WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman floated the idea of having increased judges ahead of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury first fight, and now with the rematch set for later this year, he has developed his idea and once again suggested another rule change.
Usyk came out on top via split decision to become undisputed champion, with the judges praised for agreeing with the majority of observers and scoring the bout as an extremely close encounter.
In the past judges have come under scrutiny for their scorecards though, with the two fights between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall recent examples of where fans felt that the officials had submitted poor verdicts.
With that in mind, Sulaiman wants further changes made to the rules, telling Casino Reviews that he will once again campaign to have more judges score the Usyk vs. Fury rematch.
“I will campaign for the WBC fights to those who are eligible, and we are going to start doing it. 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.
“It was a very close fight. It came down to the 11th round and it was scored in favour of Oleksandr Usyk by two judges, one of them in Mike Fitzgerald and Mike Metcalfe scored it in favour 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. A huge left hand at the end of the round by Usyk was a statement. Scoring is subject, it’s a complicated task but I believe a split decision win for Usyk is more than fair and acceptable. Our position is to always have the best possibilities to avoid a controversy and that’s why we wanted six judges.”
Sulaiman also reflected on the magnitude of the first Usyk vs. Fury fight, stating that it will be one of the most memorable fights of all time.
“Without a doubt this event and of course, the fight, will be remembered for generations. It was one of the greatest events, one of the greatest fights I have ever seen. It was an unbelievable performance by both. There was so much at stake, so many things happened before, during, and after the fight and boxing won. It’s a memorable gathering of so many different things that will remain in our minds.
“Tyson Fury was so brave in facing unexpected situations when he got hurt in the eighth round with the nose and the eye, and then he almost got knocked out in the ninth. But he then came back and finished strong.
“On the other hand, Oleksandr Usyk taking the best punches from Tyson Fury in the sixth and seventh rounds were tremendous. In favour of Fury, it seemed as if that was the way the fight was going to go but then in the seventh round, the trainer of Oleksandr Usyk asked him if he wanted a Crucifix, he says yes and kissed the cross, and then gets this unbelievable wind to come back and be strong. The production before the fight, videos, and movies, it was an all together memorable event that could not be duplicated anywhere in the world.”
With the rematch pencilled in for December 21, it gives Sulaiman six months to potentially get his wish and have more judges for the bout, but with over governing bodies also involved with the fight, it isn’t expected to be obtainable.
Boxing Social is now on WhatsApp! Join our channel by clicking here and getting all the latest boxing news direct to your phone.