With the unanimous decision loss to Damien Knyba, Andy Ruiz Jr.‘s plans to re-enter the heavyweight division’s title contention have become uncertain. Making his promotional debut on a Matchroom card that took place in New Jersey’s Prudential Center, the former champion is now forced to reassess his plans.
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What seems to have aggravated the situation is that many fans and observers feel Ruiz received preferential treatment from the judges, who felt the fight was closer than it appeared.
“Two terrible scorecards in Ruiz-Knyba. Having Knyba winning by one point is comical,” wrote veteran journalist Dan Rafael some time ago.
That frustration, shared by many others, centered around the scores given by two of the judges.
His tweet featured a screenshot of the scorecards marked by Glen Feldman, Anthony Lundy, and Kevin Morgan. With Lundy having it 117-110 in Knyba’s favor, Feldman and Morgan somehow found the fight a bit tighter, giving 114-113 each for Knyba.
Strictly speaking, there’s no problem, given all the three had the Polish heavyweight winning. What bothered people the most, however, was how two of the judges saw the fight as so close when one had Knyba winning in dominant fashion.
Coming off a two-year layoff that followed a draw against Jarrell Miller, Ruiz was viewed as the odds-on favorite to win the fight. But Knyba, who suffered his first professional loss to champion Agit Kabayel early this January, came prepared. He leveraged his 6’7″ height and a massive 86″ reach to put the former champion on the back foot.
Two terrible scorecards in #RuizKnyba. Having Knyba winning by one point is comical. #boxing
Soon to turn 37, Ruiz found it difficult once Knyba started controlling the fight with his jabs. Showing his experience and expertise, the American, however, rallied back to punish the visiting heavyweight after he knocked him down. But it was too little too late.
Ruiz ultimately had to accept the result after the judges felt the Pole had done enough to secure a win.
While agreeing with that assessment, the fans, meanwhile, felt the judges should have done a better job.
Andy Ruiz comeback marred by controversial scorecards as fans erupt
Teasing the judges, one user wrote, “They bent over backwards to rig it and questioned their reputations with those scores going forward and STILL had to nod at their handlers. Ridiculous.”
Another added, “Glenn Feldman is corrupt; he’s the US equivalent of Howard Foster. This is the same guy who scored the Usyk/AJ rematch for AJ. 🤣🤣🤣 More people need to start talking about this crook; he’s done it numerous times now & always scores for the A side. Clearly taking brown envelopes.”
Those comments stem from the way Feldman scored the Usyk-Joshua II fight four years ago. While Viktor Fesechko and Steve Gray scored for Usyk 116-112 and 115-113, respectively, Feldman, however, viewed it differently, scoring 115-113 for AJ.
The scores drew considerable scrutiny since many fans and observers felt Usyk won by a wide margin. Feldman somehow had AJ winning five of the first six rounds. Gray’s scorecard, meanwhile, suggested the fight would have likely ended in a draw had Usyk not won the final round.
When asked how he scored Joshua the winner on the scorecards, Feldman plainly responded, “Just the way I did.”
A few, like Lou DiBella, could not hold back from pointing to the visible lapse in judgement. “Big day for boxing. Also a big day for very questionable scorecards,” the veteran promoter wrote at the time.
Mincing no words, another user wrote, “It’s not incompetence. It’s pure corruption.”
“What were Glen Feldman and Morgan smoking, and/or how much were they paid off? With a knockdown and Andy Ruiz having no success in 80-90% of the rounds, you have him only down one round. Something has got to happen,” one fan stated.
Those comments were echoed by another user: “With no knockdown, it would have been a draw. That’s terrible.”
These remarks hinge on the knockdown Knyba scored in the fight. It virtually made it impossible for the judges to view the fight another way. The seriousness of the situation is underscored by reports suggesting Ruiz’s trainer, Manny Robles, who is known for scripting comeback stories in boxing, told him he would stop the fight if he continued to take punishment.
Still, two of the judges felt the bout was close enough to let the Pole win narrowly.
Thankfully, it is a non-title bout. The controversy would therefore fade within days. That said, in an already aggravated atmosphere, with the sport facing so many challenges, both within and outside the ring, judging standards have once again put boxing in a position to face criticism.