I once sat down in New York with Jim Jacobs, co-manager of “Iron” Mike Tyson, who had the “Greatest Fight Films of the Century” film collection.
In discussing bad decisions, he said “when Willie Pastrano beat the champion Harold Johnson.” It was June 1968 in Las Vegas when Pastrano, 57-11-8, got a split decision over Johnson, 69-8. I saw Johnson at a boxing event and asked “how did a bum like Pastrano beat you?” She replied, “he was a good boxer.”
My worst was in Philadelphia in November of 1976 when I saw Puerto Rico WBC Super Feather champion Alfredo Escalera, 36-7-2, win a split decision over Philly’s Tyrone Everett, 34-0. I scored it 13-2 in rounds for Everett. The Mexican referee had Everett up, while Puerto Rico and Philadelphia referee Lou Tress had it in for Everett. The 46-year-old veteran judge never worked another show. He should have gotten a “good payday”!
I heard it once in June 1973 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when Chuck Wepner, 26-9-2 of New Jersey, was awarded a decision over former heavyweight champion Ernie Terell, 46-7 by 7-5 in rounds by referee Harold Valan.
Recent WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight title holder Artur Beterbiev, 20-0, won a 23-0 majority decision over WBA and IBO champion Dmitrii Bivol in Saudi Arabia in October. I had Bivol before. They play again in February.
Another was in April of 1987 when former champion “Sugar” Ray Leonard, 33-1, won a split decision over middleweight champion “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, 62-2-2, who never fought again, but moved to Italy. I was one of the few who felt Leonard won.
In other championship fights when WBC super featherweight champion Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, Jr., 27-0, earned a decision over Jose ‘El Terrible’ Luis Castillo, 45-4-1, in San Francisco, California, in April of 2002 .It was bad enough for an immediate rematch.
When heavyweight champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ 42-0 got a majority decision over future champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, 15-0, in Las Vegas in May 1983. At a press conference I once yelled, “You don’t. You don’t really think you beat ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, do you?” He was not happy with me.
When champion Muhammad Ali, 50-2, defeated Philly’s Jimmy Young, 17-4-2, in April 1976 in Landover, MD. Controversial, if not bad.
When champion Joe ‘The Brown Bomber’ Louis, 56-1, won a majority decision over ‘Jersey’ Joe Walcott, 42-13-1, it earned an immediate rematch, in their December 1947 fight with Louis who hit the canvas twice.
When super middleweight champion Andre ‘SOG’ Ward, 30-0, defeated light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, 30-0-1, in Las Vegas in November 2016, it was bad enough for an immediate rematch with Ward winning and retiring.
Another was when WBO Welterweight champion Tim Bradley, Jr., 28-0, defeated former champion Manny ‘Pac Man’ Pacquiao, 54-3-2, in Las Vegas in June 2012.
I could go on and on. What are some of your favorites?
