Vinny Pazienza vs. Abdel Marbi ~ "The Paz Gets Sliced Up In Italy"

[Bill Paxtom]

Vinny Pazienza vs. Abdelkader Marbi

In between Rounds 3 and 4, the Pazienza Corner feverishly worked on Vinny's cut eyebrow.

Manager ~ Lou Duva complained to the Italian Referee that Abdel Marbi had 'head-butted' Vinny, causing the cut.

But the Referee said 'No', stating that it was Vinny Pazienza who came in head first, and banged his head into Abdel Marbi.

Regardless the bout continued >

Round 4

Under instructions from his corner, Vinny bolted out fast starting Round 4, and went right after Abdel with a barrage.
Vinny poured punches on Abdel who was forced to back up.

But Abdel was too cool, and easily covered up and let Vinny flail away over the first 40-Seconds.

Then Abdel made his attack, and poked Vinny in the face with left-jabs while moving to his right.

Vinny who now had blurred vision {due the blood in his eye} tried to counter, and swung wildly with wide-hooks in
an attempt to catch Abdel with a 'Sunday Punch'..

By the mid-way point in the session, Vinny was desperate with the blood pouring from the badly cut eye-brow.
Vinny was winning the Round, but was losing the 'Battle of the Blood'.

At the {2:00 Mark} Vinny again tried a barrage, and came forward with wide swings.

But Abdel countered with a long right-hand to the cut on Vinny's eyebrow, and blood started pouring down Vinny's
cheek.

Vinny was now even more desperate, and tried with more wild right-hand bombs.

But again, Abdel was too smart to get caught by a 'Sunday Punch', and blocked Vinny's attempts.

Vinny then made one more strong charge over the last 30-Seconds and he finally shook Abdel with a 'left-right' at the {2:50 Mark}.

Vinny then poured it on until the Bell.

Round 4 > Vinny Pazienza

[Bill Paxtom]

The Controversy

At the end of Round 4,

The Referee called in the Commission Ring Doctor to check out Vinny Pazienza

The Italian Commission Doctor went to Vinny's corner.

The cut was the full-length of the eye-brow, and the blood was gushing. There was no way that the Cornermen could
seal the cut, or even slow the flow of blood down.

The Commission Doctor told Manager - Lou Duva > 'That he wanted to stop the fight.'

But Lou Duva pleaded his case > 'Give us one more Round.'

The Doctor said > 'I'll give your fighter one more Round, and then that's it.'

Lou then asked the Commission Doctor > 'That if the bout had to be stopped because of a Head-Butt, then what would be the ruling.'

The Doctor said > 'They will go to the Scorecards, and rule it as a Technical Decision.'

Lou then asked the Doctor > 'And if we win Round 5, and are ahead on Points, then we get Technical Decision win right.'

The Doctor said > 'Yes'

Lou then told the Doctor > 'Then give us one more Round. Tell the Referee to give us a full Round.'

The Doctor said > 'OK, but you only get one Round, and then that's it.'

Lou Duva then said > 'All-right, I just want to make sure the Referee knows we get the full Round.'

The Doctor then turned away, and left the Ring.

Lou then turned to Vinny and told his fighter > 'Go all out and win this Fucking Round, so we can get out of here with a win.'

[Bill Paxtom]

The Controversy

Before the start of Round 5

Lou Duva was expecting {as told by the Commission Doctor} that Vinny would get the full Round.

At the Bell starting Round 5 >

Vinny with blood leaking from his cut eye-brow came charging out. He went after Abdel, and immediately
let fly with a barrage at Center-Ring.

Abdel took the punches and moved in close to smother Vinny's attack.

Vinny then backed off, and went low and started firing long left-jabs into Abdel's mid-section.

Abdel stepped in, and landed a glancing right-hand to Vinny's cut eye-brow, and the blood started to flow.

Vinny was now bleeding profusely.

At the {0:40 Mark}, the Italian Referee had no choice, but to stop the fight.

In the corner,

Lou Duva jumped up-and-down screaming > 'You told us you'd give us the full Fucking Round.'

The Referee then told both fighters to go to their Corners.

The Referee then walked over to Abdelkader Marbi's corner and raised his left hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'All Hell Then Broke Loose'. Vinny Pazienza's entire team charged into the Ring, and pandemonium set in.

They went after the Referee and threatened him. Then they charged Abdelkader Marbi's corner, and screamed at them.

Lou Duva was 'out-of-control' while screaming > 'This ain't Fucking fair. This is not right. The cut was caused by a Head-Butt, not a punch.'

[Bill Paxtom]

"The Italian Controversy"

The Pazienza Team {Lou Duva and Associates} went 'nuts' after the Italian Referee
awarded the bout to Moroccan - Abdelkader Marbi by a TKO 5.

Lou claimed that he was 'promised' by the Ringiide Doctor that Vinny would get a
full Round in the 5th.

Lou Duva >
"We've been Fucked. The Referee moved in too quickly to stop the fight. Yes, Vinny was cut bad,
but we were promised a full Round. The Referee stopped it after 40-Seconds."

"This is Bull-Shit. This fight should be a 'No Contest'. The cut was caused by an 'illegal head butt',
not a punch. What kind of 'Fucking Shit' is this."

"I'm filing a protest with the Italian Boxing Federation. If they don't overturn this, we'll never come back
to fight here again."

"Vinny is still undefeated in my eyes. This is not a loss."

"We'll fight this Moroccan again. As soon as the cut heals, we'll fight him in France, right in his backyard."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou Duva did file a grievance with the Commission, claiming that the cut was caused by an 'illegal head-butt',
and that the bout should have been ruled a 'No Contest'.

The Milan Boxing Commission ruled >

A} That the cut was indeed caused by an 'accidental head-butt' in the 3rd Round.
B} But, that it was Vinny Pazienza who came in head-first, and caused the clash of heads.
C} Vinny Pazienza fought the rest of the 3rd Round without complaining.
D} The Pazienza Corner made no complaint, until after the end of the 4th Round.
E} If the bout was stopped at the end of the 4th Round and before the 5th Round, the bout would have gone to the Scorecards.
F} But, since the Pazienza Camp pleaded for a 5th Round, they waived their rights for a 4-Round Technical Decision result.
G} Since Pazienza was further damaged by a 'punch' in Round 5, he was deemed to be in too much danger to continue.

According to the Italian Boxing Federation >

A} If the bout was stopped due to the cut, the ruling would have been a TKO win for Abdelkader Marbi.
B} Since Vinny was the cause of his own 'cut eyebrow', he could not be awarded a Technical Draw or Technical Decision win.
C} Vinny would have to win by either > a TKO, KO, or a Decision.