Most boxing fans breathed a sight of relief when the WBC announced they were overturning the referee’s verdict in the Hopkins vs. Dawson light heavyweight championship bout, substituting a Technical Draw for a TKO of Hopkins. However, that sense of relief is somewhat premature, because it only changes the result insofar as the WBC is concerned.
While that gives Hopkins the WBC title back, it does not change the official record. For the time being, Chad Dawson’s record still improves with another knockout win, while Hopkins’ record still shows his sixth loss (and first loss by knockout).
This is because the official body responsible for submitting the results that go into calculating a fighter’s record is not the WBC. In the United States, that agency is instead the state athletic commission responsible for where the fight is held, in this case the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). That body is slated to hear the Hopkins vs. Dawson case in the near future, and how it will rule is by no means a foregone conclusion.
Although Hopkins has a strong case under the rules, it is important to remember that CSAC appointed referee Pat Russell. Barring allegations of bias or corruption or conclusive evidence that a mistake was made, state athletic commissions tend to side with their officials, and the case against Dawson is far from decisive.
If CSAC stands by the original verdict, it would not be the first time an athletic commission and a sanctioning body took opposed each other on fight results. The 1988 WBA welterweight title fight between Marlon Starling and Tomas Molinares ended when Molinares landed a blow after the bell rang, knocking Starling out.
Referee Joe Cortez defended his actions that night by saying the punch was thrown before the bell rang, but the fight tape showed otherwise. The New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) overturned Cortez’s ruling and declared the fight a No Contest (and it is listed as a NC on official records), but the WBA ignored the NJSAC and maintained Molinares as their champion.
