By Rick Reeno
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum was unhappy with the officiating in Saturday's main event at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, which saw Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22KOs) win a controversial twelve round split decision over WBA interim-lightweight champion Richard Abril. The scores were 116-112, 115-112 for Rios and 117-111 for Abril.
Arum felt referee Vic Drakulich allowed Abril to excessively hold Rios, while issuing numerous warnings to the Cuban boxer, but never deducting any points.
"He allowed Abril to hold him the entire fight. He never took any points away. [Mercito] Gesta had a good referee, Robert Byrd. When the Colombian fighter continued to hold him, Byrd told him that he would take away a point and he stopped [holding him]. Then entire fight changed and Gesta knocked him out. Drakulich didn't do that. He let Abril get away with holding Rios without any points being taken away," Arum told BoxingScene.com.
