The judges’ scores:
The fight carried tension before it ever reached the ring. Coe came in more than seven pounds over the light heavyweight limit at the weigh in, forfeiting a portion of his purse and igniting a heated exchange that nearly turned physical. Hart, the veteran returning from a layoff, accepted the fight anyway and entered the ring at a clear size disadvantage.
Once the bell rang, Hart’s experience showed early. He was the busier fighter through the opening rounds, landing cleaner right hands and forcing exchanges while Coe boxed cautiously. Despite the weight edge, Coe remained tentative and struggled to impose himself, allowing Hart to dictate the tempo.
That pattern largely held through the middle rounds. Hart continued to outwork Coe, even as fatigue became more visible. There were moments where Hart appeared open and slowing, but Coe failed to take advantage. Rather than pressing, he circled, waited, and let rounds slip without making a clear claim to them.
The later rounds followed a similar script. Hart stayed active, landed the more noticeable shots, and closed exchanges with purpose. Coe, needing urgency, remained passive, particularly down the stretch. The final round offered little separation and no decisive push from the younger fighter.
When the scores were announced in Coe’s favor, the reaction was immediate and skeptical. Hart appeared to have done enough through activity, clean punching, and ring control to earn the decision, even in an ugly and uneven fight.
Coe leaves with a win on his record, but the performance did little to justify the result. Hart, despite the loss on paper, looked like the fighter who understood the assignment and executed it. On a night that began with controversy, the ending only added to it.
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