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LAS VEGAS — There hasn't been a better moaner in recent boxing history than Top Rank's Bob Arum.
Arum held the top spot until Saturday at Mandalay Bay, when it went by acclamation to Nacho Beristain, the no-class trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez.
For the second time in three weeks, Beristain's fighter lost a close decision in a bitterly contested bout. Marquez lost his WBC super featherweight title to Manny Pacquiao on a split decision Saturday before 11,061 at Mandalay Bay.
Two weeks earlier, Rafael Marquez lost a decision in Carson, Calif., to Israel Vazquez in another close fight.
Beristain said he wanted to protest that call and two decisions by referee Pat Russell. On Saturday, Beristain called the judging "a disgrace" and said it was harming boxing.
That prompted Arum, who was once so irate at an Oscar De La Hoya loss to Shane Mosley in 2003 that he demanded a federal investigation and also announced his retirement from boxing, to shout Beristain down.
"Stop with that bull (expletive) because you're (expletive) up the sport," Arum shouted. "There's nothing wrong with boxing. The judges aren't (expletive) up the sport. You are with those kinds of comments.
"One judge had it for Marquez. One had it the other way for Pacquiao. And another judge had it close for Pacquiao, one point. The media was all over the place, some for one guy and some for the other. Grow up and be a man and accept the judges' decision. I know now how ****** I looked all those times when I complained about the decision when I listen to you."
Jaime Quintana, Marquez' close friend and co-promoter, said he could understand those who agreed with Arum and saw Beristain's comments as harmful to the sport.
"Of course it was close," Quintana said. "We worked our butts off for three months. We can say it was a close fight, but we have the right to think we won the fight. And we have the right to say something happened with the decision."
But Quintana wouldn't concede that Beristain's words were more harmful to boxing's image than the judges' scoring.
"We just believe that, because we keep losing these decisions," Quintana said. "This has happened repeatedly. You have to understand, there are things going on around the WBC. They don't like the Marquez brothers. They don't like Ignacio Beristain. Whenever they see Ignacio Beristain or one of the Marquez brothers, they try to do something."
Pressed for evidence, Quintana admitted he had none.
Arum shrugged his shoulders later.
"Don't ruin a great night with that," Arum said. "Talk about the fight. Make the case for your guy. It was a great night for boxing. What a fight. Talk about that. Don't try to create something where nothing exists."
Let us know your thoughts. Comment below and let us know who you thought deserved to win and whether your agree with Arum or Beristain.
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