Is Boxing Rigged?

         Many people ask themselves, how is boxing scored? Not too long ago I figured out why they scored mostly nines and tens on the scorecard. The score usually determines whom they award that fight to for that round. The boxer will either receive a ten if he won the round or a nine if he did not, unless another point was deducted for a penalty. For the viewers their is an unofficial score card that is displayed while the fight is still in progress. With that there is system set up called a CompuBox, which allows a person to count jabs, power punches, hits, and misses. All this information is displayed and gives the audience an idea of who is potentially winning the fight. So how do professional boxers lose, even if they clearly dominated the fight? Realistically it all comes down to the judges. Judges are not always former fighters or boxing professionals. There are many different ways judges’ score a fight. Some may base their decisions of pure emotions or feelings. Others will argue that if you throw more punches you will win the fight. The point is, there are no set rules on how judges should score a fight.

         One fight that was very controversial last year was the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley. Many fanatics and Boxing professionals kept reviewing the fight over and over and would still argue that Pacquiao won the fight. Dan Rafael, ESPN boxing reporter wrote on his Twitter: “Sitting with writers comparing emails we’re getting from friends and people in boxing saying they never want to watch boxing again”. Many people were outraged and believed that boxing was not the same anymore.

        When it came down to the final CompuBox scores there was a big difference in punches thrown. “Manny out landed Bradley 253-159 in total punches and had a 190-108 edge in power shots landed. Manny out landed Bradley in 10 of 12 rounds.” (N C Concepts, 2012) These scores clearly make Pacquiao the winner, but judges thought differently. When Bradley was interviewed after the fight he commented: “It feels great, but I’m not satisfied,” he said. “You can hear the boos in the crowd, you know, everybody in the crowd thinks I lost the fight. I know it’s predominantly Pacquiao fans, but you know what? Let’s do it again.” It is fights like these that raise many questions on how boxing should be judged and scored.

         So how should boxing be scored? I propose that judges should view the fight with the same multi-angle cameras that viewers at home watch and not live. Also CompuBox score statistics should be considered before scoring the round. By viewing the fight in different angles, the judges can see exactly what viewers are watching. They would able review the punches better by seeing which fighter threw the most punches and did the most damage. CompuBox should be used to influence the judges on there decision before scoring that round. This would give them a different point of view and may ultimately change the outcome of the final score.

         Some people argue that CompuBox scores may be falsely counted because an individual with a button counts the punches, which then is logged into a computer. The person counting may have missed some punches or counted punches that did not make contact. Others speculate that CompuBox counter may “favor” a fighter because they were paid to do so but remains a speculation. Even with that system there is still the human error that can change the outcome of the score. In the end the judges are present to determine the outcome. Having the judges view the fight live has been a long time tradition. To some people it is better to see things with their own eyes to make a better judgment.

         In conclusion, by implementing the use of the CompuBox it will add another perspective to the judges. It will help them better compare score and determine a better outcome. Viewing the fight from different angles lets them better analyze the punches. Although traditional rules have been around for years, there has been too much controversy with these rules. Many say boxing is a dying sport and people are now turning towards MMA because of the purity and simplistic rules. To me, Boxing is still a great sport, but I would consider reviewing some of the rules and regulation to validate the decisions made rather than be ruined by a poor judgment. What do you guys think?