Ayala wins controversial decision over Dianzo

In one of the most controversial decisions in recent memory, WBA bantamweight champion Paulie Ayala eked out a unanimous, but razor-thin decision over unheralded and tough Hugo Dianzo on Friday night at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The fight was televised nationally on ESPN2. After successfully defending his 118-pound title, the San Antonio native is now scheduled to go up in weight to fight Clarence "Bones" Adams for the WBA 122-pound super bantamweight belt at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on August 4. Promoter Bob Arum said Ayala would fight for Adams' title on HBO's Boxing After Dark program.

Judges Samuel Conde of Puerto Rico and Anibal Maramontes from New Jersey both scored the fight a 115-113 for Ayala. Gayle Van Hoy of Dickenson, Texas, gave the had it a 115-112, also for Ayala.

According to Compubox, an over-rated system of counting punches regardless of their effect, Dianzo landed 194 of 1254 punches landed, a connect ration of a measly 15%. Ayala landed 151 of 789 punches, a 19% connect ratio.

Immediately after the decision was announced, ESPN2 color commentator Teddy Atlas went ballistic. "This decision stinks," Atlas yelled. "The politicians should get into this ... state. You would do it if it was for one of the other sports."

Atlas and Thomas Gerbasi of Houseofboxing.com had Dianzo winning the fight, 116-112. The Dallas Morning News scored the fight for Ayala, 115-113, and Associated Press gave Ayala a 115-112 victory.

Dickie Cole, the boxing administrator for Texas, said of Atlas to the Dallas Morning News. "How does he have the ability to judge? What's his relationship to the people who are fighting? He doesn't like [promoter] Bob Arum. They didn't even want to do this fight."

This reporter thought the decision was close, but just. I had it 115-113 for Ayala mostly because, although Dianzo landed 194 punches, his missed almost a thousand punches. And the ones he did land were mostly slap punches that had little or no effect on Ayala.

One of the four criteria used for judging profession boxing matches is defense (the others are clean punching, effective aggressiveness and the nebulous term -- ring generalship). Ayala had to be given credit for his defense in making Dianzo miss all those punches.

Although most of the rounds were close, Ayala's punches were sharper and more effective. And even though Dianzo was credited with a knockdown in round four, the replay showed he stepped on Ayala's foot, while firing a slapping right hand. The punch glanced off Ayala's shoulder and Ayala fell backwards to the canvas. Even though the ref incorrectly ruled it a knockdown, the most anyone could give the round to Dianzo was by a 10-9 margin, not the usual 10-8 margin given when a fighter knocks down his opponent.

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