The three judges who left Manny Pacquiao without a history-making victory against Mario Barrios are now confirmed to score Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford on September 13 in Las Vegas.
In a move already raising eyebrows among fans and media, the Nevada commission has also appointed Thomas Taylor as referee. The very same official oversaw Pacquiao’s spirited performance that ended in a controversial majority draw.
Pacquiao vs Barrios fallout Back in July, Pacquiao, at 46, rolled back the years in what many saw as a near-fairy tale ending to his career.
Despite appearing to edge the contest on the World Boxing News Scorecard (115-113), the fight was declared a draw after official tallies of 115-113 Barrios and two cards at 114-114.
As WBN reported at the time, “The verdict proves there is no sentiment in boxing as Pacquiao looked to have done enough but didn’t get the decision, not for the first time in his career.”
The outcome denied Pacquiao the chance to become the oldest world champion in welterweight history, with widespread accusations that the legend had been ‘robbed’ of a rightful decision.
Pacquiao vs Barrios scorecard
Deja vu for Canelo vs Crawford Now, those same judges whose scoring split opinion across the sport will be ringside again when undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez meets three-division king Terence Crawford.
With the eyes of the world on September 13, critics argue the appointments risk overshadowing what organizers are billing as the biggest fight in boxing.
Concerns over impartiality have already begun surfacing online, with fans questioning why the Nevada Commission would recycle the same officials from one of the year’s most disputed results into a bout of this magnitude.
For Pacquiao, it was another bitter reminder of boxing’s harsh reality. For Canelo and Crawford, it could be the difference between an undisputed legacy and another night of controversy.
The fact that very few judges are ever held accountable for their decisions still rankles as one of the major headaches in boxing.
