Boxing is subjective and not the easiest sport to judge, but let?s face it, some of the decisions have stunk to high heaven?
The fallout from Rio 2016 continues.
Teddy Atlas, often the loudest voice in the room, has added his voice to the chorus of voices complaining about the judging in the Olympic boxing tournament.
There have been several bad decisions, where fighters who appeared to have lost, sometimes by a wide margin, had their hands raised in the end. But that is something the professional and amateur games share.
Boxing is subjective and not the easiest sport to judge, but let?s face it, some of the verdicts have stunk to high heaven and raising a ruckus is appropriate.
?Look, I?m in boxing all my life, 40 years,? said Atlas to Sports Illustrated this week. ?This is a powerful statement?I?ve never seen an organization as corrupt in my life. It?s absurd. And I was disappointed with NBC, I?ll be quite frank. Some people won?t be thrilled about me saying this. They removed us. They removed me physically. They wouldn?t allow me call AIBA, this Dr. Wu who runs it, which I think is a shame in itself, that somebody has no integrity should have the title of doctor. Really I think it?s absurd.?
Disagreeing with Teddy is a fool?s errand, and his bitterness about being ?removed? is understandable. But AIBA, for its faults, is not the most corrupt organization on the planet. Admittedly the competition is stiff and AIBA has done itself no favors. But comparing AIBA to other ostensibly corrupt organizations where thousands, if not millions of people suffer, makes the IOC look as pure as the fresh driven snow.
?I find it appalling that this guy should have a doctor next to his name and he runs AIBA,? continued Atlas. ?Because we were making it very clear and we were calling him out on it, on the corruption on what we were seeing, doing our job, no medals for that, but doing our job. They actually said ?We?re removing you from your place in front of the ring.??
That of course is AIBA?s prerogative. It?s their show to do with as they please. No one in power likes to be called out but if one decides to go there, either after or in anticipation of being screwed, there are consequences, however just or not.
?NBC has done a really good job of hiding the boxing,? Atlas added. ?Surf through the channels, they don?t show it, they?re hiding it. So if that?s the answer, shame on them.?
Atlas is correct about boxing being almost impossible to find on NBC. Beach volleyball is more or less okay in small doses, but how anyone can mistake it as being meaningful is beyond me.
