Open Scoring: Good, Bad or Indifferent...
By Jeff Mayweather, BRC (Dec 28, 2006) Photo © Mary Ann Owen
Open scoring would be great for the fighters but bad for the fans in many ways. When in the ring, and knowing that you are winning even close rounds, can easily determine how the last few rounds are fought. If one guy keeps getting the nod in close rounds, that puts him way ahead in the fight. Although it would still be considered a good, tough fight, the ending of that fight would possibly be not as dramatic; while the fighter who is behind would fight with sincere desperation, the one who is winning would be willing to give up those rounds if he is far enough ahead. After all, everyone would know the scoring and there would be no way a judge could change his mind about the guy that's ahead on points. It's already etched in stone. So if you're the fighter that's ahead in the fight you no longer have to fight, you only have to
survive which in the end cheats the fans.

The other good thing about open scoring is that it may cut down on some of the horrible decisions that have given boxing a black eye. I think it makes it a little tougher to get a judge to possibly take a bribe. Boxing is a sport that is ran by human beings and while we would like to think that it's a fair game, we must recognize that whenever human beings and money are involved, there is always an open window for corruption.

The bad thing about open scoring is that it very well could cheat the fans, knowing that you're ahead can spell boring endings to fights. Open scoring would have changed the outcome of many major fights, and two come to mind right away. Felix Trinidad versus Oscar de la Hoya, (a split decision win for Trinidad) and Lennox Lewis versus Evander Holyfield, (a draw). Open scoring would have let Oscar know that he wasn't as far ahead as he thought and open scoring certainly would have pushed Lewis to a clear decision win, (although the draw decision saved me some money personally). I wasn't the least bit upset about the outcome, although in my heart I felt Lewis got jobbed on that night.

Open scoring might not change anything at all except for the fact that everyone will know who is winning round by round. Nevertheless, It can have a positive effect, especially for the fighters, and can also negatively affect the ending of many fights. It can also lead to more dramatic finishes, since the fighter that's behind has to find some way to win, if it's in him.

I guess that by writing this article I haven't really taken one side over the other, but I'm all for change for the betterment of the sport. Unfortunately, this open scoring could have either effect, depending on whose eyes are watching.

Even as a former fighter I don't know which side to stand on completely but I slightly lean toward open scoring because what you see is what you get. It will also keep the judges more in sync with one another, knowing the boxing world will be watching their scoring of every single round. Actually, open scoring has to be at least a little better than what we are getting now, because it would definitely force the judges to pay closer attention to every single round. The eyes of the boxing world would be on them, as much as on the fighters...

This article was provided by our good friend Elisa Harrison of BraggingRightsCorner.com. For more of Jeff Mayweather's archives, please visit www.BraggingRightsCorner.com.


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