Gavin Rees looks set to postpone his retirement in favour of a rematch against Gary Buckland after a controversial defeat at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night.
Buckland was awarded the fight in a split decision after judge Ian John Lewis scored the fight 116-113 in favour of Rees and John Keane called it 116-113 to Buckland.
Terry O’Connor’s decidingvote gave it to the Cardiff fighter 115-114 in a decision popular with the home crowd, but 23 out of 25 members of the boxing media called the fight for Rees.
Promoter Eddie Hearn also believed Rees had got the better of his opponent.
He said: “I felt Rees won it, when it got to round nine or ten I wasn’t really sure but I gave him 11 and 12 and I’m gutted for him.
“He’s a proper geezer , he will give a million per cent.“It’s tough when you’re fighting for your career but maybe we’ll do it [the fight] again.”
Before the fight Rees said he would retire if he lost but after he also hinted at wanting a rematch, retweeting a tweet calling on Hearn to “get the rematch on.”
Buckland suggested he too would be interested in fighting Rees again.
“I think I would and I think everyone in here [the Motorpoint Arena] would. We’ll see what the board says and if we can get it on again no problem,” he said.
The 33-year-old went all the way against Buckland in an enthralling fight in front of 5,000 fans which Hearn described as one of the best he had ever seen.
After the defeat Rees tweeted saying he was “gutted.”
He said: “Boxing is like a strong addictive drug to me I just can’t seem to let it go.”
Buckland was full of praise for his friend and regular sparring partner, calling him a “true champion.”
“He pushed me all the way and I think I pushed him, and it could have went either way, but I’m happy,” he said. He will now face Martin Gethin for a shot at the British lightweight title.
On the same night Lee Selby added the European title to his British Featherweight title beating Rendall Munroe in the sixth round.
The Barry boxer dominated the bout as he was buoyed by a raucous home crowd.
In the sixth Selby forced Munroe into a neutral corner and started unleashing combinations on the Leicester man who had little answer.
The ‘Bin Man’, as he is known, clearly felt aggrieved at the decision, but there was little argument from anyone else.
Elsewhere Olympic champion Anthony Joshua defeated Welshman Dorian Darch inside two round. The Watford fighter was in imperious form despatching Darch with consummate ease.
