Mixed martial arts has gained its position in the sports world by learning from the development of other major sports organizations. UFC President Dana White has often said that he is a fan of professional boxing and uses many of the ideas they have employed, while staying away from the faults that have hampered that sport. As such, a recent action in boxing should be considered to see if it has a place in MMA.
Middleweight boxers Paul Williams and Erislandy Lara competed in New Jersey. Williams is a former two time welterweight champion who is looking to get a return bout against Sergio Martinez. Lara, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the professional scene, and this was his first major fight. It was considered a mismatch in skill, as many people expected Williams to walk through his opponent. However, not only did Lara put up a great fight, but many people believed he won the battle decisively.
When the final bell rang, the judges awarded the fight by majority decision to Paul Williams. Hilton Whitaker (115-114) and Don Givens (116-114) scored the bout for Williams, while Al Bennett had a (114-114) draw. Spectators and experts alike were upset with the decision, and criticized the judges through various outlets. The interesting aspect of this situation occurred the following week when the NJ State Athletic Control Board responded.
In response to the controversy, the NJ State Athletic Control Board suspended the three judges indefinitely. ESPN reported that New Jersey commissioner Aaron M. Davis drafted a letter that was sent to both fighters’ camps explaining the situation. The line that stands out is, “At the conclusion of the contest, this agency had concerns about the final scores. Due to these concerns we decided to conduct a full review of the scoring.”
Imagine that. The NJ State Athletic Control Board has removed three judges because they feel that these officials did not do their job correctly. In recent years how many times have we sat in awe as judges handed down highly controversial decisions that seemed to leave everyone but those with the scorecards in shock? Even in New Jersey, where a number of progressive steps have been made to help develop MMA, we are still plagued by bad decisions. This story raises the question of whether this option has ever been brought to the table to deal with highly controversial judging decisions in MMA.
When judges render verdicts that seem to be incorrect reflections of the action that has occurred in the cage, many people are affected over the long term: Fighters lose pay and potentially their jobs, promotions lose credibility, and fans lose interest. Still, the judges do not face any type of consequences for their potential mistakes. This story tells us that at least in NJ, the athletic board will do its part to ensure that judging is done in a correct manner. Hopefully we can see such action taken in the future by commissions in New Jersey and elsewhere, to help correct improper judging, and to influence changes, in mixed martial arts.
Nice article – thanks for the info. As you say, at least NJSAC is willing to do the right thing and review a controversial fight decision to make sure the judges scored accurately.
It used to be a champ or more experienced fighter had to be completely knocked down or out in order for the underdog to get the win, but NJ is setting the standard for the industry by their decision to suspend the judges of this match, and make it known that this age-old system should no longer be followed. New wisdom dictates that the clear winner should be…well, the clear winner. BTW – I could be wrong, but I don't believe the judges have been "removed." Aren't they just on temporary suspension until the investigation has been concluded?