Up Close, Painfully Personal : Hill’s Victory Is Shortened After Opponent Is Cut by Camera

Virgil Hill retained his World Boxing Assn. light-heavyweight title Saturday, winning a unanimous decision over Adolpho Washington in a bout shortened by one round after a ring camera cut Washington over his swollen left eye.

Washington was cut as he sat after the 11th round.

“As he (Washington) turned to sit, the tip of the camera sliced him,” referee Steve Smoger said. “I saw that . . . I was shocked. The first thing (I thought) is ‘Uh oh, what do I do now?’ ”

After several minutes of confusion, Smoger stopped the fight. Dr. Robert Oatfield recommended that Washington not continue because the camera opened a one-inch gash that completely closed his left eye.

Smoger said he had never seen a fight end that way in 12 years of working the ring.

Under WBA rules, when a fight is stopped because of an unintentional injury after the third round, whoever is leading on the cards at that point is declared the winner.

Hill, who had knocked Washington down in the second round and had severely bloodied the challenger’s nose, was the clear winner on all the judge’s cards.

Hill (34-1) said the unusual incident did not make for an anticlimatic ending before 7,100 at the Fargodome.

“As far as I’m concerned he was finished. The pay’s the same,” he said.