A few things are for sure after the bruising clash between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin on Saturday night. The first is that the fight was a modern classic that featured everything you want from a boxing match. The second is that the decision in the fight was full of controversy, once again proving that even a great fight is bound to get a little dirt on it. We’ve seen the reactions to the fight’s conclusion, the controversial scorecard that led to the decision, and the thoughts of the boxing community.
While Teddy Atlas had been calling out for controversy all week, his post-fight comments truly seemed to capture the feelings of some after the decision came down and what it means for the sport. But he wasn’t alone in this line of thinking. As it turns out, Yahoo Sports senior writer Chris Mannix called out the controversial judge in question almost a week before the fight:
Remember the name Adelaide Byrd. Has had some very questionable cards in the past. Top Rank once tried to have her removed from a big fight. https://t.co/SgU3pH8rNy
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) September 13, 2017
Byrd scored the fight 118-110 in favor of Canelo, standing far from the pack and general consensus around the sport on the fight. As we noted, it is far from her first questionable decision and Mannix’s tweet supports that. It might be a bit too harsh to follow Teddy Atlas’ logic without carrying his stature within the sport, but it is clear that Byrd’s reputation will definitely be in question going forward.
A rematch certainly isn’t guaranteed to solve all of the issues and put this controversy to rest, but it is a welcome thing for fans of the sport. Aside from the decision, the fight itself was great and a rematch was almost assured no matter what happened.
(Via Twitter)
