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Friday, September 22
Body punches not getting noticed

SYDNEY, Australia -- Judges erred in failing to pay attention to body punches in a second-round 106-pound bout in which world champion Brian Viloria of Hawaii was outpointed, a top official of the international boxing federation said.

Viloria landed 10 or 12 body punches, but none was recorded as a scoring blow in his 6-4 loss to Brahim Asloum of France on Friday night.

"The judges just didn't do a good job of scoring body punches in the bout," Loring Baker of Atlanta said Saturday.

Baker said he and Anwar Chowdhry of Pakistan, the federation's president, talked about the scoring of the bout and also discussed it at a morning meeting of judges and referees.

No action was taken against any of the five judges, and the U.S. team did not file a protest.

The reluctance of some judges to register body blows "is something coaches have long complained about," Baker said. For any punch to be recorded as a point by the computer, at least three of the five judges must register it within a second of its landing.

No judges have been dismissed from the competition.

"We've counseled one or two, but in general we're satisfied with the officiating," Baker said. Those counseled were pushing their buttons too much or too little in comparison with the four other judges.

Judging the Asloum-Viloria bout were Yoo Jee-joon of South Korea, Auguste Faatau of Tahiti, Mahmoud Mokretari of Algeria, Wilfred Lausch of Germany and Julio Marmol of the Dominican Republic.

Baker said Cameroon filed a protest, but it was denied.

The protest stated that the referee gave too many cautions, but no warning to Scott MacIntosh of Canada, who outpointed Sakio Bika Mbah of Cameroon 8-5 at 156 pounds.

Baker was asked why Rulan Chagaev of Uzbekistan was allowed to compete in the 201-pound class. Chagaev beat Felix Savon of Cuba in the final at the 1997 world championships, but the gold medal was taken from him and given to Savon after it was discovered Chagaev had boxed professionally in Chicago.

Baker said Chagaev somehow didn't understand the ramifications of signing a contract so, instead from being banned from amateur boxing, he was only suspended for two year.

Chagaev won his opening bout at 201 pounds 15-2 decision over Alexandr Yatsenko of Ukraine.


 

ALSO SEE
Vinson makes second round as U.S. boxers go 11-for-12

Williams falls behind early, but then advances as well

Taylor right on target for U.S. boxers

Juarez, Lacy latest U.S. boxers to advance

Viloria holds on after almost blowing lead

Craig, Vinson get first wins for U.S. boxing team




   
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