October 16, 2008
TOKYO, JAPAN
WBC feather champ Oscar Larios (64-6-1, 40 KOs), 126, barely kept his belt as he came off the canvas from a very bad knockdown in the fourth, and withstood shaky moments to be awarded a highly controversial split decision (114-112, 115-111 and 112-114) over previously unbeaten Japanese southpaw Takahiro Aoh (16-1-1, 8 KOs), 126, over twelve heats on Thursday in Tokyo, Japan. Aoh looked a winner rather than Larios, so all the spectators were stunned by the disputed verdict.
Also, WBC bantam ruler Hozumi Hasegawa (25-2, 9 KOs), 118, impressively scored his seventh successful defense by a quick demolition of WBC#2 Mexican Alejandro Valdez (21-3-1, 15 KOs), 117.5, at 2:41 of the second round. It was an encounter of southpaw contestants.
Japanese southpaw Aoh, 24, took the leadoff in the opening session, as he caught the defending champ with sharp and fast southpaw lefts to the face and the midsection. Aoh’s opening attack visibly reddened the champ’s left optic. Larios, 31, furiously came out fighting in the second, when he recklessly threw big punches to take back the initiative.
In the third, Aoh caught Larios with precision, but Larios fought back hard with overhand rights, if not accurate. In the closing seconds of the session Aoh landed vicious lefts to the midsection to have Larios wince temporarily.
The fourth witnessed Aoh connect with a beautiful southpaw right hook to the champ’s straight right to have Larios sprawling to the canvas. His damage was such that the referee Vic Drakulich might have almost tolled a fatal ten. The champ’s pride pulled himself up, and he gamely resumed fighting with rubbery legs. Aoh attacked him hard, but the bell came to his rescue.
It was obviously a 10-8 round. But it was announced after the fourth that Aoh was penalized a point by referee Vic Drakulich because of Larios having suffered a cut at the right eye caused by a head-collision and another at the left optic by a legal shot of the challenger. It became a 9-8 round with just a one-point advantage for Aoh, though he had the champ on the verge of a knockout. The crowd apparently showed a great displeasure with the penalization on Aoh based on the WBC eye-cut rule.
The WBC open scoring system showed the tallies of the judges after the fourth: 37-37 twice and 38-36 for Aoh. The announcement also gave a serious frustration to the spectators, who believed in Aoh’s lead on points after the fourth. Some shouted, “Why 37-37?” It might be because a couple of judges gave Larios the third round, so Larios lost the first (10-9) and the fourth (10-8), while Aoh lost the second, third and a point deduction in the fourth. This reporter saw it 38-36 in Aoh’s favor, identical with the minority judge.
Encouraged by the fourth-round knockdown, the Japanese lefty youngster positively attacked the still shaky champ with sharp combinations and almost stunned him with his trademark right hook in the fifth. Aoh looked dominant in the sixth and seventh with his fine display of fast right-left combos to the fading champ.
The eighth saw Larios begin to throw many punches, regardless of precision, while Aoh averted the champ’s roundhouse blows and accurately countered him with a few good one-two combinations. This reporter rendered Aoh the fifth through seventh and Larios the eighth to see an interim tally of 77-73 in favor of the Japanese challenger.
After the eighth, the interim scores were announced to stun the crowd, as follows: 75-75, 78-76 for Aoh, and 76-78 for Larios. Some people cried, “You’re kidding.” It was an inexplicable interim tallies that really had all the witnesses really frustrated.
The open scoring system truly encouraged the champ, who might have mentally felt losing on points. It also discouraged the challenger, who might have felt winning some more points over the champ after the eighth.
Larios, in round nine, abruptly regained his zip and mental strength, and turned more aggressive than in the eighth. Aoh was forced to the ropes by the champ’s pressure, which obviously gained a point for Larios who amazingly survived a fourth-round visit to the deck. The tenth was also Larios even by a slight margin, since Aoh threw a punch at a time.
Aoh welcomed a second wind in the eleventh and became fresh enough to outspeed and outpunch the slower champ. It was Aoh’s round. The twelfth and last session was taken by Aoh, who caught the champ with sharper and more accurate punches, while Larios, still pugnacious, kept missing the target.
People couldn’t imagine a possibility of Aoh’s defeat, even if it might be called a draw. The Japanese golden boy seemed to have piled up enough points to win in the first eight rounds, but the open scoring system apparently disturbed his rhythm after the announcement.
Criticism on the verdict is a sensitive and subjective matter. This observer should never say, “I am right, and you (the judges) are wrong.” All of them were vastly experienced judges with long-time study and training through the WBC as well as their state commissions. I might have to say instead, “I am wrong, and you are right.” However, we have to watch the reaction of the angry spectators, all of whom felt Aoh won.
This decision might kill the popularity of boxing in Japan. Some angry fans cried, “I won’t come back to see boxing any more!” Listen to their voices and watch their reactions, and we have to reconsider the scoring standard once again.
Lately, the scoring standard has become too complex for general people to understand. Boxer A and Boxer B fight, and people feel that A won over B. But the judges saw B winner, saying boxing isn’t so simple as you, amateur fans, can understand. Such a pedantic attitude has lost great many boxing fans who have felt headache after too many controversial decisions. You are the judges that decline boxing. Sorry, the scoring standard itself, not the judges, should be to blame.
If we don’t call it a controversial decision on the Larios-Aoh title bout, there will be no debatable verdict. This reporter highly respects scoring abilities of the three gentlemen. Given this evaluation and trust on them, I hereby describe the decision again: Duan Ford 114-112 for Aoh, David Sutherland and Hubert Minn 115-111 and 114-112 respectively in favor of Larios. This reporter saw it 115-111 for Aoh.
This reporter has been a collector of great many films from James J. Corbett to Oscar De La Hoya. I strongly insist that the film is quite different from what we actually see. It is scientifically and strictly no use to review the fight on tape, since it (the tape) never perfectly reappears what it happened in the ring. However, the Larios-Aoh tape may be a good material for worldwide officials to review and discuss in the forthcoming WBC convention in China in the beginning of November.
The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) had better discuss once again whether it should accept the WBC eye-cut rule or waive it under the JBC rules and regulations for the sake of fairness. Also, the validity and effectiveness of the open scoring system should be discussed without the JBC adopting it unconditionally. Unfortunately, this system to let the crowd know the interim tallies tonight gave great confusion and frustration to people who purchased tickets with their own money and came to see the fights. Should it give people such displeasure and lose boxing fans here, such open scoring system should be abolished inside of Japan.
Hasegawa, making his seventh defense, lost the first round to the Mexican challenger Valdez, who threw good southpaw jabs that bounced back the champ’s face repeatedly. The champ said, “I felt it might become a long tough fight.”
However, it abruptly ended midway in the second session when Hasegawa turned loose and released a vicious overhand left to the ambitious Mexican. Down he went. Though Valdez resumed fighting after referee Mike Griffin called a mandatory eight, Hasegawa swarmed over the still groggy challenger.
The champ had him reeling to the ropes with a barrage of punches. Then, the referee didn’t hesitate to declare a halt. It was a well-timed stoppage. Against his expectation, even if Valdez was really a tough opponent, it ended in a short drama.
The judges of this main event were: Duane Ford, Bruce McTavish and Hubert Minn.
Promoter: Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Promotions.
(10-16-08)