I was too lenient with Saucedo - Roger Barnor slams critics

Referee Roger Barnor has justified why he stopped Ghana’s Emmanuel ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe and Argentina’s Fernando David Saucedo in the controversial 10th round Technical Knockout (TKO).

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nhyiraba Kwabena Asirifi, on Total Sports Review Saturday, the referee who came under fierce criticism, said he was too lenient with the boxer and should have stopped the bout earlier than the 10th round.

Ghana’s Emmanuel ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe defeated Argentina’s Fernando David Saucedo in the 10th round Technical Knockout (TKO), to defend his International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Lightweight belt on Saturday at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

Tagoe in the tenth round, pressed and landed a punch on the back of Saucedo’s head before connecting a left hook that sent the Argentine crashing to the mat.

Saucedo rose up and complained to the referee about what he termed as an illegal blow.

However, the referee stopped the bout and declared Tagoe victor. Reacting to the backlash and claims by the Argentine boxer he said, he received calls from other referees that he was too patient and lenient with him [Saucedo] hence the reason why he misbehaved.

‘’I should have disqualified him earlier on. I gave him too much chance and room…What really prompted me to stop the fight was because his trainer entreated the ring when the bell had not been sounded.’’

According to him, the rule states that, when the trainer enters the ring when the bell has not been sounded to end the fight, it means my world had had enough and the fight could not continue.’’

Mr. Barnor further explained to the host that, ‘’the boxer was not in the ring to win the fight because he was there for being there sake. He’s never won a single round, not drawn a single round out of the 10 previous rounds. So we can see he was just trying to buy out himself time just to finish the rounds, and you buying yourself out to finish the rounds, you should have been able to abide by the rules of the game which he wasn’t doing. And I had to apply the rule that says, you come into the ring without my invitation or the bell has not gone for you to come into the ring, it means my world had had enough and for that matter, Mr. referee stop the fight,’’ he said.