Broken ribs and a dodgy decision leave Reuben smarting after a draw

The 20-year-old was taking on the experienced Ryan Toms for the vacant super-welterweight British Classic Challenge belt and the opinion was he was a clear winner.

However, the referee scored the fight as a 77-77 draw leaving onlookers – and the boxer himself – baffled by the outcome.

Arrowsmith said: “It was very controversial. A lot of things happened in that fight and let’s just say nothing went to plan.

“I broke a couple of ribs in the second round which made it extremely difficult to breath.

“Just to compete six rounds with two cracked ribs is an achievement in itself.

“And for some reason the referee had it in for me a bit.

“We all thought I’d won the first four rounds. I probably lost it a bit in the fifth and sixth – I’ll give him that.

“But then I came back at the end and had two good rounds to finish.

“To be honest, I surprised myself a bit in the eighth. I had a really big last round and showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit.

“I thought I won it. I haven’t heard anyone say: ‘you know what, it was close’.

“Everyone has said it was six rounds to two – at least 5-3 ahead.

“In fact Ricky (Hatton) told me to take it easy in the last.

“He told me ‘take this round off. You’re ahead, just keep moving. Don’t worry, we’re winning’.

“Then we talked to the referee and he’s scored that I was behind going into the last.

“It’s a good job I put in a big one or I would have lost and that would have been really hard to take.

“I’m not someone who has his head in the clouds and thinks he’s won when he hasn’t. There’s no point doing that because you never learn.

“But I really don’t know how he’s scored that a draw.”

So what has Arrowsmith learned from the encounter that did not go his way?

“Try not to let the contest go to the judges!,” he stated.

“Listen, I’ve proved a few people wrong who thought I was just this big, tall fellow.

“I’ve learned a few things about myself as well.

“Now I’ve got four to six weeks off to let these ribs heal and that will give me some time to think about it as well.

“But whatever happens my next fight will be a re-match.

“I don’t want an easy fight. I don’t want to ease back in.

“It has to be a re-match or I won’t be able to move on.”