Andrew Moloney has announced his shock retirement from boxing after suffering a controversial loss to Mexico's Pedro Guevara in their WBC interim junior bantamweight world-title bout in Perth.
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And in another huge controversy on Sunday's card, England's Nina Hughes was awarded victory in her women's WBA bantamweight battle against Australian Cherneka Johnson - only for the result to be flipped a minute later when organisers realised the ring announcer had mixed up the scores.
Moloney landed far more shots to the head in his 12-round bout at RAC Arena and celebrated after the final bell.
But the 33-year-old was left in shock when the judges scored the bout 115-113, 115 -113, 113-116 in a split decision to Guevara that shocked the Moloney camp.
"I felt in total control. I did what I had to do in there tonight to get the win," Moloney said.
"I don't want to make excuses, but I went into this fight with a torn biceps, so I couldn't throw the left hook unless I needed to.
"I didn't feel like I needed to throw it because I was in total control.
"I just want to say thank you to Top Rank, thank you to my team for everything you've done for me.
"I want to thank my sponsors for backing me over the years because I'm retired. I'm out. I love you all, but sorry, f*** that."
The fight was part of the undercard of the George Kambosos versus Vasiliy Lomachenko IBF lightweight world-title bout.
Moloney entered the contest desperate to get one back for Team Moloney, following his twin brother Jason's defeat to Japan's Yoshiki Takei in their WBO bantamweight title clash earlier in the week.
He started strongly, landing a series of early heavy blows.
Guevara did well to attack Moloney's body throughout, but the Australian seemed to land the more telling blows to the head.
But it wasn't enough to convince two of the three judges, with Moloney glaring at the officials afterwards to express his shock.
Guevara said he would have "no problem" giving Moloney a re-match if the Aussie fighter wanted it.
There was even more controversy in the women's title bout between Hughes and Johnson.
Hughes was originally awarded the win by majority decision - 95-95, 96-94, 98-92 - but as she celebrated, the boxers were called back to the middle and told it was actually Johnson who had won.
"This is a joke," Hughes said. "I dominated it."
Promotor Lou DiBella apologised for the mix-up, saying officials had "screwed up".
The Hughes camp will launch an official protest - not for the announcement blunder, but for what they believed to be erroneous judging.
Hughes and her trainer Kevin Lilley particularly questioned the integrity of the referee who scored it 98-92.
"It's bulls**t," Lilley said. "We've been set up from day dot.
"You're killing Australian boxing by doing things like this.
"It was all set up for Cherneka (to win). That was a blatant robbery."
Johnson, who won the IBF super-bantamweight title in 2022 but lost the belt to Ellie Scotney last year, was over the moon to be awarded the win.
"I'm just glad they figured out (it was) the wrong decision," Johnson said.
In the undercard heavyweight bout, former WBA world champion Lucas Browne suffered a first-round technical knockout defeat to Kiwi Hemi Ahio.
Australian Associated Press
