Judging in a boxing match is complicated due to its inherent subjectivity, relying on human interpretation of complex criteria like effective aggression, clean punches, and ring generalship.
All this can lead to controversy. The human element, coupled with potential biases, differing viewpoints from unique vantage points, and the sheer difficulty of scoring each round in real-time, makes judging prone to disputes and inconsistencies.
It gets worse when one judge differs with their two colleagues with wide margins from what looked to have been a closely contested fight.
This happened on Saturday at Emperors Palace in an eight-round bout between Ardy “The Eagle” Katompa and Khaya Mlata
Judge Dawn Bensch scored it 77-73 for Katompa from the DR Congo, whereas Thando Xamlashe scored it 76-75 and Duduzile Dlamini made it 77-75 for Mlata. Those scores reflected the closeness of the fight.
The Cape Town-based champion won by a split point to be crowned the WBC youth junior featherweight champ.
Referee Mfundo Mvandaba handled the bout well. It was the best of the night, and promoter Rodney Berman gave the two boxers a bonus of R5,000 each over and above their purse money.
In the main bout of the “Destiny Decree” tournament, Bryan Thysse won the vacant SA light-heavyweight belt by a ninth-round stoppage of Michael Head.
It was not a great fight to watch, and the two boxers spent too much time holding and hitting each other with unofficial blows and got away with it because referee Riaan Janse van Rensburg just did nothing.
Victory made Thysse the third national champion from the Thysse family. His father, Andre Thysse, held the super middleweight belt, and Bryan’s older brother Brandon is the junior middleweight champion.
Earlier on, Charlton “Baby Pain” Malajika pulverised Froilan “The Sniper” Saludar from the Philippines into submission over four rounds, much to the amazement of soccer supremo and boxing fan Jomo Sono, who maintains that Charlton’s older brother, IBO junior bantamweight holder Ricardo, is the best.
“I am not making any comparison; Charlton looked wonderful tonight; [but] Ricardo is the machine,” said Sono,
Other results:
Middleweight 4 rounds: Jared Hensberg beat Lawrence Chiyangwa on points.
Heavyweight: Jose Kadima beat Limbani Lano TKO 1.
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