Michael Conlan insists he has no concerns about the scoring of his upcoming WBA featherweight title shot against Leigh Wood.
The unbeaten Irishman will face Wood in his hometown of Nottingham on March 12, with a largely-partisan crowd expected at the Motorpoint Arena.
The fight will come just two weeks after a controversial call saw Jack Catterall defeated by Josh Taylor by split-decision, with the impartiality of the judging called into question.
Catterall claimed there is “a lot of incompetence in boxing” as well as “some kind of corruption” as judge Ian John-Lewis has been asked to explain his decision to score the bout 114-111 in favour of defending light-welterweight champion Taylor.
Conlan is not troubled by the prospect of lightening striking twice as he explained the make-up of the judges ahead of his own title challenge.
“Selfishly, it probably happened for a good reason leading into my fight,” he said.
“So it is kind of going to be a bit hard to happen to me now that that has happened.
“I felt devastated for Jack Catterall but in a selfish kind of way I was probably quite happy it happened now instead of in my own fight.
“There will be international judges in this fight as well.
“This will not just be UK judges. I know that it was pushed because someone says we are both UK fighters.
“But I’m not, I’m Irish, it’s not the same and I think there will be three international judges then one English judge, one English referee.”
Famously, Conlan was on the receiving end of a dubious call during his amateur career – which had seen him win flyweight bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Four years later in Rio, he lost in the quarter-final of the bantamweight competition, eliminated as Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin was awarded the controversial points win.
Asked if he felt he would have to knock Wood out to ensure history did not repeat itself, Conlan replied: “I’m not worried about knocking anybody out or doing anything like that, if it comes, if comes.
“It quite possibly could come but at the same time I’m just focused on being the best Michael Conlan I can be.
“I know if I do that no judge in the world could rob me of what I’ll do so I’m excited.”
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