Boxing needs help to avoid more stings in the Tayl
IT was March, 1980 – I’ve just looked it up.
Alan Minter fighting Vito Antuofermo for the world middleweight crown in Las Vegas.
My father, who was to die within one month of that fight, scored the bout in our living room to the unmistakable commentary of ITV’S Reg Gutteridge.
The old man – a journalist – came down on the side of Minter (right), having the same score as one of the judges.
I thought that was brilliant. Every son thinks their dad is a hero and mine knew his boxing.
His face was ringside at some of the top heavyweight clashes in the 1960s – Britain had some big-hitters in those days – and it all added to his status in my eyes.
As a tribute to him, when I’m on my own – as I was last Saturday night with the wife being out – I’ll score a fight myself.
I’ve done it, on and off. for 25 years. I don’t do it every time I sit through one. And I did last week when Josh Taylor met Jack Catterall in Glasgow. Of course, the better half walked back in just as the scorecards were being handed in with me claiming confidently the Chorley boxer had beaten the champ by six.
What a mug I looked when the result was announced.
The wife then rolls her eyes at the inevitable outcome – her husband shouting expletives at the television. Again.
One glance through social media showed I wasn’t on my own, however.
A few days later, this time without Adam Smith’s excellent commentary on Sky, I watched it again to make sure I hadn’t misread the entire night.
No, even giving Taylor tight rounds, I still made it that Catterall had won by four.
Tyson Fury – who you might think knows a thing or two – was interviewed by Carl Frampton this week and said he had Catterall winning by nine points after eight rounds.
He turned on the judges, saying they had ‘destroyed Catterall’s life and career’.
Tony Bellew called upon the three wise men to explain themselves. Bookmakers Paddy Power refunded bets taken on Catterall to win.
It’s to the credit of the British Boxing Board of Control that they have announced an inquiry into the outcome. But then, when almost every social media post is claiming that the sport is ‘corrupt’ what choice did they have?
And what powers do the BBBOFC actually have in ordering a rematch, particularly as Taylor is now moving up a division?
Now, I’ve sat through the outrage, read comments on social media from better-placed peers and no one can come up with a better solution.
Decisions like this erode confidence in the sport. That’s why it’s an issue. More judges, betterpaid judges, formalised scoring via data – I don’t know.
Interestingly, that Minter fight in LA was a split decision. The British judge gave it to the Londoner by eight and was pretty much universally condemned for it afterwards.
It wasn’t all right in 1980. It’s not right, now, in 2022.
Surely it’s not beyond the wit of us all to come up with a better outcome than this – or else the cries of ‘foul’ will never die down at ringside.