ABC President Timothy J. Lueckenoff has been sent screen shots of Judge Hilton Whitaker II during the Williams ? Lara and has shared these photos with other ABC officers which are in a consulting mode as a result.
?There is some issue with the way Whitaker is holding his score card throughout the fight, Williams?s promoter sitting behind him, and the USBO President sitting beside a sitting judge. It is inappropriate to say the least and we have advised Aaron Davis to get a copy of the fight and review it.?
We asked Mr. Lueckenoff, if Mr. Whitaker was correct in the way he was waving around the scorecard and could it be perceived conflict of interest the way the seating was.
?No our judges are not to hold their scorecards in this manner, an officer of a sanctioning body should not be seated next to a judge, and if Goossen was looking at a scorecard he should have been removed from that seat or asked to leave. Yes, it has the appearance of a conflict of interest, which is not good for boxing. At my fights I always have one of our officials on either side of a judge. Even if nothing is going on it just looks wrong?
Tim was asked if Mr. Hilton Whitaker Jr. was an accredited judge with the ABC and we were informed, ?Mr. Whitaker has never attended one of our seminars or been accredited through us.?
On further review of fight during the 11th round with about 1:42 remaining in the fight Hilton Whitaker III seated beside his father who is judging the bout leans back and speaks to Goossen (Williams Promoter) and Goossen leans forward it appears that there was very little room between the front row and the ring.
