WBC Pushes for Six Judges at Fury-Usyk Rematch and Other Title Fights (May 26, 2023 – BBC Boxing)
In a recent development, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed the organization’s plan to continue its push for the presence of six judges ringside for the highly anticipated rematch between heavyweight champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, as well as other WBC title fights.
Sulaiman had previously campaigned for the inclusion of six judges during Fury and Usyk’s first encounter last month, in an effort to ensure a fair and definitive outcome. However, this proposal faced resistance from rival sanctioning bodies and event promoters, leading to the traditional three-judge setup being maintained.
“I will campaign for the WBC fights to [have six judges for] those who are eligible, and we are going to start doing it,” Sulaiman told Casino Reviews. “It came down to the other organisations and the promoters not supporting the idea, so we will do it as usual in the WBC fights. We have done a few in Mexico and will continue doing so in WBC fights and we will monitor it and see how things go.”
The rationale behind the six-judge proposal was to ensure that the rightful winner had their hand raised in the undisputed title fight between Fury and Usyk, which was a closely contested affair. Sulaiman believes the split decision victory for Usyk was a fair and acceptable outcome, stating:
“Yes [I was happy with the scorecards], it was a very close fight. It came down to the 11th round and it was scored in favor of Oleksandr Usyk by two judges, one of them in Mike Fitzgerald and Mike Metcalfe scored it in favor of Tyson Fury. So, if Metcalfe scored it for Usyk rather than Fury it would’ve been a unanimous decision for Usyk. If Fitzgerald had scored it to Fury then he would’ve won the fight, so the rounds were very close, that one in particular.”
The WBC’s unwavering stance on the six-judge system is aimed at minimizing the possibility of controversial results and enhancing the integrity of the sport. As the boxing world eagerly awaits the Fury-Usyk rematch, the WBC’s push for this measure will undoubtedly be a topic of keen interest among boxing enthusiasts.
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