Difficult Fights To Score?

Any of the Emile Griffith-Luis Rodriguez fights.

 

Others have mentioned it, but Laporte-Chavez is always a standout for me. Normally I'd say it's inexcusable for a judge to score more than one or two at the absolute most 10-10 rounds in a fight, but in this case there were probably four or five rounds in which you'd struggle to make a decision either way, even if you watched them a few times over. Julio didn't necessarily get lucky with the win, but how it was a UD and how one of the cards was so wide is a mystery to me.

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad against Galindez is another one. When I first watched it I had it down as a bit of a dubious decision and felt that Eddie had definitely deserved it. Watched it again a few years later and this time scored it closely in Galindez's favour. Yet on both occasions I was utterly convinced that I'd scored it 'correctly' if you know what I mean, which shows you what a subjective, tough one that was.

Going back to Chavez, does anyone else agree with me that his fight against Miguel Angel Gonzalez was hard to pick a winner, but not a hard fight to score? Let me try to explain - normally, when a fight is scored a draw, there's a feeling that even if a draw was fair, it still could have gone either way, or alternatively there might be a consensus that the draw is a damn sight kinder to one guy than it is the other. But in this case (and I can't think of any other drawn fight like this), I genuinely think a draw is the only possible decision. I felt all twelve rounds were pretty straightforward and easy to score and that it was one of those rare cases where both fighters can and should be absolutely satisfied with and feel fairly treated by the verdict. Normally even if you think a draw is fair enough there's some room for debate, but here I think it was a perfect example of neither fighter deserving to win or lose. Anyone else feel that about that fight, or have a similar example?

 

James Toney vs Mike Mccalum 1 and 2

 

Kovalev-Ward I.

 

Trinidad-De La Hoya was a very fair case for a draw in my view. Not a like-for-like example, obviously.

 

Here is a real funny one to score. Here is my score and my notes on the fight. This is the George Chuvalo v Mike DeJohn heavyweight bout.

Round 1: 5-4 DeJohn
Round 2: 5-3 DeJohn (this was the round where DeJohn gets hung up in the ropes and Chuvalo flails away like the washerwoman. The ref gives DeJohn plenty of time to recover and Chuvalo makes it worse by cutting off his gloves thinking the fight is over. There is all kinds of time here before they finish out the last 47 seconds of the round. Don Dunphy states they are giving the round to DeJohn by a score of 5-3 - awarding him the round and an extra point for what they said was a foul.)
Round 3: 5-4 Chuvalo
Round 4: 5-4 Chuvalo
Round 5: 5-5 Even
Round 6: 5-2 Chuvalo (Chuvalo scores a clean knockdown, but after the eight count he runs at DeJohn and bundles him through the ropes and the ref helps him up. I thought it was no knockdown if he helps him up but the ref gives DeJohn an 8 count. So for 2 knockdowns I gave Chuvalo a 5-2 score.)
Round 7: 5-4 DeJohn
Round 8: 5-5 Even (I noted on my card 'clinchfest' this round - no one deserved it.)
Round 9: 5-4 Chuvalo
Round 10: 5-4 Chuvalo

Total: 46-43 Chuvalo

Actual scores were 47-42 Chuvalo, 46-42 Chuvalo and a very unusual 49-49 score for a majority decision win for George.

 

Byrd vs Golota for me. I was happy that the fight was scored a draw.

 

Mercer vs Lewis

 

That's about what I had, I think my actual score in rounds was 7-6-2 Benitez, give 1 even round to each and you 8-7 Benitez, so I could someone giving it to Cervantes, he really came on at the end and Benitez let up quite a bit by then, I just re-watched and scored it a couple of nights ago.

 

Ali-Frazier 3

If you watch this bout closely it's such a see saw battle. Ali wins 4 of the first 5 rounds, Frazier wins 4 of the next 5. Then the very pivotal 11th round. Just like round 11 of fight one (but much less obvious) Frazier had Ali out on his feet by mid round culminating in an ultra short hook that none of the announcers even mentioned. Ali stood still, dropped his hands and Joe tee’d off on him. It looked as if Ali was totally spent. Yet out of nowhere he erupted with a two handed attack. Joe then finished strong at rounds end. Now if you score that round for Frazier, and you should, Joe is up 6-5 after 11. Ali then wins round 12, it’s tied 6-6. Ali then overwhelms Frazier the next two rounds for the stoppage win.

But a hard fight to score if you look at the details. Ali is landing the flashy blows but Frazier is doing the attacking and a clinic on inside fighting.

 

Zahir Raheem vs Freitas. Sloppy fight. Horrible to watch, let alone score it.

Direll vs Froch. Reel time I had Andre winning 6-5-1, but I watched it again and felt he may have did a bit too much running/moving. I forgot the commentator's name at showtime that gets so excited its like he is about to combust and explode. He did sway me a bit. A lot.

Classic Lamotta vs Norman Hayes II. This is one hellatious back n forth scrap. Initially I had Hayes winning, he landed so many punches. But Jake had so much power while Hayes resorted to landing arm punches.
This fight got so exciting the commentators were making statements I never heard before like "GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING!!"

 

Zarate Vs Pintor.

Canzoneri Vs Chocolate.

Both bouts with extremely close rounds throughout

 

Sven Ottke vs a lot of guys.

Seriously the guy could box and had great footwork but his fights where always tough to score.