Does boxing have corruption? The Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Juan Francisco Estrada fight definitely did—at least, that’s what acclaimed boxing journalist Chris Mannix and former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew think! The headlining clash at Footprint Center, Phoenix, last weekend was an absolute banger.

Undefeated ‘Bam’ Rodriguez took on Estrada, a legend of the super flyweight division, and emerged victorious with a seventh-round knockout, claiming Estrada’s WBC super flyweight title. However, Mannix and Bellew believe that if the fight hadn’t ended in a knockout, Rodriguez would have been robbed of his win. Let’s delve into why.

Chris Mannix ropes in Mauricio Sulaiman and the Arizona Boxing Commission

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez dominated the fight, knocking down El Gallo Estrada in the fourth round before finishing him in the seventh round with a vicious body shot that forced the WBC super flyweight champion to fall to the canvas in writhing pain. Despite a sixth-round knockdown by Estrada, he couldn’t keep up with his younger, faster, slicker opponent. Yet, when the fight ended, Judge Javier Camacho had the scores reading 57-56 in Estrada’s favor, and Judge Robert Tapper scored it a 56-56 draw. The third judge, Steve Morrow, was the only one to score the fight 54-58 in Jesse Rodriguez’s favor despite the knockdowns. After the fight, once the scores became public, the scorecard from the other two judges raised eyebrows.

Chris Mannix, a senior boxing writer and commentator, took to X to express his frustration, while also tagging the WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. Mannix noted, “Everyone involved with last nights #EstradaBam show— @wbcmoro, the Arizona commission—needs to address the main event judging.” Highlighting the irregularities in the scoring, Mannix wrote, “Corruption, incompetence, maybe both. Gallo knew he lost. Two judges didn’t. They tried to rob Bam Rodriguez in Phoenix.”

Moments later, Tony Bellew joined the conversation as well. Responding to Mannix’s comments on the fight, Bellew remarked, “You’re spot on… These judges have to explain what they’ve seen after the fights!” Bellew emphasized that judges are rarely held accountable for their decisions, despite frequent complaints from promoters and fighters.

While there hasn’t been any response from the WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman or the Arizona Boxing Commission, a quick look at the CompuBox stats from the fight offers additional insights.

Jesse Rodriguez vs. Juan Francisco Estrada: Perspective from CompuBox

According to stats from CompuBox, Estrada landed 95 total punches out of 368 thrown, while Rodriguez landed 156 punches out of 371 thrown. Estrada landed 16 jabs out of 111 thrown, whereas Rodriguez landed 66 jabs out of 189 thrown. The former champion threw 257 power punches but only landed 79, compared to Rodriguez’s 90 out of 182 power punches.

In terms of total punches landed, ‘Bam’ was the clear, concise winner with 42% of his punches landing on target in comparison with his opponent’s meager 25.8%. Moreover, Estrada rarely led the fight during the entirety of the seven rounds. These stats make the scores from the two judges look even more suspicious.

Despite the outrage from Chris Mannix and Tony Bellew, it’s unclear if there will be any consequences for the judges. However, it confirms one thing: had the fight gone the distance, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez could have been robbed of his clear win. What do you think?