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Originally posted by Parodius
I think this sports writer explain why some people think that Castillo won the first fight. Read this!
Mayweather Beats Castillo. Merchant, Lederman and Lampley...
22 April, 2002 - By Cliff Clark
Floyd Mayweather Jr. won a clear victory over Jose Luis Castillo Saturday night, but somehow TV commentators Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Harold Lederman didn't see it that way. Of course none of these three men has ever boxed, or knows very much about boxing, but that doesn't stop them from being the three most pompous asses ever to ruin a boxing telecast. Not only did they report a different fight than the one that was taking place; they made snide remarks about Mayweather being a "house fighter", being a "gifted" fighter, and otherwise implied blatant favoritism by the three judges. All of the judges correctly saw Mayweather winning by a very solid margin. Their cards were very similar.
The job of commentators should not be to score the fight, but to comment on it. Jim Lampley especially seemed unsure of just how some rounds should be scored. "Tough round to score" Lampley opined after the 11th round, a round that saw Mayweather rock Castillo back with sharp left hooks, and a variety of counter shots. They all seemed to see the fight differently. Lederman had Castillo winning by a solid margin after the 11th while Merchant had Jose winning by a single point. The only thing they agreed on was that Floyd Mayweather was beaten. "I don't think there is any controversy" Merchant exclaimed. "I think most people believe Castillo won." This asinine comment tells you why three boxing judges often have a fight scored so astoundingly different. They are simply as many incompetent judges as there are inept commentators.
The person who did the compubox punch stats for the Mayweather-Castillo fight must have been named Castillo. . By the end of the fight Castillo's cheeks and left eye were Mayweather out boxed Castillo by a mile in the first round. Floyd clearly out boxed Jose in each of the first five rounds, landing numerous jabs and hooks, and drawing blood from Castillo's nosepuffy, while Mayweather's only mark came from a head butt. Although Castillo did connect with some good solid punches, he landed far less often than Mayweather. Floyd finished the fight without any swelling or marks on his cheeks or eyes. Castillo is a very tough and sturdy lightweight who had a nine-pound weight advantage coming into the ring. Jose also showed a granite chin, but that doesn't land any punches for you. Many of the punches compubox credited Castillo with didn't land effectively. Castillo's punches were largely missing, or landing on Mayweather's gloves, elbows, or shoulders, straying below the belt, or landing after the bell. The name of the game is boxing, and the rounds should go to the boxer who lands the cleaner, harder, punches, and of course they need to be legal punches.
The sixth round was fairly close but I gave it to Mayweather. I guess if you were looking to give Castillo a round after he lost the first five, you might have given him that round. Castillo won the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds on my card as he tried to swarm over Mayweather with tremendous aggression. Mayweather seemed to be coasting in these rounds, trying to get Castillo to punch himself out a little. After fouling Mayweather about 50 times, and after repeated warnings to Castillo about punching on the break, punching low and punching after the bell, the referee finally took a point from Jose for contemptuously hitting on the break.
At that point Larry Merchant bitterly complained that the referee was being too "officious." However, that point deduction became a wash when the referee took a point from Mayweather for pushing off with his left forearm, which is something you tend to do when someone continuously runs into you with their head and shoulders. In fact at one point Castillo grabbed Mayweather, got him turned around, and then hit Mayweather a couple of times in the back with the referee just standing there. Even the commentators, except for Merchant, thought that was a very strange thing for the referee to allow.
Mayweather came back strong to win the 10th and 11th rounds going away. By the finale three rounds he had Castillo broken down a little, and he stood in there and punched with Castillo. Floyd ripped off sharp combinations and many good counter punches in those rounds. There is no way a competent judge would score rounds 10 and 11 for Castillo. The twelfth round was much closer and I gave it to Castillo. My score card read 115-111 for Mayweather, the same as two of the judges. The third judge had the fight 116-111 for Mayweather. They saw the same fight I did, and a different one than the commentators saw. I used to like 15 round title fights, because they separated the fighter's abilities in a way that was easier for mediocre judges and commentators to pick up on.
I remember the way Harold Lederman scored some rounds in the Hopkins-Trinidad fight, and a few other fights. He's just not very good at it. When one fighter is obviously outclassed and getting hurt, that seems to be the only time Lederman consistently gets it right. I even think that the other Lederman, I think her name is Julie-I don't know if she is his daughter or what-is better than he is. At least she scored the last Holyfield-Ruiz fight better than Harold did.
Mayweather Beats Castillo. Merchant, Lederman and Lampley...
22 April, 2002 - By Cliff Clark
Floyd Mayweather Jr. won a clear victory over Jose Luis Castillo Saturday night, but somehow TV commentators Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Harold Lederman didn't see it that way. Of course none of these three men has ever boxed, or knows very much about boxing, but that doesn't stop them from being the three most pompous asses ever to ruin a boxing telecast. Not only did they report a different fight than the one that was taking place; they made snide remarks about Mayweather being a "house fighter", being a "gifted" fighter, and otherwise implied blatant favoritism by the three judges. All of the judges correctly saw Mayweather winning by a very solid margin. Their cards were very similar.
The job of commentators should not be to score the fight, but to comment on it. Jim Lampley especially seemed unsure of just how some rounds should be scored. "Tough round to score" Lampley opined after the 11th round, a round that saw Mayweather rock Castillo back with sharp left hooks, and a variety of counter shots. They all seemed to see the fight differently. Lederman had Castillo winning by a solid margin after the 11th while Merchant had Jose winning by a single point. The only thing they agreed on was that Floyd Mayweather was beaten. "I don't think there is any controversy" Merchant exclaimed. "I think most people believe Castillo won." This asinine comment tells you why three boxing judges often have a fight scored so astoundingly different. They are simply as many incompetent judges as there are inept commentators.
The person who did the compubox punch stats for the Mayweather-Castillo fight must have been named Castillo. . By the end of the fight Castillo's cheeks and left eye were Mayweather out boxed Castillo by a mile in the first round. Floyd clearly out boxed Jose in each of the first five rounds, landing numerous jabs and hooks, and drawing blood from Castillo's nosepuffy, while Mayweather's only mark came from a head butt. Although Castillo did connect with some good solid punches, he landed far less often than Mayweather. Floyd finished the fight without any swelling or marks on his cheeks or eyes. Castillo is a very tough and sturdy lightweight who had a nine-pound weight advantage coming into the ring. Jose also showed a granite chin, but that doesn't land any punches for you. Many of the punches compubox credited Castillo with didn't land effectively. Castillo's punches were largely missing, or landing on Mayweather's gloves, elbows, or shoulders, straying below the belt, or landing after the bell. The name of the game is boxing, and the rounds should go to the boxer who lands the cleaner, harder, punches, and of course they need to be legal punches.
The sixth round was fairly close but I gave it to Mayweather. I guess if you were looking to give Castillo a round after he lost the first five, you might have given him that round. Castillo won the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds on my card as he tried to swarm over Mayweather with tremendous aggression. Mayweather seemed to be coasting in these rounds, trying to get Castillo to punch himself out a little. After fouling Mayweather about 50 times, and after repeated warnings to Castillo about punching on the break, punching low and punching after the bell, the referee finally took a point from Jose for contemptuously hitting on the break.
At that point Larry Merchant bitterly complained that the referee was being too "officious." However, that point deduction became a wash when the referee took a point from Mayweather for pushing off with his left forearm, which is something you tend to do when someone continuously runs into you with their head and shoulders. In fact at one point Castillo grabbed Mayweather, got him turned around, and then hit Mayweather a couple of times in the back with the referee just standing there. Even the commentators, except for Merchant, thought that was a very strange thing for the referee to allow.
Mayweather came back strong to win the 10th and 11th rounds going away. By the finale three rounds he had Castillo broken down a little, and he stood in there and punched with Castillo. Floyd ripped off sharp combinations and many good counter punches in those rounds. There is no way a competent judge would score rounds 10 and 11 for Castillo. The twelfth round was much closer and I gave it to Castillo. My score card read 115-111 for Mayweather, the same as two of the judges. The third judge had the fight 116-111 for Mayweather. They saw the same fight I did, and a different one than the commentators saw. I used to like 15 round title fights, because they separated the fighter's abilities in a way that was easier for mediocre judges and commentators to pick up on.
I remember the way Harold Lederman scored some rounds in the Hopkins-Trinidad fight, and a few other fights. He's just not very good at it. When one fighter is obviously outclassed and getting hurt, that seems to be the only time Lederman consistently gets it right. I even think that the other Lederman, I think her name is Julie-I don't know if she is his daughter or what-is better than he is. At least she scored the last Holyfield-Ruiz fight better than Harold did.
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