When judges err, bettors search for someone to blame

It was not a fixed fight, so forget the fun conspiracy theories. Manny Pacquiao lost a decision he deserved to win Saturday night because boxing’s scoring system is broken, and when something is left in the hands of judges, we can end up with a mess on our hands.

Pacquiao won the punch stats and passed the eye test, but underdog Timothy Bradley walked off with the WBO welterweight title by a split decision that stunned most everyone in the MGM Grand Garden and the millions watching and wagering around the world.

Boxing is no stranger to the bizarre, so when a fiasco unfolds we never should be amazed. Still, this case is so complex that it requires an explanation.

Jay Rood, sports book director for MGM Resorts, walked out of his office after the fight and watched a man try to piece together a ripped-up betting ticket on Bradley.

“I started laughing,” Rood said. “A few people were saying, ‘I can’t believe that. I’m never going to bet another boxing match.’ I just hate to see it. We have zero to do with what happens, but a lot of people draw a line between the book and the decision.”

If there’s a line to be drawn, it doesn’t connect to the bookmakers. Some books profited a little from the fight and others lost a little. LVH sports book director Jay Kornegay compared the loss to what might be paid out on a regular-season NFL game.

“It wasn’t a disaster or anything like that,” Kornegay said. “But it’s bad for boxing and bad for betting. It’s a joke.”

Kornegay said he was joking when he tweeted Bradley-Pacquiao “should be the last boxing match we’ll ever book,” but he was disgusted by the decision that went to Bradley 115-113 on two judges’ scorecards.

He was not alone. A storm of outrage erupted on Twitter, with celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel, Justin Timberlake and Kim Kardashian talking with their thumbs to protest the decision.

Former boxers Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis gave the decision a thumbs-down, as did Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who tweeted, “That is horrible. Unreal. Ridiculous. Stupid. Bogus. Etc. That fight wasn’t close and I was pulling for Bradley.”

I also was pulling for Bradley and also thought it was ridiculous. Yet there were some sharp fight observers who thought the fight was closely contested. I gave Pacquiao nine of the 12 rounds, but a few could have gone either way. Unlike the three judges, my opinion was influenced by the HBO commentators, who had Pacquiao winning in a rout, and the punch stats, which showed Pacquiao landed 94 more punches.

Boxing’s scoring system discourages 10-10 rounds, so you basically must pick a 10-9 winner even if the round appeared to be a draw.

“It’s really a stupid way of scoring, and that is what leads to bad decisions,” said Dave Cokin, a Las Vegas handicapper and radio host. “There’s no question Pacquiao won the fight. Manny won his rounds by a much bigger margin than Bradley won his rounds. I would have scored three or four rounds basically dead even.”

Cokin, who attended the fight and scored it carefully, came up with a draw on his scorecard. He said Pacquiao won six rounds, Bradley won three and the other three that seemed even he gave to Bradley.

There were no knockdowns and no 10-8 rounds. Most people who watch fights don’t score rounds and have no clue how to do it, the latter seemingly applying to the two judges who favored Bradley.

“I never said anything about fixing or a conspiracy,” Kornegay said. “Just get it right. They need to show the scorecards after each round so there’s no guessing and no controversy at the end.”

I bet Bradley at plus-340 and got lucky. Pacquiao bettors who paid the minus-450 price got screwed by a scoring surprise. On live wagering, Bradley was at 100-1 odds to win going into the 12th round.

Rood said MGM Resorts took two wagers of around $100,000 on Pacquiao and won a little on the fight while narrowly avoiding paying out on a draw at odds ranging from 30-1 to 17-1.

“We host the fights, and 90 percent of the time it’s great,” Rood said. “This is just crazy. I don’t know what else you can say.”

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.