Boxing Judge Admits He Blew Scoring of Major ESPN-Televised Fight in Stunning Mea Culpa: ‘I Feel I Have Let Down Our Sport’

Suspicious scoring has become the norm in boxing, where judges are routinely criticized for creating questionable outcomes.

Friday night on ESPN, boxing fans watched what was widely considered a close fight between Oscar Valdez and Robson Conceicao. Although judge Stephen Blea disagreed, scoring the fight 117-110 in favor of Valdez, who defended his WBC title.

But in an extraordinary circumstance, Blea shockingly acknowledged his scoring blunder in a statement. Although Blea still believes Valdez was deserving of the victory, he admits he should have scored the fight more similarly to his judging cohorts.

Groundbreaking statement from judge Stephen Blea (released via WBC), who apologises for his 117-110 scorecard of Oscar Valdez’s win vs Robson Conceicao and adds: “I feel I have let down our sport and the fighters inside the ring.” pic.twitter.com/tKNZWA1Pxs

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 13, 2021

“I have watched the fight and thoroughly analyzed it, the 117-110 score is not accurate and does not represent the actions in the ring,” Blea wrote in his statement. “I feel I have let down my federation, the NABF, my organization, The WBC and most importantly our sport and the fighters inside the ring.”

For a sport that’s floundered the way boxing has in recent years, they can’t afford to be ransacked by poor judging. Fighters deserve to know there is an accurately determined winner and loser after every match and fans should demand the same.

Without a traditional scoreboard, fans and fighters are reliant on hoping for honest scorecards from judges. It’s hard to maintain that trust when judges turn in an obviously bad scorecard without admission of guilt. But credit Blea for his groundbreaking statement, one that will hopefully inspire other judges to help build boxing’s integrity.

“I am an honorable man with profound love, knowledge and respect to the sport,” Blea added. “I am sorry for having a bad night and having brought unnecessary controversy to such a sensational fight.”