There’s has been a lot of controversy surrounding Eriberto Gejon’s technical decision loss to WBA minimum weight (105 lbs) champion Yutaka Niida, in Niida’s hometown of Yokohama, Japan. Gejon won the fight in the eyes of Panamanian judge Medardo Villalobos, 97-93, but the two other judges, Wansoo Yuh of Korea and Pinit Prayadsab of Thailand, posting identical scores of 96-95 for Niida, favoring of the Japanese champion, as the bout was stopped when the Filipino was bleeding from butts received. Those who remember Jose Navarro’s loss in Japan early this year, remember a similar scorecard, where one judge had it a shutout at 120-109, but the other two judges scored the fight for Katsushige Kawashima, but by the slimmest of margins of 115-114 and 115-113. The Filipinos are making a similar argument in Gejon’s loss as Navarro’s, one wide scorecard compared to two close ones. Having not seen the fight, one constant always remains in fights involving Asian champions defending titles at home, the scorecards favoring them are seemingly always three points in the wrong direction. Gejon’s manager, Rex Salud is currently filing a protest to the WBA, asking for an immediate rematch to take place…WEIGHT GATE? Anyone notice that Miguel Cotto’s weight coming into the fight wasn’t shown on HBO Saturday. Jim Lampley made some poor excuse, stating the commission doesn’t allow scales in the dressing room. Turns out, they don’t! That being that, it’s clear that Cotto needs a big fight next, or Top Rank may be risking their “prized” fighter being defeated before hitting the jackpot; a fight with WBC champ Floyd Mayweather, or World champ Ricky Hatton.
