Defeat, but this was by far the best yet from superb Powar

Gully Powar…outstanding in Riyadh. Picture: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer

IT sounds eccentric, but in boxing sometimes a loss is only a loss on paper. The performance is worth far more than the ‘L’ placed on a record.

That strange logic was underlined by Gully Powar’s magnificent performance against Brandon Mejia Mosqueda, a feared Mexican puncher who had stopped all nine opponents before facing the Wolverhampton prospect.

The record books will tell you – and future generations – that in the last 16 stage of the WBC featherweight Grand Prix tournament, Mosqueda won and won widely on points.

The record books will not tell the story of Powar’s outstanding display in Riyadh on Saturday. Gully rose from the canvas in the first to give the tournament favourite all the trouble he could handle.

The mathematics shown in record books will certainly be wrong, in my opinion. The three judges at ringside gave 22-year-old Powar only one round between them, with scores of 59-54 and 60-53 (twice).

It was closer than that, although the right man had his hand raised.

Powar boxed with an intellect and poise, building points behind stiff, accurate jabs, that marked him as a British title contender. Mosqueda, branded a monster, was forced back in the fourth and fifth – rounds I felt Powar definitely won – and made to look ragged.

Despite suffering the first defeat in a 13 bout career, Powar came of age in Riyadh, his stock soared.

“I proved I’m a future world champion,” he told me. “I’m back in the gym today (Tuesday), I feel fresh, I’m staying focused. He’s a great fighter, but he was frustrated. I hit him with 50 jabs in the face. It’s a loss on paper, but not in my heart. I kept to the basics, I kept my composure.”

What it was, was a great fights with the ebbs and flows in fortune that make for a great fight.

It had controversy, too. Mosqueda was clipped by a left as he stumbled off-balance to the floor in the second and Powar’s team strongly felt, by applying the letter of the law, that should’ve been declared a knockdown.

I’m on the side of the officials. In my eyes, the Mexican was falling when the blow connected and it lacked the power to take his feet away. Ruling a knockdown would’ve been harsh.

“It was a close fight in the public’s eye,” said Gully. “The punch landed when he was off-balance, but the punch landed. I could see it was a knockdown and everyone’s on the same page about it. I was a bit disheartened when I heard how wide the scores were, I won the last three rounds and I thought I won the second.

“He was definitely powerful, his record speaks for itself. My ring IQ showed, I made him miss. It was a back and forth fight, it was the fight of the night – I hit him, he hit me back. I think I did overdo the jab.”

This was the best version of Powar I’ve seen – and by a very long way. He has emerged as a far, far better fighter than I thought he would. He looks like a champion.

Early on, Mosqueda was dangerous with looping left hooks and one sent Gully crashing in the first.

Gully bit on his gumshield, fought back with straight punches and by the fourth was forcing the favourite to give ground.

There was not a lot of daylight between the pair going into the last and I felt Mosqueda shaded it by boxing and landing an eye-catching right.

Taking part in the Grand Prix, a competition between some of the world’s best prospects, was a gamble for Gully and trainer Richard Carter. It’s a gamble that has certainly paid off.

“No regrets,” Powar added. “I dared to be great. I fought the best, I had the hardest draw. I showed I’m a great fighter, I’m 22 and there’s lots of time. I showed I’m a world champion in the making, I exposed him.”

“I want a British title fight, I want that as soon as possible. I proved I’m that level.”