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Actualité Boxe of Samedi, 20 Juin 2015

Source: ESPN

N'Dam not happy with officials for Lemieux fight

N'dam Vs Lemieux N'dam Vs Lemieux

Middleweight contender Hassan N’Dam and manager Gary Hyde are not happy with the officials appointed for N’Dam’s title fight against David Lemieux.

N’Dam and Lemieux are scheduled to fight on June 20 (Fox Sports 2, 10 p.m. ET) at the Bell Centre in Lemieux’s hometown of Montreal for the 160-pound belt stripped from legally troubled Jermain Taylor.

Hyde said he found out which officials were appointed for the bout on June 2 and complained to the IBF, which is sanctioning the fight.

“I contacted the IBF and objected to two officials who are from Montreal, Quebec, the same city Lemieux is from,” Hyde said. “Referee Marlon Wright has refereed five of Lemieux’s fights and the judge in question, Benoit Roussel, has worked no fewer than 12 of Lemieux’s fights.

“I also objected to the Quebec Commission on the appointment of the two Canadian officials. The selection of two officials from the same city as one of the fighters in an international world championship bout indicates a flawed unfair procedure and undermines the appearance of fairness and impartiality. In my experience in world championship bouts the officials must always be neutral. We are hopeful that the Quebec Boxing Commission will replace both Canadian officials with a pair of neutral officials, so that we can concentrate solely on the job at hand, to beat Lemieux.”

If history is any indication, Hyde probably has little chance of having either official changed. Further, just because the two of them have worked several fights involving Lemieux (33-2, 31 KOs), 26, does not mean they can’t impartially work on the fight against N’Dam.

N’Dam (31-1, 18 KOs), 31, a native Cameroon living in France, is going to Montreal for the fight because Lemieux’s promoter, Golden Boy, won the purse bid to gain control of the bout. N’Dam’s promoter, King Sports, did not bid after N’Dam turned down an offer for much more than he would make based on his cut of the purse bid — just $51,000.