THE SCORING DEBATE RAGES ON
HAVING been involved in boxing for in excess of 50 years, on both sides of the fence, I found the Q and A with Robert Smith (November 5) quite amusing and pleasing at the same time regarding the Board’s reaction to the recent case of Terry O’connor. They have taken on board some important factors.
It is important to realise that where one sits at ringside can have a bearing on the individual scores but if one judge’s scorecard is way out from the rest, they must be called to give an explanation as a matter of urgency. Otherwise the participants, without whom we would not exist, will get very disillusioned with our beloved sport.
Robert has a very difficult task ahead, however with experienced people around him I am sure that he will succeed in controlling our sport as others before him have. I wish him well. Ken Holliball
O’CONNOR IS A REPEAT OFFENDER
SO Terry O’connor’s reason for his 117111 score in favour of Lewis Ritson over Miguel Vazquez was that the Mexican’s punches were lacking power?
Ritson was marked up above and below his right eye and he also had some damage around the bottom of his mouth, while Vazquez was unmarked. It begs the question: Who was hitting Vazquez? I doubt if it was referee Bob Williams.
This was the same score O’connor registered when making Callum Smith a winner over John Ryder last year. And who can forget his diabolical scoring in the first Tyson Fury-john Mcdermott fight? It seems to me he keeps rendering bad decisions. It’s time he was released by the Board. It’s not just about winning and losing, it has a detrimental effect on the earning potential of boxers who are on the wrong end of these decisions. Raymond Lee
NO CONSISTENCY WHATSOEVER
WE all know that judging a contest is subjective, but there seems to be little consistency.
Of course Oleksandr Usyk won against Dereck Chisora. He won because he landed more blows and showed superior ringcraft. “Del Boy’s” punches, though he didn’t land nearly as many, were harder and he showed more aggression.
Exactly the same occurred in the Lewis Ritson-miguel Vazquez contest two weeks earlier.
Ritson punched harder and was more aggressive but his opponent landed far more punches.
So why did Ritson get the nod but Chisora didn’t? Is a boxer is rewarded for technical ability and landing more punches? Or not? Max Winberg