Gabriel Campillo’s request for an immediate rematch stemming from his controversial split decision defeat to IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud on February 18th has been denied according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
“The judging of professional boxing events is subjective,” IBF President Darryl Peoples wrote in an email to Campillo’s attorney Leon Margules. “While you have presented many media accounts disputing the scoring of the fight, these criticisms do not represent the opinions of professional boxing judges. Absent any proof of wrongdoing, we must rely on the decisions rendered by the judges whether their decisions are popular or not.
“Any action taken by the IBF in this situation without proof of wrongdoing or violation of IBF rules would serve to invalidate the decision of the judges. You pointed out in your letter dated February 27, 2011, ‘While we do not believe that a judges’ scoring should normally be questioned,’ the IBF agrees with your position. Based on the foregoing, the IBF will not grant an immediate rematch.”
“I just think if they have this discretionary rule then this is the type of thing they should use it for, where the fighter was wronged and there is no specific grounds under their appeal rules to allow us to appeal anything that happened that night,” Margules told ESPN.com. “This is when they should use the discretionary rule — to right the wrong. But they decided not to.”
