WBO President Will Not Appoint Judges To Big Fights Who Turn In Bad Scorecards

World Boxing Organization (WBO) president Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. is coming down hard on judges who turn in bad scorecards.

Judges have constantly remained a topic of discussion in the world of boxing, with many expressing their concerns about continuously giving opportunities to the same individuals despite them consistently turning in bad cards. Moreover, judges have seldom had to face the media or any repercussions for their decisions and grading. Olivieri recently shared his thoughts on the current grading fiascos and gave an update on how the WBO is trying to have a better evaluation protocol for judges.

Talking on The Boxing Rush Hour Show, Olivieri was asked if he had any particular thoughts on choosing judges, especially with respect to the evaluation processes to prevent the same individuals from putting in bad cards.

“I’m currently developing an internal scrutiny process to select those officials that, you know, they’re really not going to miss a beat,” he said. “I’ve seen judges that, I check all the scorecards, man, I’m a freak. How the hell this guy scored… no way.”

He then disclosed an instance where he appointed a judge who scored 11-1 on a fight that was actually 12-0. Olivieri mentioned that when he later asked the judge the reason for scoring in the other fighter’s favor, he was unable to give him a good enough case. Olivieri believes the judge did so because he did not want to be seen as taking sides. Olivieri added that judges should not be afraid of scoring the fights as they see them while also revealing that the aforementioned judge is currently in the “penalty box.”

NEW POD Ep. I checked in with @WorldBoxingOrg President @OlivieriLaw for @FightsATW . Topics:
-Judge accountability
– Latest with Crawford, Teofimo, Chocolatito & more.
-Not being a fan of interim titles
-Future use of sanctioning fees and morehttps://t.co/HbNYUF1cnE

— Abraham Gonzalez (@abeG718) February 7, 2025

“Those guys that render scorecards that are, you know, you’re out man. I’m not appointing you anymore. Or I’ll appoint them in a regional fight; return back to the minor leagues. You’re in the big leagues, you f*ck up, minor leagues. Then you progress again,” he said.

“Not A Fan of Interim Championships”

Olivieri is also rather vocal about his dislike for interim championships. Talking on the same show, he stated that there are only a few instances where interim championships make sense. “I’m not a fan of interim championships. I’m against interim championships unless extraordinary circumstances warrant a championship,” he said.

He mentioned that he would only consider it a possibility if a fighter is injured, has a legal impediment or an external circumstance that prevents them from fighting, or a champion has plans to unify his/her titles. “To give other fighters an opportunity to keep the division active, I can certainly consider an interim,” he said.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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