Stevie Spark's Controversial Split-Decision Loss to Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela in Mexico
Key Highlights :
Australian Stevie Spark was widely expected to win his biggest fight yet, but his mood quickly turned after suffering a controversial split-decision loss to home hero Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela in Mexico on Saturday night. The fight for Spark’s WBA intercontinental super-lightweight title, on the undercard of world champion Canelo Alvarez’s unanimous victory over John Ryder, went the distance.
Pundits, including Matchroom Boxing powerbroker Eddie Hearn, had Spark winning but the judges saw it differently. Valenzuela won via split decision as the judges scored the fight 96-93, 94-95 and 95-94. “Two absolute warriors! How you got it? I have Spark edging it,” Hearn wrote before the result came in. Australian boxing commentator Ben Damon laid it in plain English: “Spark has been robbed by split decision in Mexico.”
A body shot dropped Spark in the sixth round, but he was otherwise in command, landing 176 power punches to Valenzuela’s 86 in front of 50,000 Mexican boxing fans. “Great fight and tough effort from local Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela but despite the knockdown he did not win the fight. I had Spark 96-93,” Damon added.
Spark reposted the messages and left the boxing world in no doubt about his feelings when he added his own comment after the fight. “They can take the decision but they can’t take my spirit!!” the fighter wrote. “Thank you Australia for your support, I’ll continue to take the hard fights and give the fans a show each and every time.”
The Toowoomba product had not fought since last November, and the loss was a major setback for the Matchroom Boxing stable. Meanwhile, Australian fighter Liam Paro will end his own long absence from the ring when he fights WBC super-lightweight champion Regis Prograis for the title in June.
Paro has since had two scheduled bouts cancelled but after Prograis’ move to Hearn’s Matchroom stable was confirmed he was quickly locked in as the American’s challenger. They will fight in Prograis’ native Louisiana at the New Orleans Smoothie King Centre on June 17. Prograis reclaimed the WBC title in a win over Jose Zepeda in November and boasts a 28-1 record, his only loss coming against former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor.
Paro (23-0) is the latest Australian to secure a world-title shot, with Kingscliff twins Jason and Andrew Moloney contesting belts in the United States on May 13 and May 20 respectively. With Spark’s loss, all eyes will now be on Paro to see if he can bring a world title back to Australia.
Despite the setback, Spark is determined to continue to take the hard fights and give the fans a show each and every time. He will no doubt be looking to make amends for the controversial loss when he steps into the ring again.
