Heartache for Kid Boxer......

Below is an article from the Portsmouth website http://www.portsmouth.co.uk:

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/teenager_s_boxing_hopes_in_tatters_after_ban_at_final_1_3567236

You have to feel for the kid and also want to slap the ref!

Below is a cut and paste of the text, shocking!

A TEENAGER has told how his national boxing dream has been shattered – over a row about the colour of his gum shield.

Ashley Devenport, 13, was disqualified from the final of the ABA Schoolboy Championships moments before the biggest fight of his life.

The referee insisted he was wearing a red gum shield that broke competition rules – even though the shield is orange.

Ashley, a member of Ted Harris Boxing Academy, said: ‘I was devastated. It just felt like all my hard work had gone in the bin.’

Referee Wayne Heywood said the gum shield was red, which is outlawed in case it obscures the sight of any blood.


The Drayton teenager’s team insists it is orange, and had been used throughout his march to the national final in Mansfield on Saturday.

The gum shield had also been passed twice shortly before the final – by a doctor and at the weigh-in.

But the referee disqualified the shocked boxer and the bout did not go ahead. He even refused efforts to allow Devenport to use a replacement gum shield for the meeting with reigning champion Mark Jeffers.

Ashley said: ‘I was excited. I just wanted to get in the ring. It meant a lot. Boxing has been a part of my life for quite a while.

‘To get to the finals and achieve something big like this would have been brilliant. It was a dream to do it.’

Devenport’s furious coach Ted Harris, 71, who has been involved in boxing for 36 years, said: ‘I’ve been in boxing a long time and never seen anything of this nature. He has been left heartbroken because of an officious referee.

‘Anyone who looks at the gum shield can see it’s orange. Not just orange but luminous orange.

‘Not only that, but it had been passed as okay to be used and Ashley has been wearing it for a couple of seasons.

‘We even offered to change the gum shield, but he said it was too late and he’d already been disqualified. It was ridiculous.

‘Ashley has put in a year’s work and his family have gone to all the expense of travelling the country with him.

‘This was a wonderful chance for him, and he may never get another opportunity like this one. It’s been taken from him.’

ABA board member Dave Cockell, who was in charge of the event, said: ‘The referee called me as I walked past the ring and said “this guy has a red gum shield”. I said “you know red is not allowed” and walked on. I am kicking myself for walking on.

‘As I walked back he had thrown him out. I would have said to get him out of the ring, get it sorted, and box four or five fights down the line. I am on the club’s side, not against them.’

Mr Heywood, who runs Ashton Albion Amateur Boxing Club, made no comment when contacted by The News.

The website shows a photo of the gum sheild as well, so no need to think it could be mistaken for red!

Not even close the red. What was the ref thinking? Hope the ABA take action against him after this.

*makes mental note to throw out my red gumshield when I get home*

Ive heard that Bob Arum has signed Mark Jeffers onto the books at Toprank as a future hall of famer, so he paid off the ref. Does the same with Pacquiao, Chavez etc etc. He is good, ill give him that.

Refs/Judges and the like seem to be beyond reproach in boxing these days. Ridiculous stoppages, bad kockdowns, scandalous scoring and then this plonker.

I mean why else is Ian John Lewis still referee and judge??

Shameful really, not fair on the fighter, the club or the fans who had turned up to watch. Pedantry for the sake of pedantry and nothing more, can only hope the ABA ban the ref for a healthy amount of time because this is nonsense and so unfair.

I hate amatuer refs.

Looks red to me. Yes, put it on a white background next to a dark red one and shine a light on it, and it looks a bit more orangey than red.

The rules are there for a reason, they must have known the rules, so why not us a white or blue one, then there is no chance of this problem arising?

No sympathy.

Blimey Union. Talk about strict! They even offered to change it but the ref said no.

Tight get! He's only a kid. If it happened at the highest level - they would just go and get another one from the dressing room.

Union - I thought the same thing. I looked at the link and literally straight away knew why he was kicked from the competition. Like you rightly said, choose a white or blue or black or green or yellow or gold or pink or WHATEVER. Just not this one. No sympathy either. Although for my own amusement, i still feel Bob Arum had a part to play

Daz wrote:Refs/Judges and the like seem to be beyond reproach in boxing these days. Ridiculous stoppages, bad kockdowns, scandalous scoring and then this plonker.

I mean why else is Ian John Lewis still referee and judge??

Owch sounds nasty

Hahahahahaha!!! Well spotted. I'm gona leave it like that. Haha!

It's bright orange!!! Not red!

Daz wrote:

d260005p wrote:Union - I thought the same thing. I looked at the link and literally straight away knew why he was kicked from the competition. Like you rightly said, choose a white or blue or black or green or yellow or gold or pink or WHATEVER. Just not this one. No sympathy either. Although for my own amusement, i still feel Bob Arum had a part to play

It's bright orange!!! Not red!

I never said it was "red"

That's what happens when you give power happy people a bit of authority, unbelievable. They should ban him for life the ref.

d260005p wrote:

Daz wrote:

d260005p wrote:Union - I thought the same thing. I looked at the link and literally straight away knew why he was kicked from the competition. Like you rightly said, choose a white or blue or black or green or yellow or gold or pink or WHATEVER. Just not this one. No sympathy either. Although for my own amusement, i still feel Bob Arum had a part to play

It's bright orange!!! Not red!

I never said it was "red"

Sorry that was aimed at Union.

In the darkness of the spotty youth's mouth it could well appear red, as I said before it only looks 'bright orange' if you put it on a white surface next to a dark red one and shine a light on it.

Orange is close to red, so why take the risk?

They got everything they deserve.

The fact he's been using that mouth guard in other fights Union suggests this ref was over the top in kicking him out, even more so after the corner said they'd change it.

Union Cane wrote:In the darkness of the spotty youth's mouth it could well appear red, as I said before it only looks 'bright orange' if you put it on a white surface next to a dark red one and shine a light on it.

Orange is close to red, so why take the risk?

They got everything they deserve.

I'd hate to be your kid!

It's not the kid's thought, yes a contrasting colour from red would have been more advisable but he'd gone through the competition with the same mouth guard and no one brought it up and even the bloke from the committee said it was ludicrous!

hampo171 wrote:The fact he's been using that mouth guard in other fights Union suggests this ref was over the top in kicking him out, even more so after the corner said they'd change it.

I disagree.

If I get stopped for speeding and explain that I was speeding the day before and the day before that but didn't get stopped, would they let me off?

If I said I'd change my driving habits would they let me off?

No, and no.

Credit to the referee.

Union Cane wrote:

They got everything they deserve.

He didn't get everything he deserves though did he Union because he didn't actually break an offence, rather took a silly chance that somone could have interpreted him to have broken the rules which is not really the same thing, as such the punishment is completely disproportionate. However, I do think you know all this already and are only arguing otherwise out of boredom.

Union Cane wrote:

hampo171 wrote:The fact he's been using that mouth guard in other fights Union suggests this ref was over the top in kicking him out, even more so after the corner said they'd change it.

I disagree.

If I get stopped for speeding and explain that I was speeding the day before and the day before that but didn't get stopped, would they let me off?

If I said I'd change my driving habits would they let me off?

No, and no.

Credit to the referee.

That's irrelevant as he didnt break any rules, it wasnt red. Speeding is breaking the rules. I can see where you are coming from but taking into consideration the amount of preparation a young boxer puts in for a tournament like this, perhaps a word to say use a different colour next time would have sufficed.

You Sir are mean.

I think this clears it up : http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-red

Union Cane wrote:I think this clears it up : http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-red

It may surprise you that orange and orange red are two different colours Union. You must be either:

a) Seriously bored
b) The pedantic referee
c) A close relation of the ref
d) A tight git.

Just pointing out that the boundary between red and orange is very indistinct and impossible to define. Old Ted Harris should have known better.

I blame Ted.

Daz wrote:

Union Cane wrote:I think this clears it up : http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange-red

It may surprise you that orange and orange red are two different colours Union. You must be either:

a) Seriously bored
b) The pedantic referee
c) A close relation of the ref
d) A tight git.

I am fairly certain he is at least two, and probably three of these things.

I dont think hes bored rowley.

Union Cane wrote:

hampo171 wrote:The fact he's been using that mouth guard in other fights Union suggests this ref was over the top in kicking him out, even more so after the corner said they'd change it.

I disagree.

If I get stopped for speeding and explain that I was speeding the day before and the day before that but didn't get stopped, would they let me off?

If I said I'd change my driving habits would they let me off?

No, and no.

Credit to the referee.

Completely different scenerio's Union. Can you imagine if a referee didn't like the way a boxers hands where wrapped and threw him out of the fight before it had even been started? There would be outrage and rightly so.

To be honest when in his mouth it looks pretty red to me. It's only in the comparison is it clear to see the differences. Why couldn't he justb have worn a completely different colour like blue?

Not only is Union a light weight dweeb he's also colour blind.