Changes for Ogilvie following fight defeat
Brandon Ogilvie must go back to the drawing board after suffering the first defeat of his fledgling boxing career at Metro City last night.
The 19-year-old light-welterweight's stoppage loss to John Ford came in unusual but perfectly legal fashion when ringside doctor Patrick Golden pulled him out with just two seconds left of the third round, even though referee Gary Ingraham looked happy to let matters proceed.
Ogilvie had been been floored twice in the round, had stumbled to the canvas on another occasion and was unsteady on his feet.
“I had to maintain the position of keeping the fighters safe in the ring,” Golden said.
“Everyone knows I don't stop fights on a whim and I wanted to make sure Brandon goes home to his family, to fight again, not fighting for life on a ventilator.
"He is an exceptional talent and I'm sure in future that will become apparent on the world's stage.
“There is a lot you can let go, but to let this go would have been wrong."
Golden is chief adviser to the WA Combat Sports Commission and has been involved in professional boxing for six years.
Ogilvie's corner complained at the decision. “Brandon was fine and there was only two seconds left in the round. Gary Ingraham is a very good referee and was in total control of the situation,” trainer Peter "Fox" Wilkenson said.
Of course, the length of time left in a round should not be a consideration for either referee or doctor when he weighs up whether to step in.
The fight started well for Ogilvie (now 5-1), who scored a knockdown of his own inside the first 30 seconds with a left and later bloodied the nose of his opponent.
But 22-year-old Ford (now 6-3) caught Ogilvie with a big right early in the third and the younger man made the mistake of continuing to trade. He went down again before Golden felt he was in no position to carry on.
A stoppage loss means Ogilvie is now unable to fight on the next Dragon Fire card, at the same venue on December 6, and he will now probably drop down to lightweight.
As for Thai-born but Esperance-based Ford, he is now the WA State light-welterweight champion - even though in his last fight he fought for the Victorian State belt.
There was better news for Ogilvie's Fox's Den gym mate Jeremy van Diemen, who knocked out Tanzanian Joseph Kaseba inside two rounds.
There were stoppage wins for Luke Sharp, Andrew Green, John Squillace and Paul Wisby (all Hassan's), as well as Darragh Foley (Harry's Gym) and Nathaniel May (Dennings).
Another Hassan's fighter, light-middle Sam Hogan, collected a unanimous points decision over former Australian title challenger David Galvin.
