Most controversial Boxing decisions over the last 10 years

3.Juan Manuel Marquez vs Manny Pacquiao III

Two of the greatest: Marquez(left) and Pacquiao(right)

Marquez and Pacquiao have battled it out four times and none have been as controversial as this one. The match which happened in 2011 was adjudged as Ring Magazine’s “Robbery of the Year” and it was for obvious reasons.

Even though Pacquiao was the aggressor Marquez was landing the better shots with his excellent counter punching skills. The fight was very close for either to be held as the winner but the decision was ruled in favour of Pacquiao with a Majority Decision. The result frustrated fans and pundits alike. Nacho Beristain who was Marquez’s trainer at the time even thought about filing a lawsuit against the judges who scored the bout.

Marquez did get his first win over Pacquiao a year later but his fans would put their four match score at 2-1 in favour of Marquez considering the 3rd fight which in their eyes he had comfortably won.

2.Brandon Rios vs Richard Abril

Richard Abril in action against Rios

A match where the judges could have scored all 12 rounds in favour of Abril turned out to a howler with Brandon Rios winning it by Split Decision. People who saw the match except for the two judges who scored the bout in favour of Rios clearly noticed Abril’s in ring dominance with his jab and power punches landing almost at will.

The compubox stats further strengthened Abril’s claim of being robbed as he was ahead on punches, jabs and power strikes. Probably everyone except for the two judges had Abril winning it and that too by a comfortable margin. Their careers went in separate ways after that with Rios having fights against Manny Pacquiao and Mike Alvarado while Abril didn’t get recognition any further.

1.Timothy Bradley vs Manny Pacquiao I

Seems both were happy with the decision?

This probably is the worst decision in boxing history! Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley squared off against each other in 2012 and it was for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title. Pacquiao looked to be the aggressor all along and the match ended with Pacquiao outlanding Bradley in total punches thrown, jabs landed and power punches but the main highlight was the decision as 2 of the 3 judges scored the bout in favour of Bradley while the other had Pacquiao winning.

The result was greeted with jeers and contempt and the WBO who later reviewed the fight had Pacquiao winning by a big margin but did not overturn the decision. Pacquiao would avenge his defeat two years later, but the first match remains one of the biggest blunders ever in terms of the outcome.