It’s 11:24AM and, apparently hungrier, Hungarian Pal Bedak has just scored a 24-9 victory over Columbian punching bag Oscar Padilla in a preliminary bout at the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships. I’m not sure when amateur boxing adopted football-like scores, but I’m not sure that I mind. (3 of the 5 ringside judges must indicate a clean punch for a point to be accrued. After four 2 minute rounds, total points scored determine the winner.) With a moment’s reflection, it seems a hundred times more logical than the mysterious “10 point must” judging system used by professional boxing federations.
Of course, a knock-out would have been exciting, but these early bouts are in the 106lb (48kg) Light Flyweight division. Though fast, nimble and active, fighters at this weight don’t possess the power to knock out a cold. With the prospects of mat-time at a minimum, I’m starting to like this scoring system better all the time.
The lone American on the morning fight card is Rau’shee Warren, defending bronze medalist from the 2005 Championships. He cruises to a 20-8 win over an out-matched fighter from arch U.S. rival Uzbekistan. During four rounds of dominance, I can feel my patriotism swell, as I root for a fighter I had not heard of five minutes before. The chants of “USA” between rounds give me a case of goose bumps. I experience a rare moment that affirms the inherent goodness in sport, and its power to unite otherwise disparate people in a common cause.
“Down goes Fraser!” I mean Parlagi. In the lone knock-down of the session, the eager Slovakian fighter steps into a short right from his Bulgarian opponent. As knockdowns only count as a single point, the overall impact of the blow is minimal. Parlagi jumps to his feet and goes on to methodically jab his way to an easy twelve point victory.
In the last fight of the day, England’s Frankie Gavin takes on Barbados’ Omar Ward. After round 1, Ward has yet to score a single point (5-0). Mid-way through round 3, Ward is down 18-0 and the few remaining fans (more on that above) begin to take up his cause. All they want is for the young amateur to score a single point. Ward bobs and lunges in with a left jab. Gavin deflects the blow and counters with a 1-2 combination. The referee jumps in between the two men. The 20 point slaughter rule has been enacted. And in the blink of an eye, the fight and sessions 6 A&B of the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships are over.
Of course, a knock-out would have been exciting, but these early bouts are in the 106lb (48kg) Light Flyweight division. Though fast, nimble and active, fighters at this weight don’t possess the power to knock out a cold. With the prospects of mat-time at a minimum, I’m starting to like this scoring system better all the time.
The lone American on the morning fight card is Rau’shee Warren, defending bronze medalist from the 2005 Championships. He cruises to a 20-8 win over an out-matched fighter from arch U.S. rival Uzbekistan. During four rounds of dominance, I can feel my patriotism swell, as I root for a fighter I had not heard of five minutes before. The chants of “USA” between rounds give me a case of goose bumps. I experience a rare moment that affirms the inherent goodness in sport, and its power to unite otherwise disparate people in a common cause.
“Down goes Fraser!” I mean Parlagi. In the lone knock-down of the session, the eager Slovakian fighter steps into a short right from his Bulgarian opponent. As knockdowns only count as a single point, the overall impact of the blow is minimal. Parlagi jumps to his feet and goes on to methodically jab his way to an easy twelve point victory.
In the last fight of the day, England’s Frankie Gavin takes on Barbados’ Omar Ward. After round 1, Ward has yet to score a single point (5-0). Mid-way through round 3, Ward is down 18-0 and the few remaining fans (more on that above) begin to take up his cause. All they want is for the young amateur to score a single point. Ward bobs and lunges in with a left jab. Gavin deflects the blow and counters with a 1-2 combination. The referee jumps in between the two men. The 20 point slaughter rule has been enacted. And in the blink of an eye, the fight and sessions 6 A&B of the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships are over.
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