12/21/24
June 21, 2012
WBO Scores Fight for Pacquiao: A five-judge panel assembled by the WBO championship committee unanimously favored Manny Pacquiao over Timothy Bradley in a video review of their fight.
I don't know how often (if ever) an organization does this, but this form of oversight creates a slippery slope. Who's the first boxer who will want a decision overturned in this manner? At least Pacquiao has stated he wants a rematch rather than be given back the championship.
Two ideas: anyone for five judges? It would mean two judges on opposite ends of one side, but it might minimize these cases; or adopt the international amateur system of scoring ... hit a button within 1-1 1/2 seconds for what he/she believes is a scoring (effective) punch; a point is scored when a majority of judges agree.
posted by jjzucal at 05:21 PM on June 21, 2012
Of the five the one closest to giving the fight to Bradley scored it 115-113 in Pacquiao's favour. That's the worst result in the review matching the best result on the night.
The possible high bar on this situation is that there's no corruption, it's just two long-term professional boxing judges turn out to be really bad at judging boxing.