Controversial GGG-Canelo decision leaves judge sidelined, some bettors with refunds

One referee’s controversial decision in Saturday’s Canelo vs. GGG bout has led to her being temporarily sidelined while some bettors have been issued refunds. Adalaide Byrd, the judge who turned in the controversial 118-110 scorecard in favor of Canelo Álvarez over Gennady Golovkin, will take a break from judging for an undetermined amount of time, according to ESPN.

Byrd’s card was wildly out of place compared to the cards from Dave Moretti (115-113 Golovkin) and Don Trella (114-114 Draw). Byrd has been “temporarily stood down,” according to ESPN. Bob Bennett, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, stated that he wouldn’t be putting Byrd “right back in.”

“She’ll still be in the business but she needs to catch her breath,” Bennett said.

Even Oscar De La Hoya, the primary promoter of Álvarez, said that he didn’t understand the 118-110 card.

The scorecard also had serious implications in Las Vegas, where bettors felt cheated out of their large Golovkin bets. One bet as large as $500,000 was made on Golovkin, the favorite, and that had to be refunded.

Those who were betting on the outcome that included the potential for a draw potentially did not get refunds, though Caesars reported taking a six-figure loss on the draw, also according to ESPN.

A draw is controversial in its own right because most felt that Golovkin clearly won the bout. A close scorecard can still exist for a fight that was close, with Moretti’s card being most in line with the general public opinion of how the fight went down.

Álvarez spent a lot of time against the ropes, eating shots and trying to effectively counter-box. There was a stretch in the middle of the fight where Golovkin was dominating and likely won six or seven consecutive rounds. Even if a judge felt that Álvarez’s counter striking was enough for the win, 118-110 is horrendous as a scorecard.

This probably won’t be the last time we hear about it, either. Boxing fans are getting fed up with poor decisions and while no official action has been taken against Byrd, ESPN notes the judging controversy surrounding C.J. Ross in 2013.

Ross retired after a ton of criticism was levied against her. That criticism came for her abnormal cards turned in for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley fight as well as the Floyd Mayweather vs. Álvarez bout. In the latter bout, she had a 114-114 draw despite the other two judges seeing a clear win for Mayweather.