Officially, Ishmail “The Arsenal” Arvin, 15-1-4 (7), defeated Anthony “The Messenger” Thompson, 23-3 (17), by TKO 6 in a scheduled 12 rounder for some meaningless trinket called the USBO Jr. Middleweight title. The bout was held at the Ibiza Nightclub in Washington D.C. before an estimated 120 in the main event of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
Allow me to amend that comment that the belt was meaningless. In fact, it might well be the highlight of the hometown fighterArvin’s career. But Thompson, once a highly touted blue chipper, had his sights set much higher. This was his return to the ring 14 months after losing a controversial split decision to Yuri Foreman on the Cotto-Judah undercard at Madison Square Garden, and he needed a big win, the more impressively the better.
The difference between fighting at MSG, the Mecca of Boxing, and the Ibiza Nightclub, the Mecca of Boiler Makers, is all you need to know about Thompson’s motivation coming into this contest. The venue is a definite yardstick of which way your career is heading.
Early in round three Thompson suffered a nasty cut over his left eye in what video replay confirmed was an accidental clash of heads. However, referee Malik Waleed, one of the best officials in the region, didn’t make any discernible gestures ruling either a punch or butt.
Thompson proceeded to rock Arvin all over the ring for the remainder of the round. Arvin hit the deck three times but only two were ruled knockdowns by Waleed. Yet on his second trip to the canvas, ruled a slip, he rose and was wobbling around the ring like he was coming home from his bachelor party. The second knockdown was from a jab as Arvin’s legs had totally deserted him.
This was the key round of the fight and worthy of being placed under the microscope. First of all, Waleed’s ambiguous response to the action involving the cut could have been easily clarified if he had gone to both corners with his ruling between rounds. On the other hand, you could make the argument that they should have asked. Secondly, Waleed was watching Arvin closely in the round and he might well have been justified in stopping the fight after the second knockdown as Arvin had clearly lost his equilibrium.
In any event, Thompson certainly seemed to get the short end of the breaks in round three.
After six rounds the cut had developed into a full scale gash and the eye was swollen shut. So the wisdom of stopping the fight at that point is not at issue. Thompson, with a safe lead on points, naturally assumed that he would win a technical decision. He didn’t appear to be unhappy about it.
Waleed called out of the ring, presumably to the ringside physician, “That’s it? That’s it? Are you on board? That’s it? Okay, that’s it.”
The veteran referee peered through the ropes toward the commission table and said, “I didn’t see an accidental butt.”
He put his hands in the air and said to Thompson, “It is what it is. It’s done with. I gave you every opportunity.”
Thompson and company vehemently argued their point. Somewhere in the heated exchange you could hear Thompson saying, “Zab Judah” …and “going to the cards.” They were obviously under the impression that it was an accidental butt and would result in a technical decision as with the Judah-Joshua Clottey fight earlier this month.
Meanwhile Arvin walked around the ring with his hands held in victory, so he apparently saw it the other way.
ESPN blow by blow man Joe Tessitore and the ESPN team showed the replay to Waleed who went back to the D.C. Commission with news of what he had seen on tape while maintaining that he didn’t see a butt in the ring.
The commission then took a look at the replay with Tessitore. Thompson looked at it too, which couldn’t have done his mindset any good.
It was mass confusion, all of these commission members dressed in suits walking thoughtfully in circles as they tried to make the right decision. Tessitore, at the broadcast table on his feet, trying to show the evidence from the booth. Thompson, pleading his case to anyone who would listen.
But see, here’s the deal: There is no instant replay in boxing. Well New Jersey claims to have it, but there’s no evidence of it ever being used in boxing so big deal. After a delay of some 12-15 minutes someone on the commission came to their senses and Arvin was still the winner. There was no other choice unless they were prepared to invent their own rules on the spot.
Thompson is expected to appeal and since he deserved the victory hopefully the replay will carry some weight at that time. Meanwhile, however, he remains a victim.
I must add that despite my respect for the broadcasting talents of Joe Tessitore, I believe in this case he overreached because to me an announcer is a journalist and as such should refrain from interfering with the event that they are covering. Showing that replay to everyone in the club without a cane and dark glasses was just over the top and in the end, counterproductive.
The referee and commission members are equally guilty here. The rules are the rules are the rules and as long as there is no instant replay you can look at it as many times as you wish, but it can’t change the outcome. And if viewing this tape isn’t going to change the decision, why put yourself in the untenable position of watching it in full view of the fans and network audience?
This once again shows some of the potential benefits of instant replay, as well as some of the possible drawbacks.
You would like to think that if a sharp TV producer can pick up the incident and identify it between rounds, then so should any competent referee. If it’s more difficult than that or if it doesn’t have the right angle, just move on.
In order to be effective, it would have to be a same round decision by the referee only or there would always be the potential for abuse. Of course, then he could potentially be second guessing his own calls.
But we saw Friday night first hand just how slowly uninformed men in suits make decisions. Most commissioners are politicians, not boxing men.
So is it worth it? Well, it would be to Anthony Thompson, but let’s face it, the NFL has had replay for awhile and they’re still getting the bugs out of it.
In the final analysis, I believe I prefer the human touch. Whether it’s the human eye or a Sony camera, there will always, always, be someone to criticize a call, non call, or a reversal for that matter. Who needs the aggravation?
NOTES:
The HBO fall schedule that follows was sent to me by my colleague Marc Abrams. As you can see, one team is ready for Back To School.
9/6 HBO Diaz-Katsidis (Golden Boy)
9/13 HBO PPV Casamayor-Marquez (Golden Boy)
9/27 HBO WCB Mosley – Mayorga (Golden Boy )
10/4 HBO BAD Featuring prospects Gamboa and Angullo (Shaw via litigation settlement.)
10/18 HBO PPV Hopkins-Pavlik (Golden Boy/Top Rank)
11/8 HBO PPV Jones – Calzaghe (Golden Boy assisting Calzaghe promotion/ Square Ring)
11/15 HBO WCB J.Taylor – Lacy = (Golden Boy)
11/22 HBO WCB Malignaggi – Hatton (Golden Boy)
12/6 HBO PPV Oscar-? (Golden Boy)