More than any other sport, boxing is associated with foul play and shady deals. Casual fans can’t help but ask themselves, “Is boxing rigged?”
While there are a few examples of fixed fights, most fights are fair. Of the ones that are fixed, the majority of them have good intentions.
This article will discuss if and how boxing matches are fixed, as well as give famous examples of fixed matches in boxing history.
What is Match Fixing in Boxing?
Match fixing in boxing is when outside parties influence a fight’s outcome for their own gain.
In organized sports, this can happen when the winner or any other specific outcome is predetermined.
There are many good reasons to fix a boxing match, not just abuse of power and money:
- A trainer protecting a fighter (see Mike Tyson vs. McNeeley below)
- Journeyman fighters advancing a title contender’s career
- A promoter maximizing his fighters’ contracts (read about Don King)
Regarding the second point, it’s important to note that journeymen fighters choose to participate in fixed matches in order to earn a living.
If you’ve ever wondered why many boxers are undefeated without being tested, this is the reason.
Often a rising pro will pad their record to build hype and set them up for a high-profile fight.
Many fixed fights are less a matter of paying off judges, and more a matter of marketing or strategy agreed upon for the benefit of both fighters.
Are Boxing Matches Fixed?
So, is boxing rigged? Generally, boxing matches are fair and not fixed.
In a controversial decision, fans often mix up bad officiating or bad judging with a fixed fight.
(Hanlon’s Razor is useful here: Don’t attribute to malice what can be explained by good old-fashioned stupidity.)
This is why many boxers put so much emphasis on going for the knockout; they don’t want to leave their victory up to the judges.
Though many people associate match fixing with a bribery attempt, keep in mind that top boxers and bookmakers will not sacrifice their long-term reputation for a one-time payout.
All bookmakers and professional boxers earn their living from collecting the spread and purse over many fights.
In boxing (and in life), reputations and careers take years to build, but only seconds to destroy.
Because of this, we think that 99.9% of the fights we see at the high-profile professional level are fair.
However, for amateurs and low-profile professionals where the stakes aren’t as high, we’d say that the occurrence of shady dealings is much greater.
Fixed Matches In Boxing History
Here are some examples of fights that many boxing fans believe are fixed:
- Jake Lamotta vs. Billy Fox
- Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley
- Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki
- Olympic Games
Only in the very last example was there bad intent in trying to fix a match.
While there are many blatant examples of fixed matches in boxing history, here we consider cases where the motivations and circumstances are not so clear.
If you were in these boxers’ shoes, you would have a tough time deciding what to do as well.
Jake LaMotta vs. Billy Fox
One of the most famous examples in boxing history of match fixing is the story of Jake Lamotta.
Before judging him, it’s important to see why he made this decision.
During Lamotta’s time, the mob controlled boxing. Lamotta deliberately lost to his fight to Billy Fox to give himself a guaranteed title fight.
If Lamotta chose to stand up against the mob, most likely they would have ended his career.
On our list, this is perhaps the most obvious fix, and one of the least malicious in boxing history.
Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley
Another example of match fixing is Mike Tyson’s fight with Peter McNeeley. After four years in jail, this was Tyson’s first fight back.
With McNeeley’s manager giving up in the first round in 89 seconds after a knockdown, this is widely believed to be a fix.
More likely, McNeeley’s team was just trying to protect the fighter and live to fight another day.
Some people also say that Tyson’s fight against Bruce Seldon was fixed, since Seldon gave up so easily in the fight.
Like McNeeley, Seldon probably wanted to leave the ring alive with a guaranteed paycheck.
Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki
Another example of a supposed “fixed fight” was Muhammad Ali against Antonio Inoki.
Originally, this was supposed to be a true fixed exhibition.
However, both fighters couldn’t decide who would be the winner of the fixed fight, so this turned out to be an actual match with Muhammad Ali taking the win.
There are also allegations that Sonny Liston dived Muhammad Ali twice, but there is no substantial evidence to prove this.
Olympic Games
Last on our list involves referees participating in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
In the 2012 Olympics, a referee was expelled after a controversial decision in a major match. Later, a review committee found that this referee was linked with a bribery attempt.
Whether or not this referee accepted the bribe is not known.
In 2016, for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, a number of referees were removed after a high number of controversial calls.
Official investigation of this incident found that referees and judges were told by senior AIBA officials who should win before the fight.
Conclusion
With this article, we hope we’ve made it clear that boxing isn’t rigged in most cases.
Though match fixing exists in boxing, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of boxing matches are fair.
In a boxing career, reputations take a lifetime to create and only a second to destroy.
For those minority of matches, there are a number of different reasons to circumstances to consider before calling out foul play.
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