[Oddessa]

MI Boxing Fuming over Decision
Andre Courtemanche
Several key members of the Michigan boxing community are as outraged by last night’s decision in the ESPN2 Burton/Augustus fight as Augustus himself. “I’m considering quitting boxing over this,” said long-time and well-respected referee Frank Garza. Having seen his share of controversy through the years (including being third man in the ring when Andrew Golota quit vs. Mike Tyson), Garza says this time it’s too much. “Of all the bad decisions I’ve ever seen, at least I could make an argument for the other guy, but this time I just can’t. There is no way Courtney Burton won that fight.” Already plagued with a commission handcuffed by archaic legislation and a reputation for questionably qualified judges rendering equally questionable verdicts, last night’s 10-round super lightweight fiasco at the L.C. Walker Arena in Muskegon has done nothing to enhance the state’s boxing status. “I have been talking to some television companies about doing some boxing shows here in Michigan,” said 1World Productions chief Gerald Evans, “but after last night’s fight, they called me and told me to find another place to stage my events or forget it. I don’t blame them. Who would want to bring their fighter here? With these judges we have, even if he wins, he loses.” Michigan judges Robert Paganeli (99-90 Burton) and Ed Mosley (97-92 Burton) over-ruled the more accepted card of judge Jack Richards (94-98 Augustus). Burton is a resident of Benton Harbor, Michigan. Augustus hails from Louisiana.