Your first robbery? ( a trip down memory lane)

Can you give us some examples cum breath?

 

chavez vs. whitaker i was very young but when i asked the adults around me they told me the objective in boxing is too hit and not get hit and they announced the decision my uncle looked back at me and said ohhhh yeah and having a good promoter doesnt hurt either!

 

It wasn't only because of the 1988 Games, my friend, as there was also plenty of controversy surrounding the 1984 Games, as well, with a number of American fighters getting "hometown" decisions that they didn't deserve (e.g. Tillman, Biggs, Page, Tate x2, McCrory). You could even include North American fighters in general, as well, if you want to include the bad decision the Canadian, Shawn O'Sullivan, recieved in the semi-finals against Chris Tiozzo, although, considering the strange judging in the Tate/O'Sullivan gold medal final it was obvious the Americans were getting preferencial treatment.

Now one of those decisions actually involved a South Korean fighter by the name of Kim Dong Kil (#2 in the world in that weight class and gold medal favourite) getting blatantly "robbed" against an American fighter, Jerry Page, which is a fight that basically started the whole American/South Korean war in amateur boxing during the 80's, and also played a major part in why Jones got shafted a the next Olympics.

There's many sources that describe that bad decision given to Page, but for a quick read, here's a short bit from Sports Illustrated, Aug 20th, 1984;

"The South Koreans were particularily incensed when Jerry Page, the U.S. light welterweight who went on to win a gold medal, was given a 4-1 quarterfinal decision over Kim Dong Kil, though it was clear to all in attendance that Kim had fought well enough to win."

Because of that decision (and an earlier "either way" one involving Paul Gonzales, which was scored lopsidedly in Gonzales' favour) going against them the South Korean boxing team threatened to pull their fighters out of the '84 Olympics after an appeal was denied, and apparently also issued a warning to the Amercian contigent along the lines of "just remember where the next Olympics are held".

They obvious made good on their promise to screw the Amercians with the horrible Roy Jones decision, but hey, in Olympic boxing it was the Americans who screwed them first.