Pitt Loss Adds To Ire Over Judging
Newcastle Herald
Thursday August 14, 2008
UNLUCKY heavyweight Brad Pitt became the seventh Australian boxer eliminated from the Beijing Games, bombing out 11-6 to Morocco's Mohammed Arjaoui last night.
And as a frustrated Pitt walked away contemplating his boxing future, the Australian camp once again questioned the Olympic judges' scoring. Pitt appeared to have a case, especially in the second round when he landed clear punches that were not scored. Thinking he was ahead when he came out in the third round, Pitt was instead 4-2 behind. The Australians have also been left shaking their heads over scoring in bouts involving middleweight Jarrod Fletcher, light-welterweight Todd Kidd and flyweight Stephen Sutherland this week. Australian assistant Mick Daly was clearly fuming last night but deferred the spotlight to a philosophical Pitt."I definitely came back after the second round. I thought I was at least up a point, but I was down two points but that's the way it goes," Pitt said. Australia are desperate to break a 20-year Olympic boxing medal drought but have made a disastrous start. Only lightweight Anthony Little has claimed a first-round victory in the nine-strong team to date. The only other team member still in the hunt was super-heavyweight Daniel Beahan, who was to begin his Olympic campaign last night. Pitt was out to make a name for himself at the Games after becoming the first Australian heavyweight to win Commonwealth Games gold, when he did so at Melbourne in 2006. The Australian camp believed Pitt's awkward style and heavy hands would provide a winning combination at the Games. No disrespect to Pitt, but it was not his prowess but his film star name link that attracted an international media presence at his fight. Previous Australian boxers had not received a second look, but journalists emerged from the woodwork to watch the Victorian painter at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium. "I can't complain too much," Pitt said of his hard-luck story. "What has happened is in the past. I've just got to move on." Pitt said his only game plan at the moment was to "have a holiday". AAP
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
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