If Josh Warrington would’ve turned around before he did Saturday night to answer referee Michael Alexander’s commands, Eddie Hearn is certain that Warrington would have been allowed to continue in his featherweight title fight against Leigh Wood.

Alexander had little choice, according to what Hearn revealed that the British official told him in the ring, but to stop their 12-round, 126-pound championship clash once Warrington turned his back on the action and stumbled his way to his corner after Wood dropped him a few seconds before the bell sounded to end the seventh round at Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England.

Warrington was on his feet when Alexander counted to three and immediately started walking back to his corner. The former IBF featherweight champion claimed the reason he walked to his corner, with his back turned to Alexander and Wood, was because he heard the bell sound to conclude the eighth round and wanted to sit on his stool to recover.

Warrington eventually turned around to face Alexander, but Alexander then waved an end to the action.

Hearn – whose company, Matchroom Boxing, promotes Wood and Warrington – gave his take on the dramatic conclusion to the Wood-Warrington fight during their post-fight press conference.  

“I mean, my thoughts are, and I said this to Josh in the ring, and I’d like to hear everybody else’s [thoughts],” Hearn said. “I think if Josh woulda turned around, they woulda hundred percent let the fight carry on. If the ref did call it after eight, I think it was too early because he should’ve given him, you know, the opportunity to turn around. But, you know, from where I saw the fact that he went back to the corner, and didn’t [turn around] – that’s what the ref said to me. He said he wouldn’t turn around, and if you don’t turn around, I can’t let him continue.”

Warrington was ahead on all three scorecards entering the seventh round. Judges Jean-Robert Laine (59-55) and David Singh (59-55) both scored five of the first six rounds for Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs), who won four of the initial six rounds according to judge Howard Foster (58-56).

Alexander deducted a point from Warrington in the seventh round for repeatedly hitting Wood on the back of his head. Toward the end of the seventh round, Wood (28-3, 17 KOs) caught Warrington with a right hook that hurt him badly.

A few seconds later, Wood drilled Warrington with a right-left combination that knocked Warrington flat on his back and abruptly ended a main event DAZN streamed worldwide.

In the end, Hearn believes the referee made the right decision.

"I said to Tony Bellew that I thought Leigh was done," Hearn said to BBC Sport. 

"He looked almost like he was sulking. I thought he was a round away from losing. Josh switched off for a second and it was goodnight Vienna. 

"Josh was desperate to carry on and he was trying to compose himself. He didn't have his senses to carry on. The ref made the right decision, what a thriller."

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.