The match was halted 30 seconds from the end of the sixth round when a clash of heads – deemed accidental – caused a ( what looked like at the time) deep wound over McCloskey's left eye.McCloskey's furious manager Barry Hearn vowed to lodge a complaint over the stoppage which he called a "disgrace". But in defence of the referee he was only doing his job as ugly scenes broke out in the ring. The Ref called time just 30 sec to go in the 6th round and call the doctor in to check the cut on McCloskey and it was the doctor who stopped the fight not the Ref. The referee done everything what he was there to do - the fight was stopped after consulting with the ringside doctor then the referee stopped the fight from the direction from the chief ringside doctor.

McCloskey's manager Barry Hearn leapt into the ring screaming at the Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon: "You are a disgrace!" Hearn was far from happy, even though he had lost every round on the judges' scorecards.

It was a controversial ending for Khan's fourth defence, for the cut, when cleaned up, was obviously not as severe as it seemed when blood first poured from it. "This was McCloskey's dream chance, the referee and doctor should hang their heads in shame," said Hearn. "I've seen 10 or 20 times worse cuts than that." Added Barry Hearn.

That may be so but it was hard to see how McCloskey was going to win the fight was the view from ringsiders, we'll never know now. Khan was declared the victor as the three British judges had him winning every round 60-54.

McCloskey, the European champion unbeaten in 22 fights, was elusive and claimed he was biding his time as he believed Khan was tiring.

"I don't know what the ref and doctor were thinking," he said. "My corner could have stopped the blood, no problem, but they weren't given the chance. Amir was knackered and I was getting stronger."

"It was easy," said Khan. "I was fighting at my own pace. If the fight had gone on longer he would have got badly hurt." Hearn is making a complaint to the Board of Control. "It is a very hollow victory for Khan," he said. "This is a brutal sport and you have to get on with it and not pull the plug as the referee did."

Khan's homecoming turned out to be little more than a flying visit. After the pre-fight rows he said he will not be returning "for a long, long time". His next bout looks certain to be a unification affair in July with Timothy Bradley, the WBC champion and an opponent of a different order.