‘Boxing is a disgrace’: Fans FUME as scorecards show Canelo Alvarez was one round away from snatching a draw vs Dmitry Bivol despite being outclassed by the light-heavyweight champion… as Logan Paul calls for ‘change’ after the latest judging controversy
Logan Paul is leading the calls for ‘change’ in boxing after judges’ scorecards showed Canelo Alvarez was one round away from earning a questionable draw against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday night.
Bivol got the better of his light-heavyweight showdown with Canelo at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, outclassing the pound-for-pound superstar over 12 rounds and earning a unanimous-decision triumph as a result.
The Russian produced a stunning performance to retain his WBA title, making a mockery of pre-fight odds depicting him as the underdog and rightfully coming away with the win.
Dmitry Bivol got the better of Canelo Alvarez, but fans were left dismayed by the scorecards
Bivol battered Canelo from pillar to post to retain his WBA light-heavyweight title in Las Vegas
But the judges’ scorecards showed Canelo was in fact one round away from earning a draw
However, fans were left furious at how close the judges came to denying him the victory he deserved.
All three judges scored the bout 115-113 in his favour, and they were also in agreement that Bivol did enough to take the 12th round.
That means the contest was well and truly in the balance heading into that final round, despite Bivol cruising to what many felt was a comfortable and assured win.
If Canelo had claimed the 12th, he would have somehow come away with a draw after clearly coming off second best in Sin City.
Fans were also left bemused by the judges’ perception of the first four rounds, which all three scored for Canelo.
One wrote on Twitter: ‘These scorecards are INSANE. Bivol had to win the 12th round to win the fight. The fact all three judges gave the first four rounds to Canelo once again INSANE’.
Fans were left furious with the scoring in Sin City, with one branding the cards ‘insane’
Another accused the judges of filling out their scorecard before the fight even took place
Another posted: ‘F*****g unreal. CANELO WON ALL FIRST 4 ROUNDS ON EVERY SCORECARD. That is filled before the fight cards. I had Bivol up 3-1 after 4. The only acceptable scorecards for that fight are 118-110 & 117-111 Bivol truly. 116-112 Bivol is giving Canelo every benefit of the doubt.’
The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger said: ‘Dmitry Bivol won the 12th round on all three scorecards and needed to to avoid a draw. Disgusting display from the judges. Never fails in boxing.’
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul also hit out at the scorecards on social media, labelling boxing ‘super f****d up’.
‘Canelo was undeniably outboxed & his opponent STILL only won 7 rounds (according to scorecards),’ he said.
‘boxing is inherently super f****d up – gimmicks aside, its why im so bullish on @jakepaul & the solutions he’s trying to implement for fighter pay & scoring. time for change’.
Logan Paul called for changes to be made in the sport after the latest judging controversy
Boxing has been marred by judging controversies on countless occasions in recent years, with Josh Taylor’s undisputed light-welterweight triumph over Jack Catterall in February sparking mass outrage.
Catterall appeared to have cruised to an impressive win over the 140lbs king on the night, only for Taylor to come away with a highly-disputed victory of his own.
Tyson Fury’s knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley last month also raised questions over scoring, despite the Gypsy King closing the show in round six.
Whyte, who failed to get close to Fury before being knocked out in a disappointing display, was awarded two rounds on one of the judges’ scorecards, which ESPN’s Dan Rafael branded ‘grotesque’.
Canelo has also received his fair share of contentious scores over the years; many felt he should have slumped to consecutive defeats against old rival Gennady Golovkin, while he also received one score of 114-114 after a conclusive defeat against Floyd Mayweather.
Source: Daily Mail Online