Fans usually chalk it up to incompetence on the part of the judges and, given the right amount of outrage, the judges in question have been subject to sanctions by the respective state commissions.
However, the real cause of these grotesque decisions goes much deeper than individual incompetence? The source of the rotten decision making process in boxing can be found at the core of the way the sport has been allowed to operate.
In boxing, the promoter has to finance all the operating costs of an event? Including the cost of the officials chosen to preside over the card. They don’t pay the judges directly. Rather, they pay the state commission, which in turn, doles the money out to the officials.
The commission, however, is handcuffed by the governing body (IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, etc.), which will only green light officials on a short list of pre-approved names. That list of acceptable judges, in turn, is comprised of names that the promoter will readily accept. If the promoter, who foots the bill for everything, balks at the officials for a bout, the show will not go on until those named to officiate are acceptable.
So, in other words, the promoter and governing body work in cahoots to get the “right” officials lined up and the state commission, which is usually a legit outfit, exists as a neutered middleman with little say unless those in real control decide to let them have a say.
