MEXICAN JUDGE MUST TELL US HOW TYSON DIDN’T WIN FIGHT
FOR boxing to be taken seriously we have to make judges accountable for their actions. Tyson Fury won his fight against Deontay Wilder, in my eyes by three rounds. For it to be deemed a draw screams of injustice. We hate to taint our sport with the word but that type of decision suggests possible corruption. Scoring like that of Mexican judge Alejandro Rochin, 115-111 in favour of Wilder, is just plain wrong. I’m not saying he is corrupt, no one wants to get sued here, but when scoring is that far from what we have seen, eyebrows are raised and questions must be asked. For boxing to move with the times it must be policed better. The judges should be made to sit down in front of a screen, re-watch the fight and show how they scored it with an independent adjudicator alongside them. You can affect someone’s life with these decisions. Boxers are putting their lives on the line for these fights, the least you expect from a judge is to be fair. If he is not then, tough, he should be exposed. I had the good fortune of watching the fight as a fan for once. The guys I was with said it was a fantastic fight but that’s the last time they will watch boxing... because of the injustice, the ridiculous scoring makes it a farce. It turns fans off. Lennox Lewis spoke afterwards about how difficult it is to go to America and get a belt. It shouldn’t make any difference where you are. Just judge the fight on what
you see. It’s a shame for what Fury has poured into this fight that he walks away with a draw, he deserved much more.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
They both started off nervously trying to find their range. Fury settled quicker and, for me, won three of the first five rounds. I said before the fight that he is so unorthodox you can’t train to fight him and that’s how it proved for Wilder. In frustration, he tried to force the issue but made too many mistakes, loading up for the big right all the time. He had to wait until Fury tired and then was able to tag him later in the fight. Fury had that swagger I saw when he fought Wladimir Klitschko. The classic art of hit and not be hit. His ability to box exposed Wilder’s inability and Fury ran away with the contest towards the middle rounds. Indeed, all Wilder’s basics were made obsolete. The basics — footwork, jabs — are what you build a fight on, not used in spits and spats. Fury’s reach was key. Wilder couldn’t manhandle his opponent like he has been used to. Even when Fury was knocked down, he clearly had the edge in the rounds.
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
The way Fury came back from the knockdowns is a credit to the camp as well as his determination. Good on him. The promoter Shelly Finkel says Wilder will fight better next time and Fury won’t. Wilder has to fight better but Fury will improve too. Inactivity at this level makes a big difference and the more he’s in the ring the sharper he will become.
WHERE DOES IT LEAVE THE DIVISION?
Wilder needs his next fight to be the Fury rematch. His bargaining power with Anthony Joshua is actually weaker today because he hasn’t resolved whether he is better than Fury. I still believe Joshua’s next fight in April will be against Dillian Whyte, so long as Whyte beats Dereck Chisora.
WHAT NEXT FOR FURY?
Fury has been to a dark place in his life and come through as an inspiration to others. At 30, he has age on his side and this fight will have taught him that he has to keep boxing in his life. Boxing is his crutch. Fighters need a focus and Fury needs to box regularly. That’s where he will find stability.