What Bivol did to Beterbiev does not sit right with me

Judges score each round separate not knowing how that decision will mesh with the overall context of the fight. While fans will give swing rounds based on the big picture or after the fact scrutiny.

The fact remains that entering the "championship rounds" Bivol was up 6-3, 5-4, 4-5. Bivol had not clinched. Then he lost all three rounds. If a fighter in their prime loses the last three rounds unanimously to a 39 year old they had the initiative against they deserve to lose. Bivol had not built up the required lead to cushion that fall.

 

Scoring the fight round by round after 9 rounds the judges had not given Bivol enough to win. 1 judge had given him enough to draw. So Beterbiev cleaning out the last 3 got him his majority.

If you concede Beterbiev won the last 3 or had a good case to win them then Bivol needed to win the previous rounds 7-2 to win the fight and 6-3 to draw. If it not at least reasonable to say he failed to do this?

 

Well the judges had 2 more swing rounds in R4 and R7. That's where the core disagreement is.

But if we don't trust them let's look at the boxrec fan scores. 1143 people scored the fight. And the majority narrowly gave both R4 and R7 to Beterbiev. Ironically they also gave Bivol the fight while scoring 7 rounds for Beterbiev. The fans actually had Beterbiev having a case for 8 rounds while Bivol it was 7.

 

Bump.

This still does not sit right with me. I am still not happy.