IBF will review controversial Funeka-Guzman fight
by Scott Christ on Dec 2, 2009 2:56 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Ronnie Nathanielsz reports that the International Boxing Federation will review tape of the Ali Funeka-Joan Guzman draw from last Saturday in Quebec City. The decision left many stunned, as it appeared clear to all that Funeka had won the fight.
Funeka (30-2-3, 25 KO) bloodied and battered Guzman (29-0-1, 17 KO) for the majority of the bout, and nearly stopped the Dominican in the eighth round. But when the scores were read, two of them came back as 114-114 draws, something that seemed highly unlikely even if you felt it was closer than, say, Harold Lederman's 117-111 card on the HBO broadcast.
Some are counting it as one of boxing's many "black eyes," but I've seen worse decisions for sure. Hell, I've seen fights that I thought were just as one-sided (if not more so) end up with the wrong guy actually winning. And just earlier this year, Kermit Cintron was gifted a draw in Florida against Sergio Martinez, which I thought was a worse decision than this one.
But it was a crap decision. The IBF is highly unlikely to simply award Funeka the lightweight belt he earned, but rather will almost surely order a rematch that I don't think anyone really wants to see, and one I don't think Guzman would be too anxious to take. It was clear that Funeka's height gave him some real difficulty, and that while he's still a good fighter, it's a terrible matchup for Joan.
Lou DiBella -- who has zero stake in either fighter -- offered this take when speaking with BoxingScene.com's Rick Reeno recently:
"There should be a full investigation and background checks on those two judges. It was clearly a one-sided ass-whipping. If this is the best judging that boxing has to offer, then were are in real trouble. HBO should not buy the rematch. I don't want to see that fight again. Guzman got his ass kicked. Bring back Funeka like he's the winner."
I'm pretty much on board with that.
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I'm not on board with that.
If we just take a sample card, like, say… yours (since I think you’re a really good scorer of fights….); up until the end of R11…. you had Funeka up by 1.
If you then score the last round differently (and to be frank, R12 was as clear a Guzman round as I saw in that fight) then you also have it a draw.
I don’t think 114-114 was as outrageous as has been made out. Nowhere near, in fact.
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
I would score it 116-112 if I could do it over again; there was a round (I forget which) that I gave to Guzman and immediately regretted. But I think Funeka won the fight for sure. I said after the fight that I didn’t think 114-114 was the worst card ever, and I think 117-111 is pretty wide, honestly. I’m not that outraged by the result, but Funeka beat him, and he deserved the W.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
I watched Haye/Valuev again a week after the fight, in a pool hall.
They had the sound off and the jukebox on, and I scored the fight again. With no commentary, no crowd noise, I scored it 116-112 Valuev. I scored that fight a draw when watching it live, with the sound on.
I think on balance of the whole fight, taken as a whole, Funeka won it.
BUT…..
As Jrok has pointed out on here loads of times, the scoring should be for each inidividual round. The rounds that Funeka won, he REALLY won…. but Guzman did enough to nick rounds here and there, and as Brick said, between your card and his, there were 7 rounds that at least one of you gave to Guzman.
I came in late, but watched rounds 5 onwards, and I also gave some rounds to him. I am not saying that the fight if scored as a whole wouldn’t have Funeka’s name all over it, but with the scoring system as it is, I don’t think a 114-114 was all that incredible, and was even considering betting the draw after R11…..
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
I just didn't see that
I saw Funeka sticking his jab in Guzman’s face over, and over, and over again, and Guzman doing nothing about it. Guzman would occasionally lure Funeka in close, and land a few shots inside, and then Funeka returned to jabbing him to death. I don’t think what Funeka did was particularly exciting, but it was effective, smart boxing.
by The Boxer Rebellion on Dec 2, 2009 6:37 PM EST up reply actions
I scored it 118-110
and while favorable to Funeka, I think it was quite defensible.. I gave Guzman the first two rounds, and then Funeka every round after that. I looked up compubox on this one:
http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/view.php?pg=ali-funeka-joan-guzman-compubox
and they certainly at least make 118-110 plausible.
by The Boxer Rebellion on Dec 2, 2009 6:16 PM EST up reply actions
Great news. These judges in Canada must start taking accountability.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 2, 2009 4:33 PM EST reply actions
I just can’t see how anyone could have scored this a draw. The look in Funeka’s eyes when the scores were read showed just how little he could comprehend what was taking place. It was sad to see. You have to feel for the guy. He won.
Hell, the look on Guzman’s face when the scores were read told the story.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
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