DANNY Green has performed the ultimate backflip, claiming Paul Briggs didn't take a dive and was legitimately hurt by his glancing punch in last night's controversial IBO cruiserweight title bout in Perth.
Green was left fuming last night when Briggs was counted out after copping a punch that merely grazed the top of his head, ending the bout just 29 seconds into the first round.
But today Green said he had changed his tune after viewing slow-motion vision of the punch.
The West Australian now believes nothing untoward occurred.
"I caught Briggs on the soft part on the skull on top of the head," Green told a packed media conference.
"I viewed the footage this morning and slowed the footage down to an incredibly slow speed and I'm happy I did that, because you can actually see the blow that lands.
"To the naked eye it appears it hasn't ... (landed) but this is proof he's been felled by a legitimate blow to the head and actually a brain stem kind of injury has occurred ... it's almost like a collision.
"He's come in, I've gone 'bang' and that's it, he's gone down for the count.
"He was legitimately hurt."
The Western Australian Professional Combat Sports Commission will hold inquiry into the bout under Section 47 of the Professional Combat Act.
It states: "where in relation to a contest the commission is of the opinion ... that the contest is a sham contest the commission shall inquire into the promotion, arrangement and conduct of the contest."
After the fight, Green threatened not to pay Briggs a cent, accusing the Queenslander of dogging it.
But Green confirmed this afternoon that Briggs would be paid in full, an amount believed to be in the vicinity of $250,000.
Briggs' trainer Billy Hussein said Briggs went to hospital after the fight.
"The fight doctor came back to the hotel and checked him out and said it was for the best that he went to hospital," Hussein told thewest.com.au late last night.
"Paul doesn't know what happened in there - he can't remember.
"I haven't got a clue what happened in there.
"I know Paul has had problems in the past but I'm speechless.
"He shouldn't have been in the ring with Danny Green - now people won't remember him as a great fighter, they'll just remember him for this."
Briggs' current condition remains unclear, with Hussein and Briggs not answering calls on Thursday.
Green said his management had spoken to Briggs' camp and were told the fighter was flying back east to be with his family.
Serious doubts are being raised about the fight after several betting agencies experienced a huge plunge by punters on a first or second round knockout.
It was Briggs' first fight since February, 2007.
The NSW Combat Sports Authority, whose refusal to sanction the fight forced it to be switched from Sydney to Perth at late notice, said its decision was vindicated.
"The Combat Sports Authority stands by its unanimous decision of 6 July 2010 not to sanction the proposed bout in NSW between Danny Green and Paul Briggs," the CSA said in a statement.
"The decision was made because of concerns for the health and welfare of Paul Briggs given his long absence from competitive boxing."
The CSA refused to sanction the bout when they heard rumours that Briggs retired in 2007 due to neurological problems.
Briggs hit back at those rumours before the fight, claiming he had been given the all clear by doctors after undergoing a range of medical tests.
