Wilson Camp wants answers after ‘cheating’ at weigh-in

Liam Wilson’s manager has threatened to boycott Emanuel Navarrete’s world title fight if officials continue to ignore his request to investigate allegations of a weigh-in cheating scandal.

Steve Scanlan told AAP on the morning of Friday’s fight that officials from the Arizona State Boxing Commission and the sanctions agency WBO and Navarrete’s promoter Top Rank had all fallen silent after the previous day’s bizarre weigh-in drama in Phoenix.

“100 percent,” he said when asked by AAP if he was seriously considering exiting.

“They have not returned my calls and emails (requesting an investigation); they don’t seem to get up early, this commission.

“We’ve come a long way and we won’t be easily bullied if they are scammers, which they appear to be.”

Footage from Thursday’s weigh-in shows an officer touching the digital scale twice before Wilson and Mexican star Navarrete board.

The Australian and his team were stunned when Wilson weighed in at 126.6 pounds, some four pounds, or two kilograms, lighter than they claim he weighed just 20 minutes earlier.

Two-part world champion Navarrete (129.2 pounds), fighting in the heavier super featherweight division for the first time, then snuck below the 130-pound or 59-kg barrier at Desert Diamond Arena.

Wilson weighed himself again on the same scale less than an hour later and was up from 126.3 to 132.3 pounds.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum dismissed their concerns as “conspiracy theories,” saying, “This is Arizona, nobody f***s the scales.”

That’s the only feedback Wilson’s camp has received, however, forcing Scanlan to up the ante just hours before the 26-year-old Queensland native’s biggest moment.

“They laugh about it and wash their hands off it,” said Scanlan, who admitted he wasn’t sure how the scales had been set.

“If it gets to 2pm and (we haven’t heard from them) we can tell Top Rank we’re pulling out. I’m sure something will happen then.

“I’ve come a long way and Liam would kill me if I retired, but at the end of the day it’s his health and safety.”

Scanlan wants the pair to be weighed again on Friday afternoon (Saturday morning AEDT) and insists Navarrete shouldn’t have weighed more than 66kg if he had legally gained weight.

“So if you have nothing to hide, jump on the scale,” he said.

“If he’s that much heavier than Liam, that’s an unfair advantage and Liam could get injured.

“Boxing is dangerous, people are constantly dying in the ring.

“If something happens tonight, none of us will ever sleep well again.”

Undefeated for more than 10 years, Navarrete was set to challenge fellow superstar and two-weight champion Oscar Valdez for the vacant belt before succumbing to injury and opening the door to Wilson’s dream opportunity.

“I knew he would underestimate Liam,” Scanlan said.

“If it’s going to be a close fight I can’t sleep at night knowing I haven’t done everything I can to make sure it’s fair.

“Somebody has to stand against them or the Aussies will come by forever and they know they can get away with ***t.”