Open Scoring

I think many who hate open scoring and the way it was presented in the Canelo/Trout fight may have really hated it because of the horrific scores read in the 8th round. If that score reflected a dead even fight, I dont think there would be as much backlash. I think the score shown after the 8th round that showed Trout trailing badly that pissed everybody off. Many, including Trout(to some degree) thought the fight was pretty much over unless Trout got a KO. Hey, even Stevie Wonder's scorecard had it close after 8. I think open scoring can be done with success. I think it should be done after each round. I know the crowd may then sway the judges at ringside, just a bit after the scores are read. I also think that maybe there should be 5 Judges. 3 at ringside and 2 in a secluded room with a few monitors watching the fight with no replays or commentary just to balance the sway of the crowd noise. The ringside judges, particularly for this fight may get swayed way too much by the crowd. The secluded judges will see the fight in a more objective way. As it is now, we know judges are only human and dont have the benefit of replay, as we do. So they may see a scoring shot that didnt really score. That was also very evident in Pacquiao/Bradley. I think that happened to the benefit or detriment of both guys in Canelo/Trout. I think the 8th round score just gave us a preview of what we saw at the end when the scorecards were tallied. The disappointment was the same, just earlier. If they showed the scores after each round, then Trout could have decided to get busier earlier. Of course its going to change the way the guy fights. I dont see anything wrong with that. In football if you are down by 20 points late in the 2nd quarter, you might start passing more. You change your approach to try to score more. In football they dont hold the score until late in the 3rd quarter and you find out the score is 40 to 10. And your team is the one with 10. Outside of some miracle, your not gonna win. Lets the scores be shown after each round. The judges may even be more honest that way.

Comments (20)

A lot of you all hate open scoring, and then go on and complain when they read the scorecards and they're completely the opposite of what you expected. What most of you hate about open scoring is the fact that it would change fighters' strategies through the fight. I think it'd be great if viewers knew what the score is throughout the fight. You'd knew if scores were fishy while they were being turned in. It's not like they can do anything about it, but they'd be able to brace themselves for the post-fight interviews. The primary issue would be to hide the scores from the fighters. I can't overlook the fact that open scoring is perhaps a safer alternative to bouts than standard scoring since it will--more often than not--put the winning fighter more on the defensive.

13y ago

Bigg_Rigg

I'm not a fan of it. I fcking hate it to be honest.

13y ago

shade_darkar

personally not a fan of the open scoring, prefer the suspense of waiting to see what the scores are at the end!

13y ago

TintaBoricua

It has pro's and con's but overall given the amount of controversies in judging, I think any kind of increased transparency is an overriding good thing fundamentally. There's hardly any sports really, whereby the athlete's don't know how they are 'scoring'. Whether they are ahead or behind. It does matter and hiding the round by round scoring from the fans is one thing, from the athlete's is another. A lot of rematches could be avoided as-well imo, as once the boxer gets a small insight as to how their work is being viewed by the judges, both have an open transparent opportunity to just tweak what they are doing within their ability. That happens in all sports, you're tested as to what you do with being ahead or behind. Some improve knowing they are ahead, some don't. Some improve knowing they are behind, some don't. It goes all ways. THAT'S the winning formula. Show it to the viewer's on TV, but hide it from the fighters.

13y ago

Motofan

Open scoring is garbage, it totally kills the suspense for the fans following a close match and it affects the dynamics of a fight. Just look at the last round of Canelo-Trout for example, Canelo didn't even try to finish strong as it's supposed to be, just because he knew he was way ahead on the scorecards Yep. You would see more guys taking the championship rounds off and fans leaving early. Horrible, horrible idea.

13y ago

lopetego

13y ago

game20ver

yeah but also what about a fighters mind? Its not just about changing strategy, its also about screwing up a fighter mentally. You can break a guy or get someone pissed off which is in both cases bad for the fighter. I know some boxers who may jump up screaming if losing after 4 when they know they should be ahead, dominate the next 4 rounds, and are still losing after 8. Those guys may start standing up and going crazy. Yelling at the fans, cameras, judges, commentators and so on. I could just see a guy jumping up like "how the fudge am I losing? They are trying to rob me". Throwing a tantrum and just totally effecting the rest of the belt. I just dont like all the negative possiblities. The bad far outweighs the good that could come from doing it Exactly, I could see guys yelling, and complaining to the judges mid fight like NBA players complain to the referees for bad calls during a basketball game. Open scoring is just horrible.

13y ago

MrFactor

yeah but also what about a fighters mind? Its not just about changing strategy, its also about screwing up a fighter mentally. You can break a guy or get someone pissed off which is in both cases bad for the fighter. I know some boxers who may jump up screaming if losing after 4 when they know they should be ahead, dominate the next 4 rounds, and are still losing after 8. Those guys may start standing up and going crazy. Yelling at the fans, cameras, judges, commentators and so on. I could just see a guy jumping up like "how the fudge am I losing? They are trying to rob me". Throwing a tantrum and just totally effecting the rest of the belt. I just dont like all the negative possiblities. The bad far outweighs the good that could come from doing it LOL!!! I can see that too, maybe thats what boxing needs.

13y ago

DLT

Open scoring after EVERY round, you'd see that before it became a problem. Fighters wouyld get posed, especially if they think they won a round and the cards say different. If Trout knew he was losing as many rounds, then he could have changed his strategy well before the 8th. Making adjustments isnt anything new in the sport. yeah but also what about a fighters mind? Its not just about changing strategy, its also about screwing up a fighter mentally. You can break a guy or get someone pissed off which is in both cases bad for the fighter. I know some boxers who may jump up screaming if losing after 4 when they know they should be ahead, dominate the next 4 rounds, and are still losing after 8. Those guys may start standing up and going crazy. Yelling at the fans, cameras, judges, commentators and so on. I could just see a guy jumping up like "how the fudge am I losing? They are trying to rob me". Throwing a tantrum and just totally effecting the rest of the belt. I just dont like all the negative possiblities. The bad far outweighs the good that could come from doing it

13y ago

DLT

There should be 5 judges. 3 ringside and 2 in a closet with several monitors and no commentary. I would even say perhaps the 2 should be in a different state, so they have no ties at all. That would be a way of having checks and balances in the system. If scoring was open, then the ring side judges would be subject to more scrutiny if their score was posted after every round. It would be much more apparent to the fans, it would effect the money and those judges would get booted out quickly after 1 or 2 fights. Not everyone who is a judge is cut out to be a judge. I thought judges would be scared also until I saw that judge had Canelo winning 10 rounds

13y ago

MrFactor

what if they shouldnt be behind? What if they should be winning or it should be close but some idiot/crooked judge has him losing by a ton. Now he changes the way he's fighting and gets KTFO There should be 5 judges. 3 ringside and 2 in a closet with several monitors and no commentary. I would even say perhaps the 2 should be in a different state, so they have no ties at all. That would be a way of having checks and balances in the system. If scoring was open, then the ring side judges would be subject to more scrutiny if their score was posted after every round. It would be much more apparent to the fans, it would effect the money and those judges would get booted out quickly after 1 or 2 fights. Not everyone who is a judge is cut out to be a judge.

13y ago

MrFactor

I just dont like anything that changes the way someone fights. Even on the reverse end. In that same example I gave, what if Canelo is getting clowned by a near shutout but then the scores come out and he's way ahead. Instead of him going for the KO like he should, he gets to coast and run to a victory even though everyone knows he got dominated. Bascically he could suck all fight and still get to coast to the finish line. I just dont like it. Open scoring after EVERY round, you'd see that before it became a problem. Fighters wouyld get posed, especially if they think they won a round and the cards say different. I think if you have 10 cases, it would be like 8 of them with bad things happening and 2 where it plays out well. Not only that but it can kill all the drama. I mean Canelo knew he had it in the bag against Trout. Some ripped his stamina but it also had to do with him not caring. He knew he had won. If they dont announce scores then he probably thinks its dead close and goes all out down the stretch If Trout knew he was losing as many rounds, then he could have changed his strategy well before the 8th. Making adjustments isnt anything new in the sport.

13y ago

Bolo_Punch7077

I detest everything about it with every fibre of my being. Takes the whole excitement away from the decision from everybody. It will suck the drama out of the sport.

13y ago

DLT

Without open scoring, Floyd doesnt know he's down 3 rounds, so he continues to coast and ends up losing. Had he known midfight that its close, then he should crank it up or make adjustments to try to win the fight. Thats just common sense. If he gets KO'd then so be it. Thats the sport he chose to be in. I just dont like anything that changes the way someone fights. Even on the reverse end. In that same example I gave, what if Canelo is getting clowned by a near shutout but then the scores come out and he's way ahead. Instead of him going for the KO like he should, he gets to coast and run to a victory even though everyone knows he got dominated. Bascically he could suck all fight and still get to coast to the finish line. I just dont like it. I think if you have 10 cases, it would be like 8 of them with bad things happening and 2 where it plays out well. Not only that but it can kill all the drama. I mean Canelo knew he had it in the bag against Trout. Some ripped his stamina but it also had to do with him not caring. He knew he had won. If they dont announce scores then he probably thinks its dead close and goes all out down the stretch

13y ago

MrFactor

There was disappoinment in the scorecards and a subsequent decline in excitement. In the case of bad scoring, at least fans will have 12 rounds of excitement when the results are deffered. In Trout-Alvarez there was excitement from 1-4, a lower level of excitement from 5-8, and a lower level again from 9-12. Most people had a gut feeling that some shady stuff would go on with the scores prior to the fight. I do agree about the feeling of a balloon deflating after the 8th because I felt that way too. If Trout knew his scores from 5,6 and 7, perhaps he would have tried to adjust and do more.

13y ago

MrFactor

but football and nearly every other sport is black & white. If youre down 20 then youre down 20. There is pretty much no disputing it. However, in boxing you could really be outboxing someone and 2 crooked judges can have you down by 4 rounds. Then you try to do something different, get knocked out, and no one gives you the benefit of doubt. Guys can be well rounded all they want but there are different strengths and I dont think its fair. What if Floyd is fighting Canelo and is putting on a show. He knew he couldnt got toe to toe with the big strong monster but is putting on a brilliant pure boxing performance. It seems like a near shutout for Floyd but they read the cards and instead its Canelo winning by 3 rounds. Now the only way for Floyd to win is to go for a KO against a huge monster. He goes in, gets busted up, and Canelo wins by KO. I just dont like it. Id rather lose with all the public thinking I really won instead of still losing and being batter or KTFO in the process with half the people now thinking that I wouldve been KO anyways Without open scoring, Floyd doesnt know he's down 3 rounds, so he continues to coast and ends up losing. Had he known midfight that its close, then he should crank it up or make adjustments to try to win the fight. Thats just common sense. If he gets KO'd then so be it. Thats the sport he chose to be in.

13y ago

White_Knight

Is it really the suspense part, or is it the disappointment in the scores. They were much wider than we believed them to be. The same disappointment is just deferred in a fight that most had as very close and competitive where open scoring isnt present. There was disappoinment in the scorecards and a subsequent decline in excitement. In the case of bad scoring, at least fans will have 12 rounds of excitement when the results are deffered. In Trout-Alvarez there was excitement from 1-4, a lower level of excitement from 5-8, and a lower level again from 9-12.

13y ago

Danny_Gunz

OP make a poll for this, I'm curious to see how everyone thinks.

13y ago

DLT

That forces a guy to make adjustments to try to win. Nothing wrong with that. In football it happens. If a typical running team finds themselves down by 20 late in the 3rd quarter, they will likely start passing a lot more. You have to make adjustments anyway. A fighter should definitively know what he got for EACH round and not assume he's up or its a close fight when it truly may not be. After the fight, how many fighters ask themselves, could I have done more to win. I wish I knew I was so far down on the cards... but football and nearly every other sport is black & white. If youre down 20 then youre down 20. There is pretty much no disputing it. However, in boxing you could really be outboxing someone and 2 crooked judges can have you down by 4 rounds. Then you try to do something different, get knocked out, and no one gives you the benefit of doubt. Guys can be well rounded all they want but there are different strengths and I dont think its fair. What if Floyd is fighting Canelo and is putting on a show. He knew he couldnt got toe to toe with the big strong monster but is putting on a brilliant pure boxing performance. It seems like a near shutout for Floyd but they read the cards and instead its Canelo winning by 3 rounds. Now the only way for Floyd to win is to go for a KO against a huge monster. He goes in, gets busted up, and Canelo wins by KO. I just dont like it. Id rather lose with all the public thinking I really won instead of still losing and being batter or KTFO in the process with half the people now thinking that I wouldve been KO anyways

13y ago

MrFactor

I hate anything that changes the way a guy fights. Thats on his know how and his trainers to figure out. What if we have the same Rigo-Donaire fight with open scoring but after 8 rounds the cards read that Donaire is winning by such a margin that Rigo needs a KO to win or atleast a knock down. He then changes up and starts pressing so hard that Donaire catches him and knocks him out. Everyone would feel totally different now about that fight. There would be people arguing that Nonito is the superior fighter and it was just a matter of time before he caught him. They will say that who is to say that Rigo wouldve lasted? No one knows. However, now we do know that Rigo did last and clearly beat Donaire but if the scores were open and showed Donaire winning then it couldve drasictaclly change that fight. I dont think that is right. They should never be open. Never That forces a guy to make adjustments to try to win. Nothing wrong with that. In football it happens. If a typical running team finds themselves down by 20 late in the 3rd quarter, they will likely start passing a lot more. You have to make adjustments anyway. A fighter should definitively know what he got for EACH round and not assume he's up or its a close fight when it truly may not be. After the fight, how many fighters ask themselves, could I have done more to win. I wish I knew I was so far down on the cards...

13y ago