Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez's 12-round war was one of the best fights of the year, but that's not what it will be remembered for.
It's a shame that the historic middleweight world title fight between Golovkin and Alvarez was marred by controversy because both pugilists did their part to make it an instant classic.
Golovkin's aggressive style complimented Canelo's counter-punching perfectly, and vice-versa, and the violent chess match that ensued was an absolute joy to watch. Once that final bell rang, everyone watching was appreciative of the fact that it lived up to the hype. It was a prizefight, not a dud.
Unfortunately, that warm, fuzzy feeling quickly dissipated once Michael Buffer read out the first judge's scorecard. All of a sudden, a great night for boxing had transformed into a shitshow.
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It was a closely-fought fight and two of the judges' scorecards reflected that. Dave Moretti had Golovkin winning by a single round, while Don Trella could not separate the two warriors. Remarkably, Adalaide Byrd didn't see it as close at all. She gave 10 of the 12 rounds to the Mexican superstar.
Unsurprisingly, her assessment of the fight wasn't well received. Everyone from Paulie Malignaggi to Manny Pacquiao criticised her performance. Fortunately, she has been punished for her questionable scoring, as Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett explained after the fight. (quotes via the
Los Angeles Times.)
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“I’m not going to put her right back in. She'll still be in the business … but she needs to catch her breath.”
Byrd is on the naughty step for now, which should give her time to think about what she has done. Bennett added that he will meet with her to discuss the card.
