Is the standard of British officiating just not good enough?

[Enlightened-One]

I’ve recently started to think that B-side fighters, or boxers from overseas, won’t get a fair shake if they compete in the UK.

Last weekend, the ref allowed Josh Warrington to continually head-butt and also regularly shove his shoulder into Kiko Martinez’s face.

We often saw Warrington crouch down and charge at Martinez’s face (like a bull) with a combination of his shoulder and the head, in order to force the Spaniards' back to the ropes.

Sometimes the man from Leeds got inside, crouched really low and then very quickly stand up straight, to hit Martinez’s jaw using his shoulder, separating the Spaniard’s chin from his chest.

There was a headbutt in the first round that caused a terrible cut to Martinez’s left eye.

This clash of heads seemingly stunned the Spaniard and led to the first knockdown.

Another headbutt happened in the sixth round, which caused the bad vertical cut to Martinez’s forehead.

I don’t know what caused the cut to Martinez’s right eye, but it happened during the fifth round, where Warrington was allowed to use roughhouse toe-to-toe tactics.

In terms of the stoppage itself, I’m not sure if I understand the reason why the ref stopped it.

For sure, Warrington was unleashing a barrage of shots, but the Spaniard was defensively responsible, blocking and avoiding most of the punches using a combination of head movement, coupled with the guard.

For the record, I’m not saying that Josh Warrington wouldn’t have beaten Kiko Martinez last weekend if he fought a clean fight, but I do feel it would have been more competitive.

Phil Edwards did a terrible job refereeing the bout and this was the second time in recent memory that Kiko Martinez has received terrible treatment in the UK (the previous being the scorecards for the Zelfa Barrett defeat).

Other recent examples of terrible British officiating include: Jacobs-Ryder, Sheeraz-Skeete, Edwards-Martinez, Parker-Chisora I, Ritson-Wasquez and Taylor-Catterall.

It’s got to the point that foreign officials will be working the Fury-Whyte bout, due to the fears of poor British standards.

The UK is becoming hostile territory and it now seems far worse than how Germany used to be during the eighties and nineties.

Thoughts?

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's been the case for a while, I think it's being talked about a lot more now..

Look at Warrington-Lara 1.

The punishment Warrington was taken, and ref/corner didn't do anything..

switch the opponents around and the fight would have been stopped after the first KD.

Warrington took unnecessary punishment and at some point It was clear he was going to lose. Just a matter of time.

[Counter-puncher]

I’ve recently started to think that B-side fighters, or boxers from overseas, won’t get a fair shake if they compete in the UK.

that's been the case for quite some time, think of (say) Ricky Burns getting a complete gift against Beltran back in about 2013 or something.

Brit fans have been bemoaning the officiating over here, judging and refereeing, for ages now.

and yes, absolutely, it is a totally unfair environment for an 'away' (it could be a british fighter appearing on another promoter's event getting jobbed by the ref or the judges, just as easily as it could be a foreign fighter) fighter

[gregregegg]

Honestly it's bad everywhere but I think the UK is the most constantly bad, and it could just be because they have super loud fans. Big shot hits the gloves but 20k scream like it's wobbled someone a slightly unsighted judge may assume...

Here in Aus we did Manny pac so the hornet could be king ... Probably cost us some fighters coming here but we have Haney and briedis interesting to see how they go down if they go to the cards.

England's just had tons, nearly every close fight goes a side. Some not close fights do, it's the consistancy/predictability that kills it. When a fight ends I'm constantly thinking "they will probably give it to a side" even if I had it 9-3 against....

USA is weirdly good. They have some bad cards, and A side gets the benifits of the doubt but I don't see too many strait robberies. Although based of what I read here Tim tszyu just won 11-1 and got some very close cards.

[cormack]

UK refs are abysmal .
same old faces week in week out .

[skanksta]

You've only just started to think this ??
Oh Enlightened One !

I think we would have submitted to your points - as we all inevitably must - about 20 years ago. It's not "bad judging" it's worse and it's systemic. Same old judges, giving the same old shocking - and shockingly predictable - verdicts and nothing is done. They're back next week doing it all over again.
And with never a consequence for their actions, why wouldn't they ?

[joshj909]

I think generally most countries have huge problems with their combat sports judges/referees because they are rarely ever held accountable. The issue with British boxing which makes it stand out is that they have a small selection of the same faces officiating regular events with wide international viewership whereas other countries either have less regular and lower viewed events or the US which has a wider selection of useless refs/judges.

[Thomastearns]

A really difficult problem that many sports face.
Football and cricket now routinely use technology in order to prevent controversial results which threaten to undermine the entire fabric of the sport.

At best, it's only been partially successful as those who seek to cheat have also upped the ante.

Footballers are getting particularly adept at taking convincing dives and feigning injuries.

Cricket agonised for decades trying desperately to maintain it's self image as that of a gentleman's game played by gentlemen.

It may or may not have once been that in the amateur era, but is certainly not in the professional one.

Boxing also has tried to keep its Marquess of Queensbury rep but it's obviously as crooked as a £15 note.

Athletics too, and cycling etc etc.

The problem seems to be mainly centred around the issue of money. In particular the desire to get it in an easy a fashion as possible.

I can still remember an era where shopkeepers would routinely be sat in the back room watching TV whilst customers waited for service.

Can anyone imagine that now?

I remember a time when schools and colleges didn't have any security guards. Nor did the vast majority of shops.

Not a single security camera in sight.

Again, what has happened to us in those decades?

I suspect that this is a question that should be asked by our politicians, but alas nowadays they seem to be too busy making money on the side themselves.

Some of them by any means possible as we saw during the Plandemic. Pfizer weren't the only ones filling their boots, were they?

In fact it's getting rather difficult to tell just whose interests our politicians are representing these days.

Is it their electorate's, or is that of big business, or are they merely collecting interest repayments on behalf of their lords and masters, the international banks?

This kind of questioning rather makes the original question seem rather academic, doesn't it?

Perhaps, the human race needs another good hard collective slap (like WW1 and WW2) to restore it's greed addled sensibilities back to something a little more human?

Where's Will Smith when you really need him?

Whilst were waiting for him to deliver, everyone, especially every boxer, should remember that old adage, protect yourself at all times.

Especially during times like these where ladies and gentlemen seem to have been replaced by wolves and sheep.

[margaret thatcher]

the lack of accountability in boxing is shocking tbh

dudes can egregiously rob a fighter of what they've dedicated their life working for, only to be sitting their arse ringside judging or reffing a big fight the next week.

remember when the judges for lara-williams were suspended? that virtually NEVER happens. incredibly rare, but it should be the norm when bad judging takes place

[adislav123]

exactamento. fvck off with the lot. if they proved to be either corrupt or incompetent, ban for life. judging a fight is no fvcking science.

nobody is saying a word if close fights get judged either way.

the blatant no fvcks given obvious corruption is the problem.

if 2 out of 3 judges give a fight to the guy who clearly lost, no matter how you twist or turn rounds it's either incompetence or corruption. in both cases they have no business judging a high profile fight ever frikkin again.

[RScarf1]

Nigel Benn vs. Gerald McClellan. I don’t think I need to elaborate.

[lazboy]

the lack of accountability in boxing is shocking tbh

dudes can egregiously rob a fighter of what they've dedicated their life working for, only to be sitting their arse ringside judging or reffing a big fight the next week.

remember when the judges for lara-williams were suspended? that virtually NEVER happens. incredibly rare, but it should be the norm when bad judging takes place

Agree.

[brilo33]

but boxing is one of the hardest to score, right me my 2 brothers and da watching taylor v catterall fight brothers drinking yes.the old man not ,da says at the end of the fight draw back foot to much he is pushing 80 boxed as child , watched boxing 70 od years the type that says to you watch the feet when watching a fight , it isnt just the british scoring ,there is no universal scoring system there has been horrendous decision all around the world , i dont like it,there has to be a better ways to score fights,