Apart from the two fighters squaring off inside the ring, the referee controls the outcome of a fight in the sport of boxing. However, referees have occasionally been bought off to decide a fight differently. Bill Phillips, a seasoned boxing referee, once narrated a story that illustrates the rotten nature of the sport.

Phillips revealed an instance that occurred before the 2008 Olympic Games in China. In Kazakhstan, he was officiating some qualifiers. He stated, “Boxing has been corrupt since the day I started. There were always straight people in the game and I had some great times, but I remember one referee going home with a suitcase full of presents. It’s endemic.”

He further detailed an incident when prostitutes were sent to his room, and he sent them back, denying the offer. The next morning he was approached by an official who asked him, “You don’t like women?” 

He said, “I told him I love women, but I’m happily married. I’ve been married for 48 years. I have two sons and eight grandchildren. But, that wasn’t the only reason for saying no. It’s a bribe, isn’t it? You’re in their pocket.” 

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Furthermore, when he got back to his room, someone pushed an envelope with 500 dollars in it. “I thought ‘What’s this all about?’ I tried to find out who it was. In the end, I gave it away to some local people out on the street. They were happy,” Phillips concluded. 

Eddie Hearn sues Jake Paul for falsely accusing him of bribing a judge 

Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn and Jake Paul are often found at odds in debates. The two even co-promoted the April 2022 fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. However, Jake Paul had accused Hearn and Matchroom Boxing of bribing judge Glenn Feldman for the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua fight, which took place in August.

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In addition, he said that Hearn paid off the same judge for the Taylor vs. Serrano fight as well. Following that, Hearn is suing Paul for $100 million, calling his comments “outlandishly false”.

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Well, only time will tell how this situation plays out. Meanwhile, what do you think about referee Bill Phillips’ remarks? Let us know in the comments below.