Rios v Abril (includes spoilers)

For anyone who hasnt watched the fight, well its wasnt a classic but probably a fight that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Rios looked awful and was completely schooled but rather unsurprisingly got the decision. I have to say its one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. Its not far off Whitaker/Ramirez in terms of sheer barefaced robbery. I had it 117-111 to Abril and that wasnt being generous to Abril at all. He boxed smart and won handily but has an unfashionable style that wont thrill crowds. I usually try to avoid using the word robbery but this was blatant and cant even be passed off as judging incompetannce. One judge had it 116-112 to Rios which sadly seems a week too late for Aprils Fools. Terrible representation of the sport overall.

On a more positive note though the fight on the undercard between Alvarado and Herrera was a cracker and great blend of styles. Definately one worth watching if its up on the net. Quite a similar set up to the blend of styles in the Diaz/Marquez first fight which led to some great action.

Alvarado was a classic. Rios card was a fix, boxing is losing me. I think 2012 might be my last year following so close. Robberies are cheating, nobody does anything to change it. They literally fixed the card with two lopsided points and then a 115-113 ?? Abril by 5/6 rounds. Joke

I was talking to Sean on Twitter about this during the fight, we both scored it 10 rounds to Abril. One or two hard rounds to score that could have gone either way... but still Abril win.

In round 8 or 9, we both knew Rios needed the KO to win, until it hit me... this was a Top Rank card. When this is the case, ABRIL NEEDED THE KO.

It's a joke, Arum is truely screwing the sport to make fights that he wants to make. I'm not even going to list all of the things that are wrong with Top Rank, but if I was Tim Bradley... I would make sure I get the KO against Pacquiao.

Im not sure how its supposed to work with the judges in this. Jerry Roth for instance is a highly experienced judge thats been around for eons. Unless hes gone senile in his old age I cant understand how he can produce a 116-112 scorecard like he did without foul play. Are we to assume that he was bribed by Arum? I honestly dont know.

Glen Trowbridge if my memory serves me correctly was also the culprit that produced the 116-112 Pacquiao card in the last Marquez installment (a fight that seems on the level compared to this one). He scored it 115-113 to Rios so maybe we could say hes basically an Arum judge.

Adelaide Byrd scored the fight the same as myself so no complaints there.

But all three have been judging big fights a long time and are very experienced which makes the result so hard to fathom.

Many thanks Bor Arum, you have just lost a fan. No more boxing for me from now on which is a shame as i love the sport. I dont see the point in waiting up until stupid oclock to watch someone put on a decent perfromance ans school the favourite when he is going to win anyway. Flip Poopie sport, im off to UFC as there seems to be the best fighting the best and no fixed cowpat score cards.


Take care 606, if you fancy a chat, pop into the Footy forum or MMA!!


Peace out,


D2!

Goobye my friend, may bob arum leave you in peace in the lesser sport known as the ufc. Amen

If Bob Arum keeps going, UFC will become a hell of a lot more popular with fight fans.

Until he is gone, Boxing is a Flip disgrace.

Im genuinely curious in these kind of fights as to how the two judges managed to score the fight to Rios. I mean is it something as unsubtle as cash in a paper envolpe? Is it some kind of boxing clique whereby everybody knows the script? Surely incompetance is being too generous?

Bradley will have to KO Manny 3 times to stand any chance of winning.

ShahenshahG wrote:Goobye my friend, may bob arum leave you in peace in the lesser sport known as the ufc. Amen

I gave Rios 2 rounds and the third round even, one of those robberies that makes you feel sick and give up with the sport

There has been a couple of decisions over the 5-6 years I have been watching boxing that I have not agreed with and thought the other fighter was robbed.

Marquez vs Pacquiao trilogy
Martinez Williams I
Huck vs Lebedev
Williams vs Lara

However, this was an absolute joke of a decision. Rios hardly landed a noteworthy blow the entire fight, I am a big fan of Rios but I found it hard to score any rounds to him. He was countered all night and Abrils defence totally nullified anything he tried to do.

If you have it 9-3 I'm ok with it.
If you have it 10-2 I'm still ok with it.
Even if you have it 11-1 I'm fine with it.

I would rather see 12-0 in rounds than give Rios more than 3.

That is the worst decision I have ever seen in boxing.

Assuming Rios stays at LW (unlikely), he is currently ranked as Ring's #2 LW behind JJM. Abril is #10. Should Rios drop down the ranking and be below Abril?

Unfortunately I think the ring magazine only go on official results...

BoxingFan88 wrote:Unfortunately I think the ring magazine only go on official results...

So do most of us it seems. We still have Paq at #2 P4P fighter.

Just watched the fight, disgusting decision. Wonder if they'll go down the Khan route and appeal.

School Project wrote:I was talking to Sean on Twitter about this during the fight, we both scored it 10 rounds to Abril. One or two hard rounds to score that could have gone either way... but still Abril win.

In round 8 or 9, we both knew Rios needed the KO to win, until it hit me... this was a Top Rank card. When this is the case, ABRIL NEEDED THE KO.

It's a joke, Arum is truely screwing the sport to make fights that he wants to make. I'm not even going to list all of the things that are wrong with Top Rank, but if I was Tim Bradley... I would make sure I get the KO against Pacquiao.

Agree 100%

hampo171 wrote:Just watched the fight, disgusting decision. Wonder if they'll go down the Khan route and appeal.

Doubtful. Abril is not the money maker. But would you support them if they launched an appeal and an investigation? I haven't seen the fight, but if its a clear cut robbery as many are saying, an investigation would be the right thing to do. Its clear that something is wrong.

Yeah he'd have my support Az. The judges should have wore masks last night.

azania wrote:

BoxingFan88 wrote:Unfortunately I think the ring magazine only go on official results...

So do most of us it seems. We still have Paq at #2 P4P fighter.

Good point.... who should have the second spot? Ward?

Guys, could you go on the post i just put up and see if we can come up with any good ideas re an online petition?

Where there's obvious bias, then an investigation should be launched. The sport needs cleaning up. Pity Abril is not an exciting fighter otherwise his stock would have risen due to this. Also pity that Rios is seriously weakened at the weight as it takes some gloss off Abril's performance.

I mean, I don't honestly know what to think with this one...

It was the most unbelievable decision I have ever witnessed.

There is literally, LITERALLY, NO case to make for Rios winning 7 rounds. I don't see how you could possibly see it this way, I'm sorry but it must be a fix, there's just no possible way (generally) fantastic judges like Jerry Roth can get a fight SOOOOOOOOO wrong.

Worst robbery I have ever witnessed, literally about as bad as Whitaker Ramirez, so bad I can't honestly believe it.

I thought to myself if it was close this would go Rios' way, but as there isn't a case not even a Top Rank fighter can get the decision, turns out, he can. Unbelievable joke of a decision, gave Rios 2 rounds, and even they could have gone Abrils way.

AWFUL!

azania wrote:Where there's obvious bias, then an investigation should be launched. The sport needs cleaning up. Pity Abril is not an exciting fighter otherwise his stock would have risen due to this. Also pity that Rios is seriously weakened at the weight as it takes some gloss off Abril's performance.

Wouldn't have mattered anyway, to be honest the fight could have been at 140lbs Abril had a perfect gameplan, stuck the shoulder in his face and put his right hand up to his face and Rios had no answer on the inside, couldn't land a clean blow, don't see what he could have done given his limited abilities.

Weren't both fighters Top Rank guys? We all know that Arum is a ranker and the deal to fight JJM is practically a done deal. More money than a rematch so the result I believe was predetermined as soon as the contract was signed. Maybe Gamboa knew something we all didn't.

What did the commentators say about the result.

http://www.allthebestfights.com/brandon-rios-vs-abril-full-fight-video-pelea-2012

Have a look.

It seems all the commentators thought a robbery.

Abril should appeal. Its not as though the fight cant be scored again.

Tbh, an appeal would do absolutely nothing

What will they do, force rios to fight for a title he DOESN'T have in a division where he can't make the weight.

Peterson rematched khan because he would have been stripped of his belt.

Rios didn't win the title as he didn't weigh in the lightweight limit. If abril gets a rematch, it'll be at 140 and rios will have no obligation to fight him, why would he after getting outboxed so easily

i just feel for Abril, he's lost out on a 50,000 pound bonus

That money will be divided up nicely between the judges, little Brucey Bonus.

An appeal could do a lot in that it willhighlight the problem. The issue for Abril is that he is not a named fighter and may have problems getting fights in future as he will be frozen out. He will need the backing of his promoter (Arum) so fat chance of that happening.

Hope a New Jersey taxi driver takes a wrong turn when Arum is crossing the road.

Its no wonder boxing is falling behind, why would a casual watch another fight if they saw that!

The fact Arum claims he had Rios winning the fight basically tells you all you need to know about what Abrils chances of getting anywhere are. Despicable stuff. It could be Abril with a world title and the opportunity to make some decent money for himself from the sport and possibly secure a big fight. Instead he will probably join a "who needs em club" and wander the boxing wilderness fighting for small pay days.

What I would really love to know is the root of the probloem witht the scoring. Jerry Roth who scored it 116-112 to Rios? How?

I dont think many people expected Rios to lose or struggle in this fight so the idea that Arum would physically bribe the judges seems far fetched. In any event one of the judges scred it correctly to Abril. Roth has also been a judge since the early 1980s so hes very experienced. I noted hes had a couple of poor cards in the past (He scored Alexander/Kotelnik 116-112 to Alexander for example). But he was actually also the judge that scored the second Pacquaio/Marquez fight to Marquez.

In boxing I think there are unconcious elements that seem to favour fighters. Obvious things like whichever fighter is the champion, whichever fighter is at home, whichever fighter is expected to win and whihever fighter is the bigger star/name shouldnt affect impatialiaty. But it does to various degrees, however subtely or unconciously. Its just human nature to an extent. But then you get a scorecard like in this fight which goes way beyond that even those kind of excuses dont apply. Is it imcompetance or corruption I would essentially like to know.

Over the last year we have Campillo/Cloud, Kirkland/Molina, Williams/Lara, Pacquaio/Marquez, Chisora/Hellenius to name a few (and thats ignoring any fight that doesnt have Ian John Lewis involved). But they have the feeling of closer to stitch up jobs than just poor officiating.

After seeing this how much are Rios and Marquez going to want this fight?

Marquez is coming off a disgraceful points loss to Pacquiao while Rios from all accounts got a gift against Abril while Rios has just outboxed going up against one of the finest technicians of his generation.

Rios will lose a wide UD if they meet. To think Abril got shafted for such a predictable fight is shocking, but i suppose it's the money that comes with that fight that counts.

Found this, interesting to hear Robert Garcia and Rios thoughts... considering they weren't really panicking much...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95tgA2_QQxo&feature=g-u-u&context=G22e3b63FUAAAAAAACAA

I admit Abril was holding a lot, but if you can get away with it then why stop? The ref should have done a better job in that aspect. Still the worst robbery I have ever seen...

I personally believe that judges should be forced to explain their decisions in public. Let them have a Q&A on a round by round basis. I recall that female judge who scored round 5 for Holy (in the lewis fight) explaining her decision. It was laughable and she actually looked embarassed giving her reasoning. She stated she couldn;t see properly.

Crazy stuff.

Judges should be made accountable for their decisions.