Pacquiao vs. Bradley Results: Open-Scoring Better Option Than 5 Judges

The best way to remove potential excuses from all parties involved with the results of a fight is through open scoring. The WBO has launched a probe into the controversial decision that awarded Timothy Bradley the WBO title over Manny Pacquiao, as reported by Dan Rafael of ESPN. As part of that probe, five judges will review the fight and score it confidentially.

That doesn't make the judging of a fight much different than it is now, and I don't think it will prove anything.

Open-scoring puts the judges, the corner-men and the fighters on front street. It removes all delusions of grandeur and excuses. If you can add and subtract (provided there is a point deduction), you will know where you stand in the fight.

Even if a fighter disagrees with the way a fight is being scored, he's at least aware of where he is on the cards, and he can make the proper adjustments.

If there was open-scoring in the Pacquiao vs. Bradley fight, perhaps Pacquiao would have gone for a late knockout. He would have seen the scores from the judges and realized the fight was much closer than he thought.

Armed with those facts, he could have stepped up the action and took the decision out of the judges' hands.

As for the judges, if there is any funny business taking place, having their scores broadcast publicly would create immediate accountability. I also contend that a scoreboard with the scores would be exciting for fans to see.

Imagine the fans in the crowd staring up at the scoreboard to see who won each round. It would be a new dynamic, but one that I believe fans would enjoy.

A variation of open-scoring was recently used in the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Marco Antonio Rubio bout in February. Chavez, Jr. won the fight by unanimous decision.

Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene discussed the scoring system used in the fight, quoting WBC Supervisor Alberto Leon:

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Where the policy helps serve a purpose is in events such as Saturday’s main event. With the fight on the line, both fighters picked up the action considerably down the stretch, turning a potential letdown into an entertaining fight.

“I feel strongly that the camps knowing the scores after the 4th and 8th rounds made for a much more exciting last four rounds,” Leon firmly believes.

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I believe open-scoring would have a similar effect on most fights. It's always better to remove the gray area in sports. There is no perfect system, but being privy to vital information is the most important thing for fans and fighters.

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