In a recent women’s World Boxing Association (WBA) title fight held in Perth, Australia, ring announcer Dan Hennessey mistakenly declared England’s Nina Hughes as the winner against New Zealand-Australian Cherneka Johnson. The incident occurred during the bantamweight bout on Sunday, part of the undercard for Vasiliy Lomachenko’s fight against George Kambosos Jr.
Following the error, Hughes initially celebrated her presumed victory before Hennessey corrected the announcement after reviewing the scorecards. Video footage captured Hughes’ confusion as she was brought back to the center of the ring, with Hennessey declaring Johnson as the rightful winner.
Watch this whole sequence. Never seen this. pic.twitter.com/EpsQkS7JRA
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 12, 2024
Hennessey promptly took to Facebook to issue an apology, taking full responsibility for the mistake and acknowledging the gravity of the error. Despite his apology, the backlash on social media prompted him to announce his resignation from the role of ring announcer.
Expressing gratitude for the support received, Hennessey cited the overwhelming global criticism as detrimental to his mental health, leading to his decision to retire from the position after one final show.
Hughes, the initially declared winner, expressed devastation over the scorecard decision and subsequent mix-up, highlighting her confidence in her performance and the emotional toll of having her victory overturned. She has since expressed a desire for a rematch.
In contrast, Johnson described her win as overwhelming, acknowledging the rollercoaster of emotions experienced from the initial disappointment to the eventual celebration of her victory.
The incident underscores the importance of accurate officiating in professional sports and the significant impact of errors on athletes’ careers and mental well-being.
