Props to the Tweeting #BoxingHeads For CJ Ross Removal

Congratulations, Tweeting #BoxingHeads. You did it, you moved the dial. You pushed the powers that be to do the right thing, and moved the sport of boxing in a more positive direction.

As first reported by Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review Journal, the notorious CJ Ross put herself on an indefinitive leave of absence from judging, emailing Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer to tell him she will be “taking some time off from boxing.”

Ross recently drew fire for deeming Timothy Bradley the victor over Manny Pacquiao in their 2012 clash, this despite Pacquiao edging Bradley in punches landed, 253 to 159, according to CompuBox.

Ross, on Saturday night, showed a similar disdain for a volume disparity, and the same wicked contrarian streak. She tabbed Canelo Alvarez equal with Floyd Mayweather (seen above in Hogan photo, wearing a “CJ Ross said what???” expression on his face), six rounds to six.

Her handing over a 114-114 scorecard, despite Floyd’s outlanding the Mexican 232 to 117, resulted in howls of derision, her name trending on Twitter, a lingering stench of hangover and embarassment…and finally her act of self semi-immolation.

Kizer defended Ross’ card to USA Today on Sunday, saying, “Just because a judge’s scorecard ends up even, doesn’t mean the judge necessarily thought the fight as a whole was even. It could be that a judge has six rounds for each fighter, but the six rounds she gave fighter A, she gave them to him easily and the six rounds she gave fighter B, they were really close rounds. That’s pretty much how it was last night.” That’s all well and good; one can make the case that there is something slightly commendable, perhaps, about Kizer sticking up for a beleagured soul. But the sport deserves better, and the fighters deserve better, than such efforts from Ross, or other miscreants who see fights and score them in a manner which defies common sense and the ably visioned. (And let’s not hold just Vegas judges’ feet to the fire. Arizona boxer Ray Beltran would tell you he thinks Carlos Ortiz Jr. needs his eyes checked after deeming Scotland’s Ricky Burns the winner against Beltran on Sept. 7 in Scotland. Before Ross rose (plummeted?) to this platform of ineptitude, a Texan named Gale Van Hoy’s name was the standard bearer for vocational incompetence in this realm.)

The man above Kizer, Commission chair Bill Brady, took Kizer to the woodshed on Tuesday, when he told Carp, “I apologized to the (Nevada) governor for any embarrassment we may have caused the state. He made me aware of his concerns. He wants things done right. There will be more questions asked, and Keith will be held accountable for his recommendations. We won’t be a rubber stamp anymore.”

By and large, humans, who fall pray to inertia, typically are moved to substantial actions only when forced, often because of negative circumstance. How many jailbirds find God in their cell, while contemplating a life term? It may be that the Nevada Commission and Ross would have leaped into action without the social media explosion, but put it this way…it certainly didn’t hurt that so many boxing fans who know our sport and the fighters deserve better than CJ Ross delivered one time too many, refused to accept the egregious travesty, and made vocal their feelings.

Props, again, to the Tweeting #BoxingHeads.

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