Shaun Krysa ECC 5 appeal review
As I've previously reported, a few weeks ago Chris Boreland of Boreland
Combat Team submitted a formal appeal to the Nova Scotia Boxing
Authority (NSBA) as a result of the loss attributed to his fighter, Shaun
Krysa (Pictures), at ECC 5 "Night of Champions."
For those of you who are new to the circumstances, I'll include the
pertinent paragraphs from my post ECC 5 article.
Next came the controversy. Krysa was on his knees in MacKay's full
guard, when MacKay let loose a wicked up-kick that caught Krysa flush
on the chin, knocking him back to the mat.
The move was illegal since Krysa was on his knees. The referee
deducted one point, and then the cage-side doctor came in to examine
Krysa. After a minute the fight was called off.
In an unusual and puzzling move, the announcer claimed that since the
hit was an "accidental foul" the fight would be decided by judges'
scorecard, even though it was only halfway through the second round.
Boreland had expressed his discontent immediately after the decision
had been read, and after returning to Ontario filed the appeal with the
NSBA. For several weeks he and NSBA Chairman Mickey MacDonald
have been conversing via e-mail.
Boreland has been very vocal in his displeasure with what he claims
was a biased and incorrect decision against Krysa. At first look, it does
appear that he's correct, and that based on the Unified Rules of MMA
MacKay should have been either disqualified or the fight ruled a "No
Contest" based on MacKay's intent.
Unfortunately for Krysa, MacDonald dropped a bombshell when he told
Boreland that Nova Scotia doesn't follow the Unified Rules. Instead,
they have created an entirely new rule set, that of the NSBA. The NSBA
rules are very similar to the Unified Rules for the most part, but in this
circumstance they differ.
In the Unified Rules, for an accidental foul such as what happened at
ECC 5, it states that, "If the referee determines that a contest or
exhibition of mixed martial arts may not continue because of an injury
suffered as the result of an accidental foul, the contest or exhibition
must be declared a no contest if the foul occurs during (a) The first two
rounds of a contest or exhibition that is scheduled for three rounds or
less."
Regarding accidental blows in the NSBA rules, "154. If the referee sees
or, after consultation with the judges, determines that a boxer has
been accidentally injured in a boxing match and it is determined that
(a) the boxer cannot continue, the referee shall immediately call a
technical decision to be awarded to the boxer who is ahead in points
on the scorecards."
I have spoken to several people knowledgeable about boxing, and they
confirm that this is a common rule in professional boxing. Based on
this criterion, the NSBA has decided that Boreland's appeal has no
merit and the decision awarding MacKay the ECC lightweight
championship will stand.
Obviously Boreland and Krysa are upset with this decision, but they
appear to have found an ally from an unexpected source.
ECC Promoter Peter Martell recently provided the NSBA with video
footage of the fight, and when I asked him about Boreland's appeal,
said, "I'm on his side."
"Every organization, the UFC or PRIDE or whatever, they all have their
times when they have something unusual that happens," Martell said.
"We (ECC) just had ours, and the NSBA didn't do well with the test."
Many people in the industry agree with Martell, and numerous other
fighters and fans have been left confused with this judgment.
I have mentioned numerous times in the past that the NSBA has
impressed me very much with their acceptance of MMA into their
purview. I think it's a shame that after all their hard work this one
incident could give both the NSBA and by default the ECC a black eye
that will take a long time to disappear.
At the end of the day, if an organization wants to prosper and attract
high-level competition, a solid reputation is crucial.
Added Martell: "We want to run an organization with conscience and
integrity."