The 114-114 scorecard in Teofimo Lopez vs Rolly Romero sparked outrage. Rightly so in many regards.
No one likes that happening in professional boxing, but look, it does sometimes.
Human error can happen.
Lopez got a close majority points decision in the end on Saturday night but some notes on the bizarre scoring on the above card;
- Judge Glenn Feldman scored it draw
- Widely called a “baffling” scorecard
- Contradicted CompuBox stats completely
- Romero believed he was robbed
- Could have stolen the belt
- Highlights judging inconsistency problem
- 115-113 also considered too close in some people’s eyes
- Questions criteria judges use
- System remains deeply flawed but AI has not taken over yet
Some think he had been nearly right though, as Romero landed the more damaging effective punches in the fight.
Romero had little marks on him after, Lopez’ face had been a bloody and battered mess, at the end of the day.
That says a lot, too, in the Rolly Romero v Teofimo Lopez fight.
Romero had been subtle in the fight, he had at times tried to bulldozer Lopez like he said he had planned on doing before hand.
But he still needed to be a bit more subtle at times in setting up his attacks.
And then, actually, more of a bulldozing, more aggressive approach at times in following up in the second phase of attacks.
He had tried to box at times but he had not been aggressive enough in the pocket and on the inside.
He needed to get to the inside better and more regularly in our estimation, he stood off at times.
This is not been subtle in his approach, he could have still been subtle on the front foot more using feints and more head movement.
Then displayed more aggression in the second, third and even fourth phase of his attacks against Lopez.
He not only let Lopez off the hook as he had him hurt, he even let Lopez back into the fight in terms of controlling the distance the fight took place at, at times.
Overall, he needed to not let Lopez get comfortable in there, Lopez had been too comfortable and used this to survive the times he had been in adversity in the contest.
Rolando Rolly Romero had been too tentative and concerned, overly so, in Lopez’ attacks, Lopez did not have the pop to really hurt Rolly in there.
To let Lopez take the centre of the ring in some of the later rounds also, and let the bout be a battle of jabs in large spots in the championship rounds, a mistake on Romero’s part.
He needed to be more subtle in setting up his attacks but more output in his attacks, more aggression in execution and overall he needed more volume landed.
Even though he did more of the damage and landed more damaging, effectiving scoring shots, not enough of them.
This is something that effected the judges’ take on the fight in their scoring ultimately of Lopez v Romero on Saturday night.
Alas, that is the culmination of balanced reasons and analysis in our take on a judge scoring it 114-114.
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