Boxing Judges: Are they incompetent or are they bought?

We have seen it for as long as boxing has been around, it seems. In many big fights, you have scorecards turned in that do not reflect what has occurred in the ring.

We constantly hear that these judges don't know boo about boxing. But is that really what is going on? Are these judges incompetent or are they on the payroll of the various promoting organizations? We see the same names popping up to judge these big fights.

What do you think? Do you think these judges are simply incompetent or are they on the take?

 

I think there is a lot more to the story than most boxing fans care to acknowledge or understand. Take this Lisa Giampa. What is her background? What would make her a prospect to make judgements on sporting events involving such large sums of money? Not that there isn't corruption in other sports, but at least the officials in the NCAA, NFL and NBA go through some pretty rigorous training. Can this be said for boxing judges? I don't think so.

I'm going to guess that the way they make the selection has far more to do with allegiance and malleability than competence. I mean think about it. What if Provo's last two fights were fought in Russia, with Russian judges? Do you think those judges would have viewed Algieri's running and Bradley's knock downs (certainly more than one) in the same way the 3 judges in the US viewed them? Of course not.

There has to be a better way of accounting for who these people are, making monumental decisions for careers and sums of money.

Even the referees are crucial. Recently, there have been threads talking about who the best officials were/are. I said Mills Lane but I have to add, some of the best officials I have seen are local or regional officials. On rare occasions, a regional referee will oversee a bout. Some of these guys are outstanding. I wish I could remember the fight, but a couple years ago a regional official warned a prominent fighter not to hold, as he typically did. It changed the fight FOR THE BETTER because you could tell this guy called it the way he saw it. He was not beholden to anyone or any organization. And because of it, I haven't seen him since.

Boxing needs to be cleaned up. Really cleaned up.

 

I tend to think there is a pretty robust web at work here. Anytime there is a lot of money, the complexity of what is operating in the background is accordingly large. I will bet organized crime, betting houses, promotional groups, how bouts are determined (who fights whom), commentators and judges are all intertwined. The judges are actually at the bottom of the pay grade. The flunkies who get their little piece of the action by doing what they are told.

What do you want to bet that someone like this Lisa Giampa has an established relationship with GBP, when, in fact, there should be no interaction whatsoever.

 

Agreed. As long is their is subjectivity in a sport, IT WILL BE ABUSED AND EXPLOITED. It is why I can't stand watching sports like gymnastics, ice skating and diving in the Olympics. Coincidence the host country so often excels in these subjective events?

Fixed fights have been acknowledged in literature that it has become a cliche. You find it in the Damon Runyan and O'Henry stories. In movies like Pulp Fiction. I would think most people would just assume this to be the case. Guess not. A lot of gullible people out there.