In a shocking twist during the WBA bantamweight championship, Nina Hughes and Cherneka Johnson were caught up in a major blunder as the ring announcer declared the incorrect winner. The fight, which took place in Perth, Australia, saw Dan Hennessey initially award the victory to Hughes after the judges’ scorecards were tallied.

The ten-round match, which failed to produce a knockout, ended in chaos due to the egregious error. British fighter Hughes was momentarily elated with a majority decision win, celebrating with her team after what seemed like a triumphant effort.

Confusion ensued when both boxers were called back to the ring’s centre, where announcer Hennessey had to confess to the monumental mistake, subsequently declaring Johnson the rightful victor.

With the referee lifting Johnson’s arm in victory, the corrected scores revealed a 98-92, 96-94 judgement, with one judge deeming it a draw. A bewildered Hughes, stripped of her title under such unusual circumstances, expressed her dismay. “I just don’t get it,” she said.

“How can they announce I had won and then change the scores? I thought I’d dominated early. I thought she won a few of the later rounds but I felt like I won it comfortably. I don’t get how you can announce the winner and then change the scores.”