Bad Boxing Decisions by the Judges Throughout the Years

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By “The First Lady of Boxing” Jackie Kallen

Recently my junior welterweight Myquan Williams, 15-0-1, 7 KO’s was given a draw when most people on hand felt he clearly won. At first, I was disappointed and angry, but then I started thinking about the many other horrible decisions I’ve seen. At least we got a draw, not a loss. Some fighters weren’t as lucky.

Interestingly, one of the most highly-contested decisions was when my fighter James Toney fought Dave Tiberi in Atlantic City. James was the champion and Tiberi was a lightly-regarded opponent. This was supposed to be an easy activity fight for the champ. As usual, James was having trouble making weight. Apparently, the process of losing too much in too short a time took his toll and James was not himself.

It was a tough fight for both and in the opinion of most viewers, Tiberi clearly won. One judge gave it to Tiberi 117-111. The other two judges gave it to Toney 115-112. This decision led to a Senate investigation of boxing and caused a helluva a stink. Tiberi retired in disgust after this fight and wrote a book about it.

When George Foreman fought Shannon Briggs in his last career fight, he lost by decision despite the fact that most felt that “Big” George did enough to win. He stunned Briggs several times with power shots and seemed to be the aggressor all night. But the judges somehow saw it differently and declared Briggs the winner. Foreman took off the gloves and never fought again.

I also had trouble agreeing with the judges when Oscar De La Hoya fought Felix Sturm from Germany here in the US. This was supposed to be a tune-up match for Oscar’s upcoming fight with Bernard Hopkins. He obviously didn’t take Sturm seriously and looked lackluster and bored. He was fighting at 160 instead of his usual 154 and looked as though his conditioning didn’t look great. Sturm clearly boxed circles around Oscar and looked as though he won easily. But the decision was controversially handed to De La Hoya.

What boxing fan can forget the Paul Williams/Erislandy Lara fight. Williams was a feared competitor when the little-known Lara took him on. Showing no fear, Lara took the fight to Williams and a blind man could see that the win was easily in his pocket. Surprise surprise. The three judges gave it to Williams and were subsequently all suspended by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. Shame on them!

Being from Detroit, Joe Louis is one of my heroes. He was one of the greatest to ever put on a pair of gloves. But even Joe got gifts from time to time. The old-timers here who hung around the Kronk Gym always talked about the “great robbery” when Louis fought Jersey Joe Walcott. According to legend, Walcott dropped Louis twice, shut his eye, and thoroughly took charge in the ring. However, the judges awarded Louis a split-decision win. It’s been reported that in interviews afterward, Louis confessed that he believed Walcott beat him.

Another robbery that I witnessed personally was the second fight between Thomas Hearns and Ray Leonard. I don’t care where you were sitting or whether you watched this fight with blinders on—Hearns was clearly the winner. It was determined to be a draw. But trust me—this was not a draw. If you happen to run into Leonard, ask him who won that fight. He’s an honest, humble man. He’ll tell you that Hearns beat him that night.

What about Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Timothy Bradley. It was really a no-brainer to score. Most people agreed that Manny won at least 10 out of 12 rounds. So how in the hell did Bradley get the nod? Good question. Ask the two judges who saw Bradley as the winner. The Internet exploded with dissatisfied fans. I have yet to speak to anyone who believes Bradley won that fight

I guess to many boxing fans, the robbery that stands out is the fight between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez. It was in Texas, where Chavez is a God. He entered the ring with an 87-0 record. Not too many bettors favored Whitaker. But despite a slow start, “Sweet” Pea slowly took over the fight. The Chavez fans looked shocked as the fight went on. They obviously saw their hero getting beat. The Whitaker fans were rejoicing in the apparently easy win. But when the scores were read—the crowd was stunned. One judge gave it to Whitaker, but the other two called it a draw. To say it was a lousy decision is an understatement.

So, although I was disappointed with Mykquan’s draw, I can honestly say I’ve seen worse…

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