Boxer Nathan Heaney suffers horror cut above eye after headbutt on undercard of Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker

NATHAN HEANEY suffered a HORROR eye cut in his title fight with Jack Flatley… but emerged victorious on the premature scorecards.

The IBO middleweight champion was pulled out of the bout in Manchester in round six following a clash of heads.

Per the rules, as it was an accidental headbutt opposed to a punch, the bout went to the judges scorecards.

And all were in favour of Heaney, who retained his title despite his adoring travelling Stoke fans being left up in arms.

Former heavyweight champion David Haye accused Flatley of trying to deliberately sink his head into Heaney.

Haye said: “Flatley led with his head.

“He came in with his head, I can’t say he was trying to headbutt him but his body language was moving over his head over his front foot.

“He leads in, he jumps in with it, I don’t think he looked like he was trying to land a jab.

“That to me looked like he tried to headbutt him. Personally. That’s how it looked to me.”

The bout was part of the undercard ahead of Joe Joyce’s heavyweight fight with Joseph Parker.

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They fight for the WBO “interim” heavyweight title, putting the winner in line for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s belt.

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