‘Total b*******’: Maxi Hughes slams ‘bitter’ Dominic Ingle for Kid Galahad claim

Rossington’s Hughes claimed a majority points’ decision over his Sheffield rival at Nottingham Arena in a fight which many onlookers felt could have gone either way.

Ingle felt his man did enough to win and claimed Hughes congratulated his opponent when they embraced after the final bell, suggesting it was an admission of defeat.

But Hughes, who retained his IBO lightweight title with his seventh straight win, said: “It’s total b*******’.

"When you share 12 rounds you can’t help but have respect for your opponent.

"I said something along the lines of ‘well done, we had a good fight’. He said: ‘I know I talk a lot of s***, I don’t mean it. We are all good’.

"One thing Dominic said to me before the decision was ‘I hope they paid you well for that, Maxi’. The man’s got no class.”

Ingle could be heard goading Hughes from ringside throughout the 12-round contest.

“We have beaten them with their sad remarks regarding them being Premier League and I’m Championship,” said Hughes.

"It looks like Man United have been toppled again.”

Both camps have shared a bitter rivalry since Galahad fought Hughes’s stablemate Josh Warrington in 2019.

Leeds-based Warrington won that fight on a split decision to retain his IBF featherweight title.

Hughes said: “Dom takes himself really seriously. Sean (O’Hagan, Hughes’s trainer) is the polar opposite of him but keeps getting the wins over his fighters.

"I’m pretty sure it bothers Dom when he goes to bed at night.

"He’s very bitter.”

Hughes hopes for a shot at one of the other lightweight world titles in his next bout – and has no plans to take a big payday and retire, which Ingle also suggested.

"Hopefully it will be early next year and we will have a chance to have three fights,” he said.

"While I’m in this prime of course I’m going to carry on.

"[If I lose] I would still be willing to carry on. I’ve lost before and I know I’m resilient enough to bring myself back.

"It’s a short career. I don’t want to retire with any regrets.

“But if something clicks in my mind I might think I’ve had enough.”