A new scoring system being used during the Olympic boxing competition in Rio de Janeiro has drawn favorable reviews after replacing the previous system that generated outrage around the world.
During a March 2013 gathering, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) made several rules changes, including adapting a 10-point scoring system similar to what is used in the professional ranks. It replaces the often-criticized computer punch-count method that was implemented after the 1988 Seoul Olympics where Roy Jones Jr. was robbed of a gold medal.
In Rio, each fight is scored by five ringside judges and a computer randomly selects which three scores will be used to decide the bout. Each judge awards the winner of each round 10 points and the loser a lower number depending how dominant the winner was: i.e. 10-9, 10-8 or 10-7. The scoring criteria are generally based on quality of punches landed, effective aggression and tactical superiority.
In the punch-count system, a computer only calculated the number of punches that landed in the target zone regardless of velocity resulting in glorified sparring sessions.
“I really like the way the Olympics are being scored this time,” said Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, covering the boxing competition in Rio. “It’s far more like professional boxing and it’s a lot better at picking the winners. There have been very few complaints about the outcome and any scoring system should be designed to highlight the legitimate winner.”
The change in scoring has made the competition closer to the professional style of boxing in which taking two soft punches to deliver a hard blow counts for something.
“Power punching is being rewarded,” said Chris Mannix, a ringside reporter for NBC at the Games. “Ring generalship is being rewarded. Fights are being won by the fighter who lands the cleanest, most impactful punches. You can’t pity-pat your way to wins anymore. Through five days I have not seen one fight I’d consider a robbery.”
The scoring change seems to have benefited the U.S. boxing team, which is enjoying its best Olympics in recent years. Through Wednesday night’s competition, the USA was 6-1, already eclipsing the five wins the Americans had in London where they failed to win a medal.
Nico Hernandez, from Wichita, Kan., clinched at least a bronze medal Wednesday with a unanimous decision over Ecuador’s Carlos Eduardo Quipo Palaxti. The 20-year-old won his third decision in five days to become the first American male to earn a medal since current WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder captured bronze at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
“We finally got to the big stage and now we are coming here to change USA Boxing and hopefully bring home more medals,” said Hernandez, who will compete in his semifinal bout Friday against Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov.
Iole, a longtime professional boxing writer, suggested Hernandez might not have advanced past his second-round match had the scoring come under the punch-count system.
“Nico Hernandez would have undoubtedly lost his second-round match to Vasilii Egorov under the old rules,” Iole said. “Egorov flurried and shoe-shined a lot but didn’t box by the text book definition. Hernandez did and he got that win.”
Along with changing the scoring system, the AIBA eliminated headgear for the men’s competition, which along with the scoring system has given Olympic boxing a more authentic look to professional boxing.
“Fighters who like body punching, which is somewhat of a lost art, will be rewarded,” said Carl Moretti of Top Rank Boxing, which traditionally signs a select number of fighters out of the Olympics. “It’s also sort of a sneak preview of how a fighter will fight as a pro. His style and other factors can show his strengths as well as weaknesses.”
The new rule changes also allowed for the participation of professionals, though just three — Hassan N’Dam (Cameroon), Amnat Ruenroeng (Thailand) and Carmine Tommasone (Italy) — qualified and were all eliminated by the round of 16.