Ian John-Lewis Criticizes British Boxing Board of Control for Scoring Controversy

Ian John-Lewis Criticizes British Boxing Board of Control for Scoring Controversy

Ian John-Lewis, a veteran referee and judge, has expressed his disagreement with the British Boxing Board of Control's decision to single him out for his controversial scoring of the Josh Taylor vs. Jack Catterall undisputed 140-pound bout last year. John-Lewis was one of the three judges involved in the infamous Taylor-Catterall title bout, which sparked controversy as many fans and observers felt it was one of the worst decisions in recent memory in British boxing.

John-Lewis's scorecard, which had Taylor winning by the widest margin (114-111), received the most criticism, and he was subsequently demoted from his position in the A Star class of referees to A class after a hearing with the Board. Earlier this year, John-Lewis sued the Board for treating him like a "scapegoat."

In a recent interview with Boxing News, John-Lewis suggested that the Board had bowed under social media pressure rather than acting out of due diligence. He claimed that he was scapegoated and that the Board had picked on the wrong guy. He stated that he was not worried because the truth would come out during the hearing.

John-Lewis explained that he felt his hands were tied after the Taylor-Catterall fight because referees are not allowed to freely justify what went into their scorecards. He said that officials often feel aggrieved when they cannot explain their decisions, and not talking to the press looks like there is something to hide.

The Taylor-Catterall fight led both fighters to pursue a rematch, but after almost a year of multiple postponements, Taylor finally went his separate way. Taylor is projected to defend his lone WBO 140-pound title against former lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez in New York City in June. On the other hand, Catterall recently signed a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing after being previously linked with Boxxer.