Byrd In Judging Pool For Canelo-Jacobs
Daniel Jacobs was not keen on having his May 4th fight with Canelo Alvarez going to the judges, and now he may have cause to worry as Adalaide Byrd has been included in the judging pool for the event at T-Mobile Arena.
Per a report from Boxing Scene, Byrd is in the pool which was sent and approved by Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director, Bob Bennet. The list was sent to representatives for both fighters, in-case either side want to invoke their right to contest the use of any “objectionable judges.”
While the team’s can put in their protests, it is up to NSAC to make the assignments, but will listen to the objections to ensure conflicts do not arise after the fights are scored.
Byrd being added to the list can be considered confusing due to her controversial 118-110 score for Alvarez in his September 2017 fight against Gennady Golovkin, which many saw as a draw or a a close win for Golovkin.
The judge’s scorecard was in stark contrast to Don Trella’s 114-114 score and that of Dave Moretti, who scored the fight 115-113 for Golovkin.
Moretti and Trella are in the judges pool as well, and per Boxing Scene, Jacobs has objected to Trella scoring their fight on May 4th.
“I’ve had my opportunity to think about it,” Jacobs said to Boxing Scene on the list of judges. “I was presented with the pool of judges that they gave to us. And I think it was laughable at first. There was definitely one that was automatically out, once we got the list. But, you know, I expressed to my team what I felt about not only the judges, but the options of the referees we have.
“I’m just looking forward to getting an honest chance. That’s really all I want – just a true, honest chance. I don’t want any advantage. I don’t want any favoritism towards me. I just want a fair chance to go in there and fight the fighter they consider to be the best in the middleweight division and prove myself. But I don’t want any influence outside the ring to manipulate the decision or what happens inside there.”
“It’s definitely something that plays in the back of my mind,” Jacobs said of the judging. “But I don’t let it manifest. It’s just one of those things where I know that if I do what I have to do, which I totally see being 100-percent possible, then there’s gonna be no doubt. And then, if I knock Canelo Alvarez out, to some people it’ll be a miracle. But I’m not foreign to those things anyway.”
Initial Report: Boxing Scene