GAB chief assures judges will be fair

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain said yesterday he will be at ringside for the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales bout and if necessary, will use his influence as a member of the World Boxing Council (WBC) Board of Governors to make sure the judges are fair in the event of an outcome by decision.

Buhain leaves for the US on Thursday. GAB boxing chief Noli Flores and physician Dr. Nasser Cruz will also be at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas for the scheduled 12-round WBC International superfeatherweight title fight this Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila).

The judges are Paul Smith, 61, Jerry Roth, 64, and Dave Moretti, 61–all from Nevada. Two of them were judges in the first Pacquiao-Morales fight in Las Vegas last March. Smith and Moretti scored it 115-113 for Morales.

Although the judges who voted against Pacquiao are back, Buhain said it’s not a cause for concern. He said Morales won the fight because Pacquiao was bothered by a slew of distractions, including a cut inflicted by a headbutt in the fifth round. Pacquiao wasn’t cheated of the decision, he added.

Buhain said he informed WBC president Jose Sulaiman he will be in Las Vegas for the fight.

"I spoke to Don Jose on the phone," said Buhain. "As a member of the WBC Board of Governors, I’ll try to assert my presence in making sure everything is fair and square. I also told Don Jose I’ll be at the Night of Champions in Cancun, Mexico, on Jan. 31 when 100 of the greatest WBC champions will be honored. Manny, Luisito Espinosa, Gerry Peñalosa and Brian Viloria have been invited."

Buhain was recently in Tokyo for his first WBC assignment as a championship supervisor in the Eagle Kyowa-Ken Nakajima minimumweight fight. He said he learned a lot about the nuances of the sport from Tony Castellano, one of the judges in the fight. Castellano and his wife Carol are long-time boxing judges from Las Vegas.

"I know the judges in the rematch are experienced and knowledgeable," said Buhain. "They’ll be fair and balanced. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is an independent body and picks its own judges. There won’t be a foul-up. Millions of fans will be watching. If it goes the distance, I’m confident the judges will choose the rightful winner."

Buhain was at ringside for the first Pacquiao-Morales match and said he was surprised the Mexican looked so strong after appearing so weak at the weigh-in the day before. "Morales had to be weighed twice before making it," he said. "I thought he would be too weak for the fight but he surprised everyone. Manny will be ready for him in the rematch. No more surprises."

Smith made his debut as a referee in 1981 and three years later, worked a Las Vegas fight between Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach and Tommy Cordova. It went the distance and Cordova won the ESPN superfeatherweight title by a split decision. Smith scored it 117-111 and Duane Ford, 114-113 for Cordova while Hal Miller saw it 115-113 for Roach.

Smith has judged fights involving stars like Lupe Pintor, Wilfred Benitez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Evander Holyfield, Oscar de la Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Sugar Shane Mosley. Last June, he was assigned to the undisputed world middleweight title bout between Bernard Hopkins and Jermaine Taylor. Smith and Duane Ford scored it 115-113 for Taylor while Roth had it 116-112 for Hopkins.

Smith and Roth were on the same panel for Morales’ majority decision loss to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2004. Smith had it a 114-all draw. Roth and Larry O’Connell scored it for Barrera.

Roth was a judge in the fight where Pacquiao stopped Lehlo Ledwaba for the International Boxing Federation superbantamweight crown in Las Vegas in 2001. He has been assigned to three Morales fights. Roth was also a judge when Mike Tyson was disqualified for chomping on Holyfield’s ear twice in 1997.

In 2003, Roth turned in identical 114-all scores in the Roy Jones-Antonio Tarver bout for the world lightheavyweight title and the Ricardo Mayorga-Vernon Forrest fight for the world welterweight diadem. His card was overruled as Jones and Mayorga won by majority decision.

Moretti was a judge in the Rolando Navarrete-Bazooka Limon fight for the WBC superfeatherweight crown in Las Vegas in 1982. He had Navarrete ahead, 106-104, when Limon scored a 12th round knockout.