Earlier this month, Jeff Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) pulled off a major upset when he secured a twelve round unanimous decision over Many Pacquiao to capture the WBO welterweight championship.
A crowd of over 51,000 erupted at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, when scores of 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 were announced in favor of Horn.
There was a backlash over the decision, with more than a number of observers disagreeing with Horn being the victor. One of the biggest critics of the outcome, was veteran trainer and ESPN expert analyst Teddy Atlas, who was working ringside as part of ESPN's broadcast team.
There was a very awkward moment in the post-fight festivities, when Atlas told Horn - during their live televised interview - that he lost the contest.
"For the sake of time and space, let's just say in simple terms I thought one guy was throwing a lot and another was landing a lot more cleanly, and if one sticks to the set forth criterium of scoring a boxing match, that would mandate that you score in favor of the person landing more cleanly. Now, if put forward strictly into the arena of public opinion, well, yes, I could see some people's thoughts that one guy was 'roughing up' the other. And I can even understand the natural human instinct or reaction to give 'extra' credit, whether consciously or subconsciously, to the guy who was not expected to have a chance," Atlas told The New York Daily News.
"But as understandable as all of these things are, none - and I mean none - of them belong anywhere near the mind of a professional arbiter of a prize fight. And as far as the argument of some who say, "Well Horn may have lost but it was close," well, does that in some way lesson the correct outcome? Does it make it less of a Super Bowl win for the New England Patriots if they triumph by one point rather then ten? Would it therefore be okay if somehow the referee scored one of the touchdowns for the Patriots as five points instead of six, causing the other team to win?
"I understand the subjective nature of looking at a sporting event. What bothers and scares me is when people start to say, 'Well, it was close, and after all, I've seen worse decisions in boxing.' Judges who have the responsibility of a fighter's career in their charge are supposed to be - have to be - better than that. We should be better than that."
Atlas was also not satisfied with the WBO review of the scorecards. The sanctioning body had five independent judges score the fight and determined that Horn was still the rightful winner of the contest.
"I would hope that when it came to an explanation or settlement of how we saw that fight or any other one - that as people with some capacity, if not responsibility, to think for ourselves would not be satisfied by representatives of the WBO, the very organization that scored this controversial bout - when they tell us, 'Don't worry, we re-scored it and once again we have come up with the same conclusion,'" Atlas said.
"Perhaps that old-time character I knew through my life who once told a kid I knew that no matter what you get caught doing, never ever admit to it. Sooner or later, at least some of the people who saw you do whatever you did will start to doubt what they saw. I never agreed with what he told that kid, but I do wonder at times like this about just how many other people he may have given that same advice."
