NSAC ‘Moving Forward’ With Adalaide Byrd

Unified Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are booked for a rematch on May 5 in either Las Vegas or New York City. Their original bout took place back on September 16 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where it ended in a controversial split draw.

The pinpoint of the controversy came from judge Adalaide Byrd, an infamous and controversial judge in the worlds of MMA and boxing, who scored the bout 118-110 in favor of Alvarez. Many watching the bout had Golovkin as the winner and criticized Byrd after the scorecards were revealed, even to the point that famed trainer Teddy Atlas accused Byrd of bribery.

Reports following the fight stated that Byrd was temporarily relieved of judging duties. But on Feb. 2, NAC executive officer Bob Bennett stated that Byrd was never “benched,” but rather she chose to take time off. Since the Golovkin-Alvarez fight, Byrd has worked four boxing cards in Nevada, including a bout on Oct. 21 and a Mayweather Promotions card last weekend in Las Vegas.

Per a report from Boxing Scene, Bennett claimed that he and Byrd watched tape of the fight together and determined that she had an off night, but they have since “moved forward.” He stated that while the Sept. 16 bout scoring was unfortunate, she has produced consistent scorecards and is confident in her ability after over three decades in the sport.

“If you’re an athlete and somebody has a bad day, you don’t bench them,” Bennett said. “You put them back to work. I’d still say in the last 3-1/2 years, she’s done a great job.

“I don’t want to hear about 2012. As long as I’ve been here, she’s done a good job. She’s a great judge. One fight sure as heck doesn’t define her career.”

Bennett provided no comment as to if she will judge the Golovkin-Alvarez rematch, let alone other high-profile bouts.

We’ll make sure that she’s comfortable. We’ll continue to move forward. She’s been spot on [in recent fights] and she’s tough. I have a great deal of respect for her. She got raked over the coals, but she wants to come back. She’s a warrior and still wants to judge fights.

Original Story: BoxingScene.com