Unique Boxing Trend! Judges NO Longer Favoring Promoter’s Fighters, Underdogs Winning Frequently During Pandemic
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Ever since Muhammad Ali got one judge’s scorecard in his first bout with Leon Spinks in defense of his world heavyweight title, which Spinks won by split decision in 15 rounds, boxing fans have been criticizing a lifetime of bad decisions and bad judging worse than the professional sports instant replay.
Lately, though, during the Coronavirus pandemic, whereby many fighters and their once-promising boxing careers have been plagued by long periods of self-imposed inactivity, a string of upsets have occurred, which as it turns out, were not upsets at all. Rather, the winning fighter got the benefit of at least two judges seeing the scoring of the bout correctly over the promoter’s favored fighter, who almost always steals the decision and has to win even under the worst of televised circumstances.
When Vladimir “24K” Hernandez beat former world super welterweight champion Julian Williams by ten-round split decision last weekend, and when European Super Lightweight champion Sandor Martin beat four divisional champion, Mikey Garcia, by ten round majority decision this past weekend, the word was out. Judges are not buying into the limelight and the over-promoted hoopla of the promoter’s big promotional groups and big promoted champions and names anymore. When Jonathan Gonzalez won a 12 round split decision over Elwin Soto, also this past weekend, to win the World Boxing Organisation World Light Flyweight title, the concept of judges robbing fighters took a back seat. When Oleksandr Usyk decisioned Anthony Joshua for his share of the world heavyweight title, Usyk deserved the win, earned it in the United Kingdom and he got it.
The bottom line is, and thankfully so during the Coronavirus pandemic, more boxing judges are getting from glitz and glitter, and are doing their jobs, honestly better than before. Just because the sports public adores some athletes more than others does NOT guarantee favoritism anymore. In a higher sense, this is good to see, that judging can be neutral and fair over preferential treatment. It is also good to see the commentators unofficially judging televised events, particularly on DAZN, are standing for the right thing and not for the adored fighter. Martin, Hernandez and Gonzalez deserved their wins. The precedent being set is not just more minor and major boxing upsets are on the horizon. Neutral and fair judging is emerging from the pandemic time period as a positive benefit of COVID-19. Strange to say, but more boxing upsets are definitely coming before the end of 2021. Neutral and fair judging is good, and we want to see more of it in future. Amen.
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