USA Boxing | News | Raynell Williams Drops Second Round Contest at the Olympic GamesWhen I looked over the stable of U.S. fighters at the Olympics, one of my favorites was Raynell Williams at 125 pounds. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see Raynell's second match, in which he lost to the French 125 pounder. The French 125 pound winner is a good fighter, with a stocky build, and a combat style. Khedafi Djelkhir came out with a victory and Williams was right to accept the decision in accordance with Olympic rules. Williams will do just fine in the pros; he has poise, skill, and a fighting character. In another time, he would have been a winner.
But the discussion by American commentators like Teddy Atlas is all about the way Olympic boxing is being handled these days. The atrocious judging is making me lose interest and I'm the type of guy who would walk 20 miles to see a boxing match between a cricket and a grasshopper. The judges aren't seeing what's really happening. They're not getting it, and no one seems to care.
Even for the skilled boxing afficionados, it's a difficult prospect for three of six judges to hit their little punch-counters simultaneously. A better system might be to assign judges to watch a single fighter and record punches. But that's not the only problem with Olympic boxing; the absence of concepts like ring generalship, effective punching (vs. scoring punching), no scoring for knockdowns, and other rules designed to appeal to the designer label crowd have made it very likely that 2012 boxing Olympians will compete in the category of track and field.
At least, there is one recompense for me, and for all of the other USA boxing coaches who work around the country. It's obvious that most any fighter from most any gym stand in America stands a chance of making it to the big time. Most will not make it that far, however, and the best of these will go into the pro ranks as they become frustrated with the arbitrary methods of judging the winners.
2 comments:
Round 1 - Williams won it but the score was 1-1.
Round 2 - Djekkhir got a point on blocked uppercut. Williams scored but it doesn't count. Score is 4-1.
Round 3- 3 to 3 points in the round but williams should have had 3 more oints.
Round 4 - make wrong right...forced to fightinside, teddy atlas... it's b.s....williams looking good in round four with combos and french guy runs and fans boo... it's a track meet.
Williams is the better fighter by far. Djelkhir was squared up the whole way. It's a robbery. These are my notes...sorry...
Raynell was cool in the post-fight interview. He knew he'd won but showed none of the anger a less classy fighter would have. Asked what he'd do differently, Raynell said: "I wouldn't change anything." And neither would I. Raynell will lump you up, son!
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