This year, we have unfortunately seen some debatable, even flat-out bad decisions announced at the end of a fight. Fans are still arguing over who really won the following fights – Artur Beterbiev-Dmitr Bivol, Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II, Vergil Ortiz-Serhii Bohachuk, O’Shaquie Foster-Robson Conceicao I, Johnny Fisher-Dave Allen, and others.
But as far as the worst decision of the year goes, it is entirely possible those of us who tuned in yesterday to watch the magnificent slugfest between Panya Padabrsi and Carlos Canizales witnessed the biggest robbery of 2024. The fight that took place in winner Padabsri’s home country of Thailand contested the vacant WBC light-flyweight title, and almost everyone who saw the fight could not accept the majority decision win handed to Padabrsi, AKA Petchmanee CP Freshmart – the scores being 116-112, 115-113 in Padabrsi’s favour, the third judge having it a draw at 114-114.
This one was bad, and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman knows it. Sulaiman, no doubt under pressure to act, took to social media shortly after yesterday’s Boxing Day thriller that was tarnished by such unfathomable scoring, to announce how he will order an “immediate review” of the performance of the three judges.
“After a sensational close fight Pradabsri is awarded a majority decision in Thailand,” Sulaiman wrote. “Canizales is a warrior who fought his heart out. I am disappointed at the performance of the WBC judges in specific rounds and I will order an immediate review by the corresponding committee. WBC ring officials are accountable for their performance.”
So, will something – anything – get done as far as the far too frequently handed in debatable, controversial or just simply bad decisions in boxing? What can actually be done to put a stop to decisions that leave fans screaming robbery? It would be interesting to know just which “specific rounds” Sulaiman was most disappointed with scoring-wise from yesterday’s fight in Thailand.
The least that could be done here is for Canizales to get a rematch with Padabsri, but with the rematch taking place somewhere other than in Thailand. Let’s see if Sulaiman makes this happen, and what else, if anything, the WBC president does about Boxing Day’s clanger of a world title fight decision.
To repeat from yesterday, the very fact that all three ringside officials were unable to hand in a score that went Canizales’ way really is borderline criminal.
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