Back in September, in Chihuahua, Mexico, former world champion Antonio Margarito, fighting on despite being as close to shot as can be imagined, scored a highly contentious technical decision win over tough and seasoned contender Carson Jones. Some other picks may be put forward, but to this writer’s way of thinking, this fight is fully deserving of picking up The Robbery of The Year distinction.
This one was just bad, bad, bad.
At the conclusion of the 7th round of what was actually a fun fight with plenty of trading, Margarito – who suffered a cut to his right eye in round-two; the damage ruled to have been caused by a head-clash – remained on his stool.
Initially it appeared as though Jones, who was really hammering an exhausted-looking Margarito in the 7th round, had won via corner retirement. Instead – to Jones’ utter dismay, and to the utter dismay of all fight fans who applaud nothing but fair play – M.C Jimmy Lennon Junior announced how the fight had actually been stopped by the doctor due to the cut and that the fight would go down to the score-cards.
Margarito, who claimed Jones had fought dirty throughout the surprisingly action-packed battle, prevailed by scores of 68-64, 67-65, 67-65. Margarito, handed a quite shameful gift, walked away “victorious,” his record going to 41-8(27). Jones, who was seemingly on the verge of an 8th or 9th round stoppage, so fatigued and unsteady was Margarito, fell to 40-12-3(30).
Jones took the fight right to Margarito and the two traded in an exciting opening session. Jones of Oklahoma had the faster hands, Margarito appearing to push his punches, plenty of them of the arm-punch variety. Still, the action was good, the pace a fast one, and there was scarcely a clinch throughout the seven completed rounds.
Jones was warned for use of the head a number of times, the time-out due to what was ruled a clash of heads taking place in the second. The cut was a bad one but it didn’t really seem to overly bother Margarito as the fight wore on (then again, it is debatable how much vision Margarito has in his surgically repaired eye anyway).
Margarito fought well in spurts, winning his share of rounds, but Jones, often a fighter who comes on strong in the middle and later stages of a fight, did just that. The tape coming loose from his glove a frustrating number of times, Jones dominated the 6th and 7th rounds. Margarito appeared to be all out of gas in the 7th and he really was done a great favour with the manner in which the fight was stopped.
Jones had every right to feel pretty disgusted over what happened to him back in September. As do all boxing fans who witnessed this travesty – 2017’s clearest and most offensive Robbery!
Dishonourable mention:
Gennady Golovkin D12 Canelo Alvarez: we all know this was no draw!
Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam WS12 Ryota Murata: two of the three judges were suspended for six months; ’nuff said.
Jeff Horn WU12 Manny Pacquiao: in the opinion of many, Pac Man was robbed in Australia.