Legendary trainer Teddy Atlas blew his top during ESPN's Canelo v.s. GGG post-fight coverage in the wee hours of Sunday morning, September 17. The converted boxing analyst was pissed off over the controversial draw the fight ended in, which was only made possible by the spread of points Canelo Alvarez benefited from thanks to a 118-110 decision on one judge's scorecard. Atlas' perspective on the result opened up with him responding "corruption in boxing" when asked what his reaction was to what took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Within moments that perspective would be challenged though, with Stephen A. Smith posing, that to the contrary, it was the ineptitude of a singular judge and not the manipulation of those atop the sport's hierarchy, who is responsible.
"Teddy, wherever there is big money, there is corruption, we understand that. That’s not restricted to the sport of boxing. At the end of the day they got in the ring, they fought valiantly for 12 rounds. We have a problem with one judge’s decision. It’s one judge’s decision," Smith replied after Atlas expounded on how he sees the "landscape" of the sport being corrupted by promoters, judges, and administrators of the sanctioning bodies all colluding with one another. But Atlas wasn't having any of it.
"There is no oversight board in boxing. There is no commission. There is no national commission, no federal guidelines, nobody looking and saying, ah, 'can’t do that. You can’t be in charge. Promoter can’t be in charge of who the judges are going to be. No, of course you want these judges. You can’t be in charge. We’re in charge. We're going to oversee and police it. We’re going to make sure there is no corruption'," Atlas fired back. "There is nothing, everywhere else in the business there is corruption. In oversight, wall street there is corruption."
The fight was an active affair that saw Canelo open up with combinations and swift footwork as GGG stalked and struggled to land anything significant. But as the middle rounds came around it became clear that Canelo had a long night ahead of him, and it wasn't until later in the fight, when the commentators were gauging that the Mexican star was going to have to press in order to ensure that he has a shot at winning, that Canelo came off of the ropes and began to fight Golovkin in the middle of the ring. But to many, it was too-little-too-late, with GGG appearing to have dominated the middle portion of the fight, and Canelo looking too gassed to roar back against a persistent GGG.
After the bell rang the scorecards were read as follows: Dave Moretti scored 115-113 in favor of Golovkin, judge Don Trella scored it 114-114, and judge Adalaide Byrd had it 118-110. Judge Byrd's card was actually the first to be read, and drew a gasp from the crowd, as an impending doom was set for a grand majority of the crowd. The announcement of an even decision was then followed by boos.
