Are we seeing more and more cheating in boxing?
Once he had his opponent against the ropes, Victor Ortiz (L) gave it his best shot at butting heads with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Once he had his opponent against the ropes, Victor Ortiz (L) gave it his best shot at butting heads with Floyd Mayweather Jr. (r) during their WBC welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 17, 2011. Referee Joe Cortez alertly recognized Ortiz’s blatant attempt and called for an immediate point deduction.
Week in and week out, we’re seeing more and more boxers violating the rules. The latest sneaky trick was used by Juan Manuel Marquez who kept stepping on Manny Pacquiao’s right foot throughout their Championship fight on Saturday night. After rendering Pacquiao at a disadvantage, he was able to counter at his stationary target. With the help of instant replay and all these videos showing up after each fight, it’s becoming apparent sooner rather than later that these so-called noblemen are cheating. If they can’t win fairly, the cheaters will always resort to bending the rules.
After Marquez convinced his fan base and some Pacquiao supporters that he had been robbed by the judges, out comes evidence of his subterfuge.
Juan Manuel Marquez is shown landing a solid hard right on the face of his stationary target. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
You have to figure it was a calculated move. Marquez had obviously been working on this technique throughout his training camp. In time, someone from his training camp will come forward and spill the beans.
Antonio Margarito is another gentleman who has tried his best to get around the requirement of following the rules.
Whether it’s the attempted addition of a foreign substance inside Antonio Margarito’s handwraps on the night he fought Sugar Shane Mosley or possibly the same violation when he fought Miguel Cotto, the truth will come out.
Before Margarito’s fight with Mosley, officials found what one doctor described as plaster hidden in the wrapped hands of Margarito, leading to accusations he may have been trying to cheat. According to Judd Burstein, the attorney for Mosley, Margarito had wet pads in the wrapping. Mosley’s doctor, Robert Olvera, likened the material to the type of plaster used to make casts. Burstein said he seized the pad removed from the wrapping and another pad found in Margarito’s dressing room. Both were placed in a sealed box that was given to Dean Lohuis of the California Boxing Commission for further study. After the suspicious pads were removed from Margarito’s dressing room, the boxer’s hands were rewrapped and the fight went off on time. On January 28, Margarito and his trainer, Javier Capetillo, had their licenses suspended by the California State Athletic Commission.
Joseph Agbeko (L) is hurting after getting hit below the belt for the yumteenth time by Abner Mares (R) at The Bantamweight Tournament Final on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing. Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
Abner Mares is another example. His constant low blows against Joseph Agbeko on August 13, 2011 were despicable. Not only the referee but the boxing commission officials in attendance should have stepped in to correct that egregious error. The count of low blows approached the number twenty. Here’s hoping Agbeko can get a fair shake on December 3, 2011 when the two boxers meet again. Hopefully, this time around, they’ll be paying more attention to the cheater.
After the video of Mares’ fight with Agbeko made it’s rounds, another video surfaced. This one showed Mares taking part in a clinic on how to cheat by throwing these calculated low blows with pinpoint accuracy.
Watchdogs of the noble sport must stand together and speak out against these violations. Once a Nevada State official, regardless of his status, saw an infraction, he or she should have immediately brought it to the attention of the comatose referee.
Some referees have to be quicker to react when they see a foul and never waiver when it comes to penalizing the perpetrator. For some boxers fouling has become routine as they try the referees’ patience. The fear of losing a single point due to the delivery of what might be the ninth or tenth debilitating low blow or the fifth or sixth rabbit punch behind the neck, might be worth the deduction.
