It was supposed to be a stroll in the park for Arnold Barboza Jr. But it suddenly became his worst nightmare. He was the overwhelming favorite to win at Haney vs. Garcia and then hunt down Teofimo Lopez until Sean McComb brought the best version of him into the biggest fight of his career. The lanky Irish fighter almost spoiled Barboza Jr.’s plans. But what seized headlines was not the action in the ring, but the way judges scored the fight, causing an uproar.

What went wrong with the American fighter? He was never stylistically matched with a tall, southpaw, and McComb stood like a puzzle before him for 10 rounds, which he failed to solve as the time ran out. However, he barely scrapped the win with mind-boggling judges’ scorecards.

Arnold Barboza Jr. saved by the judges’ grace

The fight started with both fighters slowly feeling the fight. But McComb’s longer reach allowed him to push forward early in the fight. McComb utilized his range and jabs effectively in the first round. Meanwhile, Barboza Jr. attempted to get into close range, but got clipped by jabs and hooks. In the second round, Barboza Jr. tried to cut the ring and land body shots to ensure the Irish fighter didn’t move that much in the ring. He was willing to absorb McComb’s punches to land some of his own, as he was a more powerful puncher of the two.

In the third round, Barboza Jr. remained patient but didn’t find his opponent’s chin. McComb continued to land jabs and rights to maintain a distance but got punches near the head area. He still led the scorecards after three rounds. In the fourth round, when Barboza Jr. tried to push the pressure, McComb landed effective counterpunches, and his circling the ring only added to Barboza Jr.’s agony.

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In the fifth round also, McComb stuck to his game plan, using his height, reach, and range effectively. The midrange battle didn’t work for the champion, as the challenger controlled the pace, and by the end of the fifth round, the champion had only won one round.

McComb’s confidence also reached a zenith as the fight progressed. In the sixth round, Barboza Jr. changed his tactic, invited McComb forward, and employed the counter-punching tactic. By this moment, the fight was slipping away from him. While he made a strong comeback in the seventh round, he failed to dominate his opponent, which sums up the fight. Barboza Jr. wanted to turn the tables in the final rounds, but McComb followed up with a strong round, despite Barboza Jr. landing the hardest punches in the round, never allowing Barboza Jr. to find his range.

But what turned heads was how one judge gave Barboza Jr. 7 rounds to the incumbent champion, invoking furious reactions from fans. While two judges’ scorecards read 96-94 and 97-93 in Barboza Jr.’s favor, one judge had it 98-92 in McComb’s favor. Eddie Hearn also expressed his frustration as he asked on the DAZN broadcast, “How on earth do you have a scorecard that is 98-92 for McComb and 97-93 for Barboza?” It seems he is not the only one.

Fans are up in arms against the call at Haney vs. Garcia

A fan wrote, “He got Jobbed!”

A user called it “corruption,” given the huge disparity between the judges’ scores. Two scores were in stark contrast and, as such, evoked doubts about bad play.

Someone voiced the same concerns and declared McComb was “Robbed.”

A comment read, “highway robbery,” as McComb dominated the fight for large stretches. Barboza Jr. never seemed to connect any punches or appear dominant, so how a judge gave him 97 perplexed the fan.

Lastly, a boxing fan, frustrated by the recurring lopsided decisions where judges’ scorecards don’t match what the fans have seen in the ring, declared, “Omg this sport is so disgusting.”

What do you make of this exciting fight at Haney vs. Garcia? Let us know in the comments below.