How Did You Score It? 50 of Boxing's Closest and Controversial Decisions

It's one of the more controversial aspects of boxing, but it is also one of the most intriguing. Everyone loves a close and competitive fight, but when the winner is finally announced, it can be the cause of much debate that can continue days, months and sometimes years later.

This will be the first of a series of slideshow presentations called "How Did You Score It: A Look Back at 50 of Boxing's Closest and Sometimes Controversial Decisions." In no particular order, it will list 50 of the most disputed and debatable decisions in boxing.

Please remember this is the first of several slideshows, so if you don't see a certain bout, it will be included in a future slideshow.

All of them are worth taking a second look at. I will post a short overview of the bout, but all the in-depth discussion will be done below.

Feel free to discuss any of the matches presented in the comments section. If you want to know how I scored each fight round-by-round, comment below, and I will post it. Also, if you have a match you'd like featured in a future slideshow, let me know.

No. 50 Juan Diaz UD Paulie Malignaggi (Aug. 22, 2009)

Paulie Malignaggi wanted nothing to do with the judges in Texas and predicted they would give a close decision to the hometown fighter. He was right.

After 12 rounds of out-boxing and out-landing Juan Diaz, Malignaggi had lost a unanimous decision, which included a scorecard by Gale Van Hoy that inexplicably read 118-110.

Malignaggi quickly offered a rematch and got one later that year. He won a unanimous decision.

Punch Stats: Malignaggi 191/949 for 20 percent; Diaz 178/663 for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 118-110, 115-113 and 116-112, all for Juan Diaz.

No. 49 Joe Mesi MD10 Monte Barrett (Dec. 6, 2003)

This heavyweight bout featured two of the best new prospects coming up in the sport at the time. Joe Mesi was coming off a big KO win over DaVarryl Williamson while Monte Barrett had been on a six-fight win streak since losing to Wladimir Klitschko.

Mesi retired undefeated but had his fair share of tough matches against great boxers. His heavyweight dreams were cut in 2007 after suffering recurring problems due to a concussion he received in his fight with Vassily Jirov.

Official Decision: 94-94, 94-93 and 95-93 for Joe Mesi.

My scorecard: 94-94

No. 48 Evander Holyfield SD15 Dwight Muhammad Qawi I (July 12, 1986)

A fight that is this significant is always worth a second look. Many call this the greatest cruiserweight bout of the 1980s.

1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist Evander Holyfield was only 23 when he took on WBA's world cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the first time.

Holyfield rightfully got the decision after 15 rounds of back-and-forth action, but one judge did have it for Qawi. They had a rematch in 1987 where Holyfield won via TKO in the fourth round.

Official Decision: 147-138 Holyfield, 144-140 Holyfield and 143-141 Qawi.

My Scorecard: 144-141 Holyfield

No. 47 David Tua D12 Hasim Rahman II (March 29, 2004)

The first match between David Tua and Hasim Rahman was controversial with a definitive ending, but the second was even more controversial with a draw between the two heavyweight contenders.

Both boxers had their fair amount of success in the bout, but it was clear Rahman was the busier boxer. Tua landed his power shots, and they are probably what swayed the judges and me to give him the close rounds.

It was scored a split-draw over 12 rounds, and the division was left without a legitimate contender for the top spot in the division.

Punch stats: Tua 130/417 for 31 percent; Rahman188/695 for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 116-112 Tua, 116-112 Rahman and 114-114.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Tua

No. 46 John Ruiz UD12 Andrew Golota (Nov. 13, 2004)

Andrew Golota seemed to be on his way to a victory before John Ruiz picked up the pace halfway through the fight and started to land more blows.

In what turned out to be a typical Ruiz wrestling match, this heavyweight bout had its share of entertaining moments that came outside the ring.

Ruiz was knocked down twice during the bout, and his trainer, Norman Stone, let the referee know he wasn't going to accept the punches to the back of the head go unknown. Stone was kicked out of the corner before the beginning of the championship rounds.

In the end, Ruiz won a unanimous decision.

CompuClinch: 151

Official Decision: 114-111, 113-112 and 114-111, all for John Ruiz.

My Scorecard: 113-112 Golota

No. 45 Roberto Duran SD12 Iran Barkley

Roberto Duran made a phenomenal comeback against Iran Barkley for the WNC middleweight title in 1989. Barkley was coming off a major upset win over Thomas Hearns the previous year. 

It ended up being Ring Magazine's “Fight of the Year” and was an intense, history-making bout for both boxers.

After taking some of the hardest shots you will ever see not put someone down, Duran returned the favor to knock down his iron-chinned opponent in the 11th round. Even though he was already on his way to winning a decision, it was a very close fight up till that point.

Official Decision: 116-112 Duran, 116-113 Barkley and 118-112 Duran.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Duran

No. 44 Carl Froch SD12 Andre Dirrell (Oct. 17, 2009)

On the opening night of the Showtime Super Six middleweight tournament, Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell put their undefeated records on the line.

In typical Dirrell fashion, he moved away at any sign of engaging his opponent, clinched and sometimes out-boxed Froch. Dirrell lost a point in the 10th round, which ended up being the determining result of who won on my scorecard.

In Froch’s hometown, he won a close split-decision.

Punch stats: Froch 153/475 for 32 percent; Dirrell 105/315 for 33 percent.

Official Decision: 114-113 Dirrell, 115-112 Froch and 115-112 Froch.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Froch

No. 43 Jean Pascal D12 Bernard Hopkins (Dec. 18, 2010)

Bernard Hopkins was hoping to make history by being the oldest champion to ever win a world title.

His opponent was Canadian star Jean Pascal, who was the WBC light-heavyweight champion. Pascal came out fast and dropped Hopkins twice in the first two rounds.

In a slight turn of events, Pascal got too respectful of his opponent and didn’t throw as often and hard as he had earlier in the bout. He gave away many of the later rounds because of this and allowed Hopkins to rally.

Punch Stats: Pascal 86/350 for 25 percent; Hopkins 153/502 for 30 percent.

Official Decision: 113-113, 114-114 and 114-112 Hopkins.

My Scorecard: 114-112 Hopkins

No. 42 Shane Mosley D12 Sergio Mora (Sept. 18, 2010)

Shane Mosley was coming off a unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mora was coming off one victory but not over a significant opponent.

Mora was the last man to beat Vernon Forrest and was still looking to gain the respect he thought he deserved. He got his wish, and it came in the form of former welterweight champion Mosley.

It was an ugly fight for the majority of the 12-round distance, but it looked as if Mosley had won it in the end. Surprisingly, it was scored a split-draw, leaving nobody a winner. I guess you could call Mosley the winner because he got a shot at Manny Pacquiao while Mora had to settle for Brian Vera; a fight he ended up losing.

Punch Stats: Mosley 161/522 for 31 percent; Mora 93/508 for 18 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Mora, 116-112 Mosley and 114-114.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Mosley

No. 41 Lamon Brewster SD12 Kali Meehan (Sept. 4, 2004)

In the beginning, it was a cautious boxing match between two former teammates not wanting to leave their mark and establish their place as the aggressor in this heavyweight bout.

Kali Meehan picked it up in the eighth round and put Lamon Brewster on the ropes. In one of the greatest displays of heart you will ever see, Brewster survived an entire onslaught by Meehan and wasn't even knocked down. It was definitely worthy of a 10-8 score though.

Because of the close rounds early, it was hard to tell who had won in the end. 

Official Decision: 114-113 Meehan, 114-113 Brewster and 115-113 Brewster.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Meehan

No. 40 Chad Dawson UD12 Glen Johnson I (April 12, 2008)

The first big test for light-heavyweight Chad Dawson came against the rugged and always-determined journeyman, Glen Johnson.

They fought on the undercard of Antonio Tarver vs. Clinton Woods and put on one great fight worth watching more than once. Johnson is no stranger to losing close decisions, and it happened again in this bout for the WBC light-heavyweight title.

Official Decision: 116-112, 116-112 and 116-112, all for Chad Dawson.

My Scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 39 Tomasz Adamek MD12 Paul Briggs I (May 21, 2005)

Tomasz Adamek was undefeated at the time, and Paul Briggs had lost only once in 24 bouts. It was for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title that was vacated by Antonio Tarver after he decline to fight Briggs.

In 12 action-packed rounds, both boxers suffered cuts, swollen eyes and headbutts to make it the distance in a "Fight of the Year" candidate.

Official Decision: 115-113 Adamek, 117-113 Adamek and 114-114.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 38 Glen Johnson SD12 Antonio Tarver I (Dec. 18, 2004)

Both light-heavyweights were coming off knockout wins over Roy Jones Jr. and were put into a important fight that would determine who was the better of the two and ultimately determine the "Fighter of the Year."

To make things better, they fought 12 rounds of high-paced boxing in what many would call a tactical war.

You won’t see too many fights that have this kind of action with two highly skilled boxers. It was a “Fight of the Year” candidate and produced the 2004 “Fighter of the Year” in Glen Johnson. They fought once more, and Tarver won a decisive unanimous decision.

Punch Stats: Tarver landed 296 for 35 percent; Johnson landed 217 for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Johnson, 115-113 Johnson and 116-112 Tarver.

My Scorecard: 115-114 Johnson

No. 37 Bernard Hopkins UD12 Ronald “Winky” Wright (Dec. 3, 2005)

In a major PPV bout between two highly skilled boxers, Bernard Hopkins and Ronald Wright fought through headbutts, cuts and better-than-expected action over 12 rounds of middleweight boxing.

Hopkins was awarded a unanimous decision, but it didn’t reflect the competitive nature of the bout or the fact that Wright had outlanded him by 15 punches.

Wright, who suffered a bad cut early in the bout, had his moments but tired in the end, giving the late rounds away to the much better conditioned Hopkins.

Punch Stats: Hopkins 152/640 for 24 percent; Wright 167/618for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 116-112, 117-111 and 117-111, all for Hopkins.

My Scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 36 Marco Antonio Rubio SD12 Enrique Ornelas (Oct. 18, 2008)

*Robbery Alert*

On the undercard of Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins, these two light-middleweights met to determine the next challenger for a top middleweight.

Enrique Ornelas appeared to be on the lead going into the final rounds, but Marco Antonio Rubio rallied late in the fight to almost knock him down.

Would the rally be enough to award the veteran fighter of over 50 fights a decision? It was, and Rubio was awarded a controversial split-decision victory.

Official Decision: 115-113 Rubio, 115-113 Ornelas and 116-112 Rubio.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Ornelas

No. 35 Marco Antonio Barrera MD12 Erik Morales III (Nov. 27, 2004)

In the third and final bout between Mexican legends Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, both fighters planned to make it another one to remember.

It was one of the best fights of the year and action-packed throughout. After 12 rounds of blazing back-and-forth action and claiming Ring Magazine's "Round of the Year", Barrera won a unanimous decision, making him 2-1 against his biggest rival.

Punch Stats: Barrera 290/765 for 38 percent; Morales 231/808 for 29 percent.

Official Decision: 114-114, 115-113 Barrera and 115-114 Barrera.

No. 34 Ricardo Mayorga MD12 Vernon Forrest II (July 12, 2003)

After Nicaraguan boxer Ricardo Mayorga upset Vernon Forrest in their first fight earlier that year, the rematch was quickly set for July.

Forrest lost the first fight via TKO and didn’t show much desire to go after it in the rematch because of Mayorga's sloppy and unpredictable style.

Mayorga was able to throw freely and make it look like he was doing what he wanted to do. Forrest countered effectively and avoided the majority of shots thrown by Mayorga, but it wasn't enough in the judges' eyes.

Official Decision: 114-114, 115-114 Mayorga and 116-112 Mayorga.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Forrest

No. 33 Paulie Ayala SD12 Clarence Adams I (Aug. 4, 2001)

Paulie Ayala and Clarence Adams fought for the vacant IBO super-bantamweight title in 2001. It was a very competitive fight but one that seemed to go in Adams' favor after 12 rounds.

The judges gave it to Ayala, and he increased his win-streak to eight with two wins over Johnny Tapia.

Ayala would fight only four times more, winning a rematch against Adams and losing twice to Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

Official Decision: 114-113 Adams, 114-113 Ayala and 115-112 Ayala.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Adams

No. 32 Samuel Peter SD12 James Toney I (Dec. 2, 2006)

In a bout where every round could have been scored for either boxer, there is no problem scoring the first meeting between Samuel Peter and James Toney for either guy.

It wasn’t as definitive as the rematch, which Peter won, but it was a great boxing match throughout and was a career defining moment for Peter.

Toney landed the harder blows while Peter landed more and countered effectively while Toney went against the ropes.

Official Decision: 116-111 Peter, 115-112 Toney and 116-111 Peter.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Toney

No. 31 Chris Byrd SD12 Jameel McCline (Nov. 13, 2004)

On an HBO PPV that featured four major heavyweight bouts, featuring the likes of Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, John Ruiz and Andrew Golota, Chris Byrd and Jameel McCline put on the fight of the night in their entertaining and intriguing undercard bout.

Byrd was knocked down in the second round for only the second time in his career. After recovering, he rallied to score many effective counter shots to the much bigger McCline. McCline weighed in 56 pounds heavier.

Byrd was given the split-decision and won the IBF heavyweight title in the end.

Official Decision: 115-112 Byrd, 114-113 Byrd and 114-112 McCline.

My Scorecard: 114-113 McCline

No. 30 Marco Antonio Barrera UD12 Erik Morales II (June 22, 2002)

Unlike the first bout, where both fighters got off to a quick start, this was a boxing match, at least for the first half.

Erik Morales came out looking to outbox Marco Antonio Barrera, and he did just that until the action picked up in the second half of the bout.

In the end, it appeared Morales had done enough to win a decision, but in a reversal of fortunes, Barrera was awarded a controversial unanimous decision.

Official Decision: 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113, all for Barrera.

My Scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 29 Joel Casamayor SD10 Diego Corrales III (October 6, 2006)

After two career-defining wars with Jose Luis Castillo, Corrales had taken his toll of punishment that would arguably contribute to a losing streak until his tragic death on the second-year anniversary of the legendary first Castillo bout on May 5, 2007.

In a title fight that Corrales failed to make weight for, he met Joel Casamayor for the third time to determine the best between them.

It was an inactive fight for both boxers. After a knockdown was ruled for Corrales early in the bout, it was unclear who had the advantage on the scorecards going into the later half of the scheduled 12-round bout. Casamayor got the decision and the second victory over his opponent. 

Official Decision: 115-112 Casamayor, 114-113 Corrales and 116-112 Casamayor.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 28 Miguel Cotto SD12 Joshua Clottey (June 13, 2009)

Puerto Rican superstar Miguel “Angel” Cotto was returning for the second time since losing a tough fight against Antonio Margarito the previous year. His opponent was Joshua Clottey.

Cotto knocked the fighter from Ghana down in the first round with a jab, which ended up being the determining result to him winning by split-decision over 12 rounds of a great fight.

Punch Stats: Cotto 179/723 for 25 percent; Clottey 222/622 for 36 percent.

Official Decision: 114-113 Clottey, 116-111 Cotto and 115-112 Cotto.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Cotto

No. 27 Marcos Maidana MD12 Erik Morales (Apri 9, 2011)

Mexican legend Erik “Terrible” Morales returned to the ring for the fourth time since coming out of retirement to face the very dangerous prospect Marcos Maidana.

It was perceived as a mismatch by many boxing experts and was everything but. A very competitive 12 rounds of action resulted in a controversial majority decision victory for the Argentinian-born boxer, leaving many fans calling for a rematch that may still happen.

Punch Stats: Maidana 195/985 for 20 percent; Morales 157/528 for 30 percent.

Official Decision: 114-114, 116-112 Maidana and 116-112 Maidana.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 26 Ricky Hatton UD12 Luis Collazo (May 13, 2006)

In the toughest fight of his career up to that point, British boxer Ricky Hatton took on Luis Collazo for the WBA world welterweight title on HBO.

Collazo's only defeat had been to Shane Mosley while Hatton was undefeated.

Hatton scored a first-round knockdown and had the early edge. Collazo came back strong in the later rounds and almost had the man from Manchester down.

Hatton only landed five jabs to Collazo's 46, but he had a big edge in power connects in 254 to 167.

Punch Stats: Hatton 259/741 for 30 percent; Collazo 213/712 for 30 percent.

Official Decision: 115-112, 115-112 and 114-113, all for Hatton.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Collazo

No. 25 Jermain Taylor SD12 Bernard Hopkins (July 16, 2005)

With 20 middleweight title defenses behind him, Bernard Hopkins had an ever-increasing record that seemed to be untouchable.

It all seemed true until he met Jermain Taylor, one of the best prospects in the sport. Hopkins started off slow and didn't really get into the fight till the halfway point.

In a game of catch-up, Hopkins rocked Taylor late in the fight and tried to make a statement. It didn't work out for him, and he lost a split-decision and his title.

Punch Stats: Taylor 86/453 for 19 percent; Hopkins 96/326 for 29 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Taylor, 115-113 Taylor and 116-112 Hopkins.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Taylor

No. 24 Mikkel Kessler UD12 Carl Froch (April 24, 2010)

In a anticipated matchup between British and Denmark, Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler fought 12 rounds for the WBC super middleweight title in the second round of the Showtime Super Six Tournament.

Being the new favorite to win, Froch had a lot of pressure trying to obtain that status along with his undefeated record of 26-0. The early rounds were cautious, but they picked it up in the later rounds and put on very entertaining exchanges to close the show.

After the bout was scored for Kessler, Froch called it a sign of home-cooking.

Punch Stats: Kessler 147/765 for 19 percent; Froch 98/546 for 18 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113, 117-111 and 116-112, all for Kessler.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 23 Miguel Cotto UD12 Shane Mosley (Nov. 10 2007)

In a very intriguing PPV matchup between welterweights Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, fans were anticipating the toughest fight of Cotto’s young career.

It was that and more, and he won a close unanimous decision that warranted a rematch that never happened.

Commentator Jim Lampley called it one of the best fights to go to a decision he had seen.

Punch Stats: Cotto 248/675 for 37 percent; Mosley 248/774 for 32 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113, 115-113 and 116-113 all for Cotto.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Cotto

No. 22 Sergio Martinez D12 Kermit Cintron (Feb. 14, 2009)

*Robbery Alert*

Power-puncher Kermit Cintron took on Sergio Martinez early in 2008 to determine the next middleweight title challenger.

After a cautious opening half of the fight, Martinez picked it up in the seventh and knocked down Cintron. Cintron argued it was from a headbutt and was called out after 10 seconds.

After some discussion, the fight was restarted in what should have been ruled a knockout win for Martinez, regardless of what Cintron thought.

Cintron made a short comeback late in the fight, and Martinez was deducted a point in the final round. After 12 rounds, it was ruled a controversial majority draw.

Punch Stats: Martinez landed 151 to Cintron's 103 punches landed.

Official Decision: 116-110 Martinez, 113-113 and 113-113.

My Scorecard: 116-110 Martinez

No. 21 Diego Corrales SD12 Joel Casamayor II (March 6, 2004)

After a controversial stoppage in the first fight between Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor, Corrales returned to reclaim the IBA super-featherweight title title from his Cuban-born opponent.

What resulted was a very close second bout of an intriguing trilogy with very different results in every fight. It wasn’t as exciting as the first bout, but it was one worth taking a second look at because of the competitive nature and potential each fighter possessed in their careers.

Corrales was knocked down in the 10th round, which resulted in a one-point edge for Casamayor on one scorecard. The judges ruled it a split-decision for Corrales.

Official Decision: 115-112 Corrales, 115-112 Corrales and 114-113 Casamayor.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Casamayor

No. 20 Jermain Taylor D12 Ronald “Winky” Wright (June 17, 2006)

Undefeated and determined Jermain Taylor took on the slick boxer known as "Winky." What resulted was a very unexpected war between two great tactical boxers.

This is another one of those bouts where every round could be scored for either guy. It’s one of those types of fights that are worth watching and over again, and you may have a different score every time you watch it.

It is probably the most exciting fight of each fighters’ career and shows just how skilled and hungry each boxer was to show they are one of the best.

Punch Stats: Taylor 163/703 for 23 percent; Wright 226/643 for 35 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Taylor, 115-113 Wright and 114-114.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Wright

No. 19 Tomasz Adamek vs. Paul Briggs II (Oct. 7, 2006)

In his HBO debut, cruiserweight boxer Tomasz Adamek fought against Paul Briggs to determine the WBC light-heavyweight champion.

It was a rocky start for Adamek early after he was dropped in the first round.

What ensued were 11 rounds of back-and-forth power-punching between two of the toughest fighters you will ever see.

If you want to see Adamek in his most exciting fight, this is the one to check out. He gets dropped early, gets a point deducted, comes back, and applies nonstop pressure to win a close majority decision.

Official Decision: 115-111 Adamek, 113-113 and 114-112 Adamek.

My Scorecard: 114-112 Adamek

No. 18 Salvador Sanchez SD15 Pat Cowdell (Dec. 12, 1981)

Salvador Sanchez is one of the greatest "what if" stories and one of Mexico's greatest. This would be one of his very last bouts before he died in a car crash the following year at the age of 23.

He took on Pat Cowdell, who was 19-2 at the time. In a close and competitive bout for the WBC featherweight title, Sanchez knocked Cowdell down with only seconds left in the 15th round to win a split-decision. One judge had Cowdell ahead by one point.

Official Decision: 146-140 Sanchez, 145-144 Cowdell and 148-137 Sanchez.

My Scorecard: 145-139 Sanchez

No. 17 Jerry Quarry D10 Floyd Patterson I (June 9, 1967)

*Robbery Alert*

This was the first of two meetings between heavyweights Jerry Quarry and Floyd Patterson. It was scheduled for 10 rounds, and both boxers didn't waste any time getting started.

Patterson was dropped twice in the second and almost knocked out. He recovered and rallied in the seventh to drop Quarry. With the 2-1 edge in knockdowns for Quarry, it was unknown who had won in the end. Patterson appeared to have outboxed Quarry for the majority of the rounds, but it was ruled a majority draw.

Official Decision: 5-5, 6-6 and 7-6 Quarry.

My Scorecard: 7-2-1 for Patterson (96-92 Patterson on 10-point system)

No. 16 Jerry Quarry MD12 Floyd Patterson II (Oct. 28, 1967)

The rematch between Jerry Quarry and Floyd Patterson turned out to be just as good, if not better than their first match. To make it better, this one was scheduled for 12 rounds as an eliminator fight for the WBA heavyweight title.

Patterson was once again knocked down in the second round and later dropped in the fourth; both by right hands.

After Quarry was declared the winner by majority-decision, it was another unpopular choice as most of the rounds without knockdowns seemed to be controlled by Patterson.

Official Decision: 7-6 Quarry, 6-6 and 7-6 Quarry.

My Scorecard: 7-4-1 for Patterson (114-112 on 10-point system)

No. 15 Paul Williams MD12 Sergio Martinez (Dec. 5, 2009)

In a 2009 “Fight of the Year” candidate, the rangy 6’2” physical specimen Paul Williams took on dangerous middleweight Sergio Martinez.

It was a firefight throughout and both fighters threw caution to the wind for all 12 rounds.

After both boxers exchanged knockdowns in the first round, nobody knew who was going to emerge victorious. In the end, Williams won a majority decision.

A rematch was scheduled for late 2010, and it resulted in a devastating second-round knockout win for Martinez

Punch Stats: Williams 300/979 for 31 percent; Martinez 254/638 for 40 percent.

Official Decision: 119-110 Williams, 114-114 and 115-113 Williams.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 14 Marco Antonio Barrera SD12 Rocky Juarez (May 20, 2006)

At Rocky Juarez’ best stage in his career, he took on the very dangerous, experienced and older Marco Antonio Barrera.

In a “Fight of the Year” candidate, both boxers exchanged power shots in a high-paced and highly skilled action brawl.

It was originally ruled a draw, but the scorecards were misread after the fight. The real winner was Barrera, which called for a rematch between the two. The rematch was nowhere near as close or entertaining, but it was a much more definitive win for Barrera.

Punch Stats: Barrera 168/635 for 26 percent; Juarez 135/651 for 21 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Barrera, 114-113 Barrera and 115-114 Juarez.

My Scorecard: 114-114

No. 13 Manny Pacquiao SD12 Juan Manuel Marquez II (March 15, 2008)

Juan Manuel Marquez’ younger brother, Rafael, had lost a very close decision by one-point to Israel Vasquez the week before.

In an ironic turn of events, Marquez would lose his rematch with Manny Pacquiao by the same difference; one point, which was the result of a knockdown in the third round.

After 12 rounds of boxing for the WBC super-featherweight title, Pacquiao was awarded the controversial split-decision.

Punch Stats: Pacquiao 157/619 for 25 percent; Marquez 172/511 for 34 percent.

Official Decision: 114-113 Pacquiao, 115-112 Pacquiao and 115-112 Marquez.

My Scorecard: 115-112 Pacquiao

No. 12 Demetrius Hopkins UD12 Steve Forbes (March 17, 2007)

*Robbery Alert*

Any judge who scored this bout 10-2 for Demetrius Hopkins, and there were two of them, probably shouldn't be scoring fights. Even a close decision win for Hopkins could be called a robbery. It was competitive, but nothing on the scorecards reflected that.

Steve Forbes outlanded Hopkins in every round and only ended up winning two rounds on two scorecards and four on the other. He outlanded Forbes in power shots by 42 punches. Hopkins had a 36-23 edge in jabs.

Punch stats: Hopkins 168/770 for 22 percent; Forbes 198/772 for 25 percent.

Official Decision: 118-110, 118-110 and 116-112, all for Hopkins.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Forbes

No. 11 Joel Casamayor SD10 Jose Santa Cruz (Nov. 10, 2007)

*Robbery Alert*

On the undercard of Miguel Cotto vs. Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor and Jose Santa Cruz fought 12 rounds in the pursuit of the WBC lightweight title.

After being dropped in the first round, Casamayor continued to be out-boxed for the majority of the fight.

After 12 rounds of relatively one-sided but slow action, Casamayor walked away with a split-decision victory.

Santa Cruz outlanded Casamayor 54-50 in jabs and 192-79 in power shots.

Punch Stats: Casamayor 129/502 for 26 percent, Cruz 246/801 for 31 percent.

Official Decision: 114-113 Casamayor, 114-113 Cruz and 114-113 Casamayor.

No. 10 Julio Cesar Chavez D12 Pernell Whitaker (Sept. 10, 1993)

*Robbery Alert*

Undefeated at 87-0, Julio Cesar Chavez had more than a fair share of wars. He had already gone through the war with Meldrick Taylor and took on Pernell Whitaker for the WBC welterweight title.

The first half of the bout was very close, but Whitaker put on a perfect display of ring generalship. He countered and moved effectively for the majority of the bout and started frustrating Chavez late in the fight.

The commentators said Chavez needed something big to pull out the win, but he didn't as Whitaker picked up the pace and continued to outbox him.

It was ruled a majority draw in the end.

Official Decision: 115-115, 115-113 Whitaker and 115-115.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Whitaker

No. 9 Shane Mosley UD12 Oscar De La Hoya (Sept. 13, 2003)

*Robbery Alert*

Oscar De La Hoya had two losses on his record, and one was to Shane Mosley. He was hoping to avenge that loss when the two met for a rematch in 2003 for the WBC and WBC supter-welterweight title.

De La Hoya took a different approach and out-boxed Mosley for the entire fight. There is no question about it. He outlanded Mosley 115-94 in jabs and 106-33 in power shots.

When the fight went the distance, everyone had a good idea of who had won. Shockingly, Mosley won a unanimous decision.

Punch Stats: Mosley 127/496 for 26 percent, De La Hoya 221/616 for 36 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113, 115-113 and 115-113, all for Mosley.

My Scorecard: 118-110 De La Hoya

No. 8 Israel Vasquez SD12 Rafael Marquez (March 1, 2008)

The 2008 "Fight of the Year" was a third matchup between top bantamweights Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez. Both were 1-1 against each other, and they fought for 12 brutal and vicious rounds to prove they deserved to be called "the best."

In the final round, Vasquez dropped Marquez as he was going back to the ropes. The referee ruled it a knockdown, and it ended up being the difference in the fight. Vasquez won a split-decision.

Official Decision: 114-113 Vasquez, 114-111 Vasquez, 114-111 Marquez.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Marquez

No. 7 Roy Jones Jr. MD12 Antonio Tarver I (Nov. 8, 2003)

The first of three meetings between two of the best pound-for-pound boxers of their era was an interesting and new experience for fans of the great Roy Jones Jr.

He had just made history by winning the heavyweight title against John Ruiz and dropped back down to light-heavyweight to challenge Antonio Tarver for the WBC lightheavyweight title.

It was a tense and cautious first couple rounds for Jones as he let Tarver unload combinations on him against the ropes and appeared to have let him steal the rounds.

Jones showed his will and desire, something he had never had to show before, to rally in the late rounds and was given the controversial majority decision.

In the rematch, Jones was knocked out. He lost in the third and final fight by unanimous decision.

Punch Stats: Tarver 175/506 for 35 percent; Jones 167/406 for 41 percent.

Official Decision: 117-111 Jones, 116-112 Jones and 114-114.

My Scorecard: 115-113 Tarver

No. 6 Evander Holyfield D12 Lennox Lewis I (March 13, 1999)

"This is what's killing boxing"—Emmanuel Steward after one of the more infamous decisions in boxing history.

Lennox Lewis was looking to combine three major world titles when he took on Evander Holyfield for the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles.

It was one of the most one-sided fights you could ever see and should have never been as controversial as it was. The punch stats show a clear edge for Lewis, who landed 218 more punches!

Steve Farhood called this one of the top-five worst decisions he had ever seen.

For every 29 punches Lewis landed, Holyfield landed 10.

Punch Stats: Lewis 348/613 for 57 percent; 130/385 for 34 percent.

Official Decision: 116-113 Lewis, 115-113 Holyfield and 115-115.

My Scorecard: 118-110 Lewis

No. 5 Courtney Burton SD10 Emanuel Augustus I (July 6, 2004)

This is one of the most embarrassing examples of bad judges scoring the bout for the wrong guy.

Emanuel Augustus is no stranger to close-decision losses, and this was the worst. Known for his drunken boxing style of fighting, Augustus clowned around but still managed to get the better of his opponent, Courtney Burton.

In the end, Augustus clearly appeared to have won the fight until the scorecards were announced for Burton, including a 99-90 scorecard that is probably the worst in the history of the sport.

Teddy Atlas let his opinion on the decision be heard, and he was right.

Punch Stats: Augustus 302/802 for 38 percent, Burton 231/757 for 31 percent.

Official Decision: 99-90 Burton, 97-92 Burton and 98-94 Augustus.

My Scorecard: 98-91 Augustus

No. 4 Manny Pacquiao D12 Juan Manuel Marquez (May 8, 2004)

After Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao knocked down Juan Manuel Marquez three times in the opening round, it appeared he had the fight won. It wouldn't be an early night.

What happened afterwards would define the fighting spirit that Mexican boxers have always had. Marquez rallied enough in the next 11 rounds to have a five-point edge on one of the scorecards.

Another judge had Pacquiao clearly ahead, but the third judge had it even, resulting in a split-draw. Two judges scored the first round 10-6 for Pacquiao while the judge who scored it a draw had it 10-7.

Punch Stats: Marquez 158/547 for 29 percent; Pacquiao 148/639 for 23 percent.

Official Decision: 115-110 Marquez, 115-110 Pacquiao and 113-113.

My Scorecard: 114-113 Pacquiao

No. 3 Oscar De La Hoya UD12 Felix Sturm (June 5, 2004)

German boxer Felix Sturm was aiming to have his coming-out party against the popular welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya, who was looking to meet middleweight Bernard Hopkins later that year.

Hopkins had won his bout against Robert Allen convincingly earlier that day, and now it was De La Hoya’s turn against Sturm. They fought for the WBO middleweight title, which was being defended by Sturm for the second time.

Sturm out-boxed and out-jabbed the Olympic Gold Medalist and lost a unanimous decision with the scores 115-113 across the board.

Sturm's promoter filed a protest with the Nevada State Athletic Commission after the bout regarding the scorecards.

Punch Stats: De La Hoya 188/792 for 24 percent; Sturm 234/541 for 43 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113, 115-113 and 115-113, all for De La Hoya.

My Scorecard: 117-110 Sturm

No. 2 Sugar Ray Leonard D12 Thomas Hearns II (June 12, 1989)

The first meeting between two of the very best boxers of their generation—and of all time—had taken place 8 years before.

Long after each boxers' best days in the ring, Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns met to battle it out for a second time.

Leonard was knocked down in Rounds 3 and 7 and almost knocked down in the final round, which ended up being the telling round of the entire fight on all three scorecards. Because Leonard rallied in the 12th round to almost drop Hearns, one judge has scored it 10-8 for him. The other judges scored it 10-9 for Leonard.

It was ruled a draw, but Leonard later admitted he had lost the fight.

Official Decision: 113-112 Leonard, 113-112 Hearns and 112-112.

My Scorecard: 113-112 Hearns

No. 1 Sugar Ray Leonard SD12 Marvin Hagler (April 6, 1987)

No matter who you thought won this bout, Sugar Ray Leonard knew how to steal rounds against Marvin Hagler, and he did just that.

Leonard frustrated Hagler throughout and had one clear advantage over the legendary middleweight. He fired off rapid combinations in the final 30 seconds of each round to make it seem like he was in control, which he was anyways.

He won a very controversial split-decision in the end that is still debated today among boxing experts and fans.

Punch Stats: Hagler 291/792 for 37 percent; Leonard 306/629 for 49 percent.

Official Decision: 118-110 Leonard, 115-113 Hagler and 115-113 Leonard.

My Scorecard: 116-112 Leonard