The first fight between Jake LaMotta and Robert Villemain, the first fight between Kid Gavilan and Peter Waterman and the Art Aragon v Chuck Davey fight. I pick these fights because all 3 had such controversial decisions that it cost officials a suspension or their license.
A bunch of Mamby fights, vs. Muangsurin, Marrero, and even Cervantes. All of those fights have some or many people who feel that Mamby should have gotten the decision. Every one was in his opponent's home country. Of course Mamby's style made his fights difficult to score also.
A highly controversial decision worth mentioning: Alfredo Escalera vs Tyrone Everett The fight was televised live at two closed-circuit locations in New York and one in San Francisco. It was also shown live on home television in Puerto Rico. Escalera was guaranteed $90,000 against an option of 40 percent of the live gate and ancillary rights, and Everett was guaranteed $15,000 against 15 percent. There was a crowd of 16,109 at the Spectrum. It is still the record for the largest indoor attendance at a Pennsylvania boxing match. The decision is widely recognized as one of the most disgraceful in the history of boxing. Tom Cushman of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote: "Tyrone Everett won the junior lightweight championship of the world last night. Won it with a whirling, artistic, courageous performance that brushed against the edges of brilliance. Tyrone was standing tall, proud, bleeding in his corner after the 15 rounds, waiting for the championship belt to be draped around his waist, when they snatched it from him. Picked him so clean it’s a wonder they didn’t take his shoes and trunks along with everything else." The Ring included the fight in a list of the top 5 worst robberies ever. In the 2010 book The Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists by Bert Sugar and Teddy Atlas, veteran boxing judge Harold Lederman listed the verdict as the most controversial decision of all-time. He stated it "may be history's worst decision." In a 2014 ESPN.com article, Bad decisions keep hurting boxing, Nigel Collins wrote: "The Escalera-Everett decision was especially egregious because all indications were that it was bought and paid for by underworld characters left over from the 1940s and '50s, when the International Boxing Club controlled much of the sport. The IBC had ties to New York's Lucchese family via Frankie Carbo, a former gunman for Murder Inc. who became boxing's de facto czar. The feds caught up with Carbo in 1961, and he was convicted on conspiracy and extortion charges and sentenced to 25 years behind bars. He eventually obtained an early release due to poor health and died in November 1976, the same month as the Escalera-Everett fight. Unfortunately, Carbo henchman Frank 'Blinky' Palermo, also an ex-con, and his associate 'Honest' Bill Daly were still lurking in boxing's darkest crevices. Both spent fight week in Philly. J. Russell Peltz, who promoted Escalera-Everett, encountered Palermo a few days after the fight and asked him if he thought it was fixed. Blinky replied: 'You can buy Lou Tress for a cup of coffee.' (Note: This quote originally appeared in Tom Cushman's book, 'Muhammad Ali and the Greatest Heavyweight Generation' and was confirmed by Peltz specifically for this column.)"
I believe all of that. The worst decision I have ever seen, bar none. No judge is THAT incompetent. People were bought, plain and simple. There is no other explanation.
Robinson vs Servo (btw Servo is an underrated WW champ) Robinson vs LaMotta 5 Greb vs Tunney 2 (literally 19/23 writers had Greb winning) Pacquiao vs Bradley 1 (3 writers had Bradley winning, with 121 in favor of Pac and 1 having it a draw. Disgusting decision) Don't see any of these talked about, espcially the first 3
And seeing your reply Al, I think Harada vs Rudkin could also be mentioned here, due to the nature of the bout and how hard it was for some to score apparently.
Not all that controversial but nobody really talks about how LaPorte lost two big fights (Chavez and Nelson) that arguably could have gone either way, IIRC.
Kalambay vs Graham 2. Nobody ever mentions this fight when it comes to controversial fights but Graham was robbed out right in this one.
JC Chavez/Randall II and Randall frozen ought of a third fight when it wad still in demand. Obviously, King and the WBC were in bed together.
Apparently the fight between Nino LaRocca and Kirkland Laing was quite appalling as well. Have not seen it myself but heard that it was a mess of a fight with the Italians pulling out all the tricks like cutting rounds short etc to ensure he got the win. Might have to check this one out to see what exactly happened... This content is protected
