By Chris Williams: It’s interesting to see the scorecards of the two judges that had former WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (31-2, 20 KO’s) barely losing to WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (12-0, 9 KO’s) last Saturday night at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York.
Judge John Stewart scored the fight 114-113 for Rigondeaux. He gave Donaire rounds 4, 5, 8, 9, 10. The other judge that scored the fight close was Tom Schreck, who scored the fight 115-112 for Rigondeaux. He gave Donaire rounds 2, 7, 10 and 11.
There’s just no way that Donaire won 5 rounds last night. I’m not sure what the judge Stewart was looking at to give Donaire rounds 4, 5, 8, 9, because those were rounds Rigondeaux clearly got the better of Donaire on scorecards. I had the fight scored 117-110, and I could only give Donaire the 2nd and 10th rounds. This judge was giving Donaire rounds were Rigondeaux was really dominating the action and I can’t figure out what he was seeing in Donaire to give him those rounds.
Judge Schreck gave Donaire rounds 2, 7, 10 and 11. I agree with him giving Donaire the second and 10th rounds, but I can’t understand how he saw Donaire winning the 7th and ESPECIALLY the 11th.
The 11th was incredibly one-sided. That was when Rigondeaux had come back from the flash knockdown in the previous round and was spanking Donaire in a big way. The other two judges had Rigondeaux both winning the 11th round, but not this judge. He saw something in Donaire in that round that the other two judges and I didn’t agree on.
It’s a good thing the judges got the decision right, but it’s bad that the fight was scored closely because only a tiny minority of boxing fans seem to have seen it that way. It would have been a black eye for the sport had Donaire been given the win last night and it’s so, so sad that two of the judges had him close to winning given how badly he was dominated by Rigondeaux.
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