Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Squaring the boxing ring

Thursday, April 1, 1999 | 11:30 a.m.

PROMOTER BOB ARUM and his most valuable living asset, Oscar De La Hoya, are both correct when saying that boxing fans need a boost in their confidence. The scoring by judges that produced a very questionable draw decision following the thrashing Lennox Lewis gave Evander Holyfield gave thousands of loyal boxing fans heartburn. It's doubtful if Arum's call for open scoring following every round of a fight will cure past or future problems created by questionable decisions. His proposition would allow the scores of each judge to be shown to the fighters, fans, judges and other ring officials.

Arum's idea might give some fight fans some new reasons for indigestion. What affect will one judge's score have on another judge? Will it cause one of them to score slightly differently if they feel the other judge's score is out of line? How about the fighter who has a cornerman who can count and advises his man at the end of round nine he is so far ahead all he has to do is run and jab for the remainder of a championship match? How will a known score of points affect the decision of a referee or doctor when he or she must determine if a fight should continue? How will the boos of a crowd following the rendition of scores affect the scoring during the next round?

Overall, there are many more questions open scoring would produce than there are answers it will give. I have always believed that the referee should have been left in the scoring mill along with two judges outside the ring. Only the referee knows the true strength, physical condition and mental attitude of the boxers as he separates them and keeps the fight progressing. None of the three judges now sitting beside the ring, has the feel of the fight and fighters that the referee experiences. Of course, I know the answer has been and will be, "the ref is too busy doing other things to properly score a fight." You mean like two of the three Holyfield-Lewis judges did?

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will be wise to reject the open scoring system advocated by Arum. I've heard that unless the NSAC does give Arum's suggestion a try, he will take some of his fights to other states where he can get his way. I recall him doing that before, over another issue, but he soon returned to lucrative Las Vegas. It would be a shame if he repeats this action, but the commission shouldn't be intimidated into making a decision just to please a promoter.

Twenty years ago, I took my son, Tim, to watch Mike Rossman defend his light-heavyweight title. We had a nice visit with Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joe Louis, but we didn't see the fight. A large ABC-TV audience didn't see it either because the NSAC refused to accept the last-minute little-known ring officials desired by promoter Arum and the World Boxing Association. Commissioners Bob Shields, Sig Rogich, Dr. Jack Davis, Sammy Macias and Duke Durden held their ground and despite the fact Rossman was already in the ring, the bout was canceled. Yes, the NSAC has the good healthy reputation of being independent.

Arum is very bright and De La Hoya is an excellent boxer and is good for the sport. Unless they can come up with something better than open scoring to improve the results of boxing matches they should just continue promoting and fighting.

There are several actions that could raise the public's confidence in boxing. Other states could follow the example of the NSAC and select the judges rather than allow the world boxing organizations to pick them.

A New York Times newspaper editorial recommends that the New York Athletic Commission also pay the judges and other officials rather than have them receive checks from the promoters. In Nevada, these checks must be in the hands of the commission prior to the fight and are then handed out by their representative, not the promoter, after the fight. This could be carried even further by having the funds be paid into the state general fund and have the state make the payments. This would require that the state have the checks ready at ringside so officials could be paid before catching their plane back home.

I have often wondered why the announcement of the fight officials is made public 10 days to two weeks before a fight. At one time, we didn't have this information until the day of the fight. This was done to make the officials lesser targets for the bad guys. Evidently our state attorney general believes that the selection of the officials must be made according to all of the rules and regulations of the open meeting law at a full board meeting. This issue should be discussed in depth by commissioners, legislators, and the attorney general.

There are many suggestions being made on how to reverse the public's skeptical view of boxing as a sport. All of them have some value, but it's my opinion the open scoring suggestion has fewer good points than it has drawbacks.