuses," said the 28 year old Weir. "I feel the rounds were half and half. He'd start strongly and I'd finish them well. But he was throwing too many punches. He was relentless so hard, so strong."