Lightweight contender Ali Funeka put on a masterful display of boxing as he did his best Bernard Hopkins impersonation, dominating and rocking former super featherweight champion Joan Guzman over the course of 12 rounds. Somehow, however, two of the judges, Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel, believed the fight was a lot closer than the tale that the blood on Guzman's trunks would tell. Both judges surprisingly scored the fight even at 114-114 and despite the third judge, Joe Pasquale, scoring it correctly at 116-112 for Funeka, the bout was ruled a majority draw, leaving the IBF lightweight title vacant.
Guzman came out fast to start the fight as he backed Funeka up to the ropes, digging hard shots to the body. Funeka would whether the storm, however, and find his rhythym as he began to box more from the center of the ring. Guzman would continue to take the fight to the bigger man, chopping him down with more body shots and looping overhand right hands. The pattern would continue through the first couple of rounds, but the tide would change in the third, however, as Funeka began to find a home for his own right hand. Although a headbutt would open up a gash over Guzman's right eye, it was Funeka's right hand that was doing the most damage, busting Guzman's nose up. To Guzman's credit, he continued to take the fight to the bigger man, still landing hard body shots and an occassional right hand. Sticking to his gameplan, Funeka continued to box beautifully from the outside while still doing his own damage on the inside with crisper, shorter shots. Towards the end of the eight round, a big flush right cross from Funeka would land and have Guzman nearly out on his feet. From then on, it was all Funeka, who would continue to land a series of combinations as Guzman was on the retreat.
By the time the fight was over, it seemed like the reading of the scorecards was mere formality. The look that Guzman had on his face was one of a defeated fighter, while Funeka had already begun celebrating on the ropes. As it took a long time for the scorecards to be tallied, you could sense that something wasn't right. Official judges scorecards were 114-114, 116-112 (Funeka), 114-114 and the stunned look on Funeka's face was surely shared by boxing fans around the world. The HBO commentating crew of Bob Papa, Max Kellerman, Lennox Lewis and Harold Lederman, who scored the bout 117-111 in favor of Funeka, were all just as shocked. "I traveled a long way from South Arica to prove myself that I'm the best...I have nothing to talk about. This fight, I was supposed to win this fight, but the judges...what can I say," Funeka commented during the post-fight interview. "A fix or he was robbed," Gary Shaw, Funeka's promoter, could be heard shouting in the background.
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