Tweet
Russ Anber: Winning in America against American fighters is difficult
Article by Russ Anber, boxing writer and trainer who worked Jean Pascal's corner last weekend:
As I started to write this blog about the upcoming WBC world light-heavyweight title fight between world champion Jean Pascal and undefeated contender "Bad" Chad Dawson, the Don King promoted "Gateway to Greatness" card was about to begin live on HBO.
Headlining the attractive card was undefeated IBF and WBC light-welterweight champion Devon Alexander putting his title on the line against former champion and the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, Andriy Kotelnick.
Alexander was coming off an impressive eight round stoppage of durable war horse, Juan Urango, while Kotelnik was looking to erase the memory of his one-sided loss to Amir Khan in their meeting one year ago.
This was a good looking card, but in my mind it would still receive second billing to the Pascal-Dawson preview, which I was about to start writing.
All that would change, however, when three American judges; Jerry Roth, Oren Shellenberger and Denny Nelson who were either myopic, incompetent or just plain corrupt, offered up three identical scores of 116-112 in favour of the defending champion Devon Alexander. Add to that the even more ridiculous scorecard of HBO's "unofficial scorekeeper" Harold Lederman, and you have what might be one the most blatantly biased decisions rendered in an American ring in recent memory.
Before we go any further, I would like to start off by giving Devon Alexander an A+ for effort, as he showed a lot of heart in trying to turn around a fight which began slipping away as early as the second round. More importantly, however, I have to give Kotelnik credit for a masterful, surgical performance as he dominated Alexander with clean hard punches and pin point accuracy.
While it is true that Alexander was often the busier of the two, Kotelnik was clearly the aggressor and definitely the more accurate puncher. In my opinion, Alexander missed the target so often he looked like he was shadow boxing for the better part of the 12 rounds against the elusive Kotelnik. With hands held high, Kotelnik constantly stalked the fleet-footed Alexander and made him pay dearly every time Alexander missed. The Kotelnik right hand was a thing of beauty, and the fluidity of his punches were truly something to behold.
While there are many things which have changed in the sport over the last 10-15 years, perhaps the biggest change has been the emergence of world class fighters from the former Soviet bloc and other countries, who in the past never quite figured into the pro boxing landscape. Much like the heavyweight division, America is quickly losing the stranglehold it once held on the sport. While still a power, it is evident that more and more world champions are being reared in places on the planet other than the U.S. or Latin countries, and this is not making U.S. television very happy.
In the end of what was a brilliant contest, a new champion should have been crowned Saturday night in St. Louis. Instead, the sport of boxing now sports another black eye. Three judges, who should know better, rendered a decision which by all circumstances can be construed as nothing but bias and pro-American.
Is it merely a coincidence that such a horrific decision, robbing Andriy Kotelnik of a world title, comes at a time when negotiations are ongoing between Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley for a showdown in January on HBO?
Please, don't ever let me hear another American media member, promoter, boxer, manager, trainer or anyone else for that matter EVER criticize again, how impossible it is for an American to win on Canadian or European soil. On Saturday night, three American judges proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that winning in America against an American fighter, especially one who has a TV contract, is becoming increasingly more difficult. Ask Kotelinik, or ask Simon Brown.
Headlining the attractive card was undefeated IBF and WBC light-welterweight champion Devon Alexander putting his title on the line against former champion and the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, Andriy Kotelnick.
Alexander was coming off an impressive eight round stoppage of durable war horse, Juan Urango, while Kotelnik was looking to erase the memory of his one-sided loss to Amir Khan in their meeting one year ago.
This was a good looking card, but in my mind it would still receive second billing to the Pascal-Dawson preview, which I was about to start writing.
All that would change, however, when three American judges; Jerry Roth, Oren Shellenberger and Denny Nelson who were either myopic, incompetent or just plain corrupt, offered up three identical scores of 116-112 in favour of the defending champion Devon Alexander. Add to that the even more ridiculous scorecard of HBO's "unofficial scorekeeper" Harold Lederman, and you have what might be one the most blatantly biased decisions rendered in an American ring in recent memory.
Before we go any further, I would like to start off by giving Devon Alexander an A+ for effort, as he showed a lot of heart in trying to turn around a fight which began slipping away as early as the second round. More importantly, however, I have to give Kotelnik credit for a masterful, surgical performance as he dominated Alexander with clean hard punches and pin point accuracy.
While it is true that Alexander was often the busier of the two, Kotelnik was clearly the aggressor and definitely the more accurate puncher. In my opinion, Alexander missed the target so often he looked like he was shadow boxing for the better part of the 12 rounds against the elusive Kotelnik. With hands held high, Kotelnik constantly stalked the fleet-footed Alexander and made him pay dearly every time Alexander missed. The Kotelnik right hand was a thing of beauty, and the fluidity of his punches were truly something to behold.
While there are many things which have changed in the sport over the last 10-15 years, perhaps the biggest change has been the emergence of world class fighters from the former Soviet bloc and other countries, who in the past never quite figured into the pro boxing landscape. Much like the heavyweight division, America is quickly losing the stranglehold it once held on the sport. While still a power, it is evident that more and more world champions are being reared in places on the planet other than the U.S. or Latin countries, and this is not making U.S. television very happy.
In the end of what was a brilliant contest, a new champion should have been crowned Saturday night in St. Louis. Instead, the sport of boxing now sports another black eye. Three judges, who should know better, rendered a decision which by all circumstances can be construed as nothing but bias and pro-American.
Is it merely a coincidence that such a horrific decision, robbing Andriy Kotelnik of a world title, comes at a time when negotiations are ongoing between Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley for a showdown in January on HBO?
Please, don't ever let me hear another American media member, promoter, boxer, manager, trainer or anyone else for that matter EVER criticize again, how impossible it is for an American to win on Canadian or European soil. On Saturday night, three American judges proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that winning in America against an American fighter, especially one who has a TV contract, is becoming increasingly more difficult. Ask Kotelinik, or ask Simon Brown.
Comment