Boxing Announcer Declares Wrong Winner in Women's Bantamweight Title Fight

When it was all over, veteran ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore was irate.

"I want clean up what we saw with this absolute clown show garbage amateur hour we saw with the ring announcer moments ago," Tessitore said after Australia's Cherneka Johnson defeated Great Britain's Nina Hughes by majority decision to win the WBA women's bantamweight title Saturday night in Perth.

What happened was this: Johnson beat Hughes "from the jump," as ringside broadcaster Bernardo Osuna told Tessitorre on ESPN's broadcast. However, ring announcer Daniel Hennessey read the results incorrectly—declaring the wrong winner.

Hughes and Johnson shook hands and the former celebrated before Hennessy called both fighters back to the center of the ring.

The referee and competitors obliged, visibly confused. Hennessy then declared Johnson the winner to the shock of the crowd.

"Is this for real?" Tessitore asked. "Is this guy, 'Lieutenant' Dan Hennessey, for real?"

For both Hughes and Johnson, it was a fight to remember—and not in a good way.