Explained: How Parker won
HOW THE SCORING SYSTEM WORKS
Whatever your view of the majority decision ruling that handed Joseph Parker the WBO heavyweight title over Andy Ruiz, it must be remembered all officials were neutral.
From experienced American referee Tony Weeks through to the three judges, all were foreigners.
Salven Lagumbay (Philippines) scored the bout a 114-114 draw; Ramon Cerdan (Argentina) and Ingo Barrabas, a German who has judged 407 pro fights, each gave it to Parker 115-113.
The scoring system in boxing is such that the slate is effectively wiped clean at the start of every round. It’s not enough to be dominant one minute, sluggish the next.
In this particular contest, which featured no knockdowns, all rounds were scored 10-9. One knockdown sees rounds scored 10-8; a drawn round is scored 10-10.
Judges Cerdan and Barrabas felt Parker won seven of the 12 rounds while Lagumbay could not split them at six each.
From an objective standpoint, leading ESPN boxing writer Dan Rafael had Ruiz winning only one of the last four rounds, and also gave the fight to Parker 115-113. Frank Lotierzo, a key writer for popular global boxing website boxingchannel.tv, gave Ruiz ‘‘four rounds tops’’.
Professional boxing judges are supposed to score along four guidelines; clean punching to head or body, effective aggressiveness consistently moving forward, ring generalship - control of pace and style - and defence. Some judges lean towards scoring one aspect over another rather than incorporating all characteristics.
There is no doubt Ruiz started better than Parker. The Mexican and his respected trainer Abel Sanchez believed they won the first four or five, and have called for a rematch.
Ruiz also looked on the front foot throughout the fight. He came forward, kept pressure on and pushed Parker back to get inside the jab. It was relentless. He landed fast combinations, and felt he did it more often.
After those early rounds, though, Cerdan and Barrabas clearly felt Parker regained control and landed the bigger, cleaner blows. Parker’s trainer Kevin Barry had exactly the same perspective.
After the fight Ruiz was notably puffy and cut around the eyes after taking several flush shots from Parker, who comparatively looked unscathed in the face.
Ruiz did, however, connect frequently to Parker’s body, with his jab breaking through.
On television it is much easier to see every angle. Judges ringside don’t get that same viewpoint. They sit on one side of the ring which dictates their respective takes on proceedings.
Ultimately it’s a system that is left to interpretation and, thus, often opens itself up to vastly differing opinions and controversy. Perception becomes reality.
With over 10,000 fans packing out Vector Arena, the judges may have been swayed at times by the hometown crowd, who raised the roof with every glancing Parker blow. They are only human after all.
That’s a major reason why Duco Events fought so hard and, indeed, paid Ruiz handsomely thought to be a career-high payday close to $1 million - to travel to Auckland.
In the leadup to the fight Ruiz was open about the fact he would be two points down on the scorecard the moment he stepped off the plane.
Sanchez went further after the fight, claiming home advantage had counted for as many as four points.
Claims of a hometown decision will linger in some quarters but the foreign judges can’t be accused favouring their own.
Barry’s successful career as an amateur fighter included winning a light-heavyweight bronze medal at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Olympics silver at Los Angeles two years later. He was coached by his father Kevin Barry Sr and followed his footsteps into the tough world of training.
Barry said his thoughts had been with his late father before and after the fight. An ’’old-school’’ trainer, he still uses many of his father’s methods on Parker. He had promised his father he would one day train a world heavyweight champion happened.
‘‘He will be happy, won’t he? He will be looking down, he will be pretty proud,’’ an exhausted but happy Barry said.
Barry had been close before, taking David Tua to a world title fight against Lennox Lewis in Las Vegas in 2000 but losing a onesided affair by unanimous points.
He had gained pleasure in subsequently overseeing Beibut Shumenov (Kazakhstan) to the WBA world light heavyweight title in 2010 but Parker’s achievement took things to a new level.
The long and bitter fallout with and that had finally Tua hit Barry hard personally and he thought long and hard about getting involved in the New Zealand scene again but found the talent and potential of Parker irresistible.
‘‘It’s the most special moment in my boxing career. Being there with Tua in 2000 was good and I won one with Shumenov.
‘‘But for it to be here in New Zealand with Joe, someone I have so much respect for, somebody I love so much ... and for him to pull it off and create history in New Zealand and for me to be part of it ... it’s something very, very special.’’