Chris Algieri, a former world champion and current fight analyst, frequents media rooms during fight week and has deep discussions with insiders of the sport. Despite his connection to the boxing world, he refrains from betting on the sport due to its unpredictability, which he attributes not to the fighters’ performance but to the questionable judgment calls that seem to plague boxing bouts. His concerns were highlighted in a recent episode of ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters,” pointing to the murky waters of boxing’s officiating.
Algieri’s comments came in the wake of contentious judging at a Premier Boxing Champions event on Amazon Prime Video, where decisions in the Cruz-Romero fight and the Fundora-Tszyu match left fans and commentators questioning the integrity of the scores. The incident where one judge had Romero ahead of Cruz, despite a dominant performance by Cruz and a penalty against Romero, sparked outrage and calls for change.
Panelists on “Deep Waters,” including Paulie Malignaggi, a former welterweight champion, echoed Algieri’s sentiments, advocating for reforms in the judging system. Suggestions ranged from expanding the panel of judges to isolating them to prevent crowd influence from swaying their decisions. Algieri emphasizes the importance of judges experiencing the fight's intensity firsthand, a perspective not universally shared.
The discussion also ventured into how the increasing integration of betting with boxing could serve as a driving force for these much-needed reforms. With the betting community’s growing influence, there’s a belief that significant changes in how matches are officiated could make the sport more appealing to bettors.
The consensus suggests that financial incentives, particularly from the betting sector, might be the push needed for boxing to address its officiating woes.
Image Credit: ESPN