In a sport where sanctioning bodies routinely manipulate the rankings to serve their interests, where networks permit promotional companies to dictate scheduling and where promoters allow a general distaste for one another to get in the way of making the best fights, is it possible that judging is the most corrupted part of boxing?
The short answer: Yes.
Exhibit A: Saturday night’s Juan Diaz-Michael Katsidis lightweight bout. In a much anticipated fight between two proven brawlers, it was the 24-year-old Diaz who carried the action, utilizing wicked combinations and superior in-ring movement to neutralize the potentially devastating punching power of Katsidis, 28. For 12 rounds, Diaz out-boxed and out-punched Katsidis, scoring points in bunches while leaving Katsidis’ face looking like Rocky Balboa’s after his first encounter with Apollo Creed. When the final bell sounded, everyone — fans, commentators, probably even Katsidis’ father watching in Australia — had Diaz as a clear winner.
Well, not everyone.
Glen Hamada, a veteran boxing judge who is described on the International Professional Ring Officials Web site as a “world class boxing judge … who has given judging seminars in the U.S. and abroad,” saw something different. While the rest of the world had Diaz winning handily (SI.com scored the fight 117-111 in favor of the Baby Bull), Hamada handed a 115-113 decision to Katsidis.
Fortunately, the other two judges scored the fight for Diaz and he emerged with a split decision, but the inexplicable scoring by Hamada left observers in a state of disbelief.
“That’s one of the worst jobs of scoring I have ever seen,” said HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman. “It goes beyond just bad scoring and makes you question whether there was a corrupting influence in the scoring. It’s hard to imagine how anyone could score seven rounds of that fight for Katsidis, or even five rounds for Katsidis. Even the scores turned in for Diaz seemed way too close for me.”
Kellerman was right. This fight wasn’t even as close as the other two judges made it, 115-113 an
