By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Faced with bitter criticism of the judges decision in the recent IBF lightweight title fight between South Africa’s Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec, the IBF has decided to act.

Funeka was clearly robbed of the IBF lightweight title when two of the three judges mysteriously scored the fight a draw despite the fact that Funeka bloodied and battered Guzman for most of the twelve round bout..

It was Funeka’s second painful setback having lost a majority decision to Nate Campbell last February 14 when Campbell failed to make the weight and lost his title on the scales but prevailed in a controversial decision.

One of the judges who scored the Funeka-Guzman fight a draw was Benoit Roussel who had also scored the Campbell fight against Funeka, favoring Campbell by a score of 114-112. The other judge who scored the Funeka-Guzman fight a 114-114  draw was Alan Davis while the third judge, Joe Pasquale, had Funeka the winner 116-112.

The HBO television panel which included former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, former boxing judge Harold Lederman and Max Kellerman were stunned by the decision just like a majority of boxing writers and fight fans as they had Funeka the winner by a 117-111 margin.

BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports had Funeka the winner 116-112.

Funeka used a stinging jab to rip into Guzman, blooding his nose and opening up a cut below his left eye in the fourth round due to an accidental head-butt and staggering him in the eighth  but being unable to close it out as Guzman survived.

Funeka ripped into Guzman in rounds nine and ten and turned his face into a bloody and swollen mess and although Guzman who knew he was behind on points tried desperately to sc score a knockout in the final round Funeka held him off before finishing with a flurry.
 
BoxingScene.com’s Rick Reeno reported that promoter Lou DiBella who has no stake in either fighter is calling for a full investigation. He quoted DiBella as saying "T here should be a full investigation and background checks on those two judges. It was clearly a one-sided ass-whipping. If this is the best judging that boxing has to offer, then were are in real trouble. HBO should not buy the rematch. I don't want to see that fight again. Guzman got his ass kicked. Bring back Funeka like he's the winner."