Adam Booth said he was shocked with referee Genaro Rodriguez after David Haye's beat by Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on Saturday night. Trainer Booth saw his man at length outpointed by the giant Ukrainian, but wasn't happy with the way Rodriguez handle the bout.
Klitschko was subtracting a point for continually pushing Haye to the canvas, but he also awarded a controversial knockdown against the Briton in the 11th round. Afterwards a clearly seething Booth told Sky Box Office HD: I'm disgusted with the referee, totally shocked with the referee. He counts him when he got pushed to the canvas in its place of saying amazing. Decided to give David a rank count.
I let my approach be known to him at the end because I'm not just going to be one of those people who feel they have been aggrieved but walk away without saying anything. It's not right and it's not fair. I ain't got a problem with the choice, but I've got a problem with the arbitrator. I don't like him but it is what it is.
Booth admitted Haye's broken toe - sustained three weeks ago according to the fighter - severely hampered his man, but he also admitted that the better man on the night won.Wladimir is a big man, he's very effective. David's a much smaller man and he just couldn't get to him. The second phase wasn't there.
He could get himself into place on the first phase, but when curved in and when he threw the first right hand and Wladimir backed up he was supposed to follow it up with the same thing again and he couldn't. He had to walk off because his leg just wouldn't do it. His base just wouldn't do it. It's just one of persons things.
I haven't got a problem with the decision, and if David's toe had been well, who knows. He could have got to him more. Wladimir's a great winner. It was a hard fight for him too because David's very quick. But he proved he has the ability to concentrate for 12 rounds. We're just dissatisfied - he's plagued with injury. He's had so many evils with injuries throughout his career.