A Travesty in Hollywood, Florida

Sometimes you have a fight where the guys are so closely matched, that it's almost impossible to score. Kind of like Castillo and Corrales, at least until the tenth round. Other times, you have a fight where the fighters might be closely matched, but if you are really educated about the science of boxing, and you're really paying attention to the fight and not blind or intoxicated, you can see where one guy really is outboxing the other. Landing more clean punches. Controlling the action (ie: ring generalship). That was the case tonight, yet unfortunately for Dale Brown, the sport of boxing, and its fans, none of the judges seemed to be educated, sober, or actually watching the same fight as the rest of us.

The fact is, Dale Brown won that fight. On my scorecard, it wasn't even close. I had it 117-112 Brown. Kevin Kelly and Shane Mosely had it 116-112 Brown. Joe Tessitore had it 9 rounds to 3, Brown. Brian Kenny also had Brown as the winner, but didn't tell us what he had on his scorecard. When interviewed after the fight, Bell even said, and I quote, "He outboxed me." Yes, O'Neil, he did. In almost every round. Which means you didn't win. (Bell seemed genuinely puzzled when both Tessitore and Kelly told him pretty much everyone at ESPN thought he lost).

Brown was gracious, as was Bell, considering the outcome. Bell is game for a rematch, but is really looking to take on Jean-Marc Mormec. If there is a Bell/Brown rematch, which I sincerely hope there is, perhaps a different set of judges will return the IBF Cruiserweight Champion belt to the man who deserves it. And if that fight goes anything like this one did, that man will be Dale Brown.