Richardson Forum Outcome Is Upset, and So Are Lots of People

In a scene reminiscent of those long-ago boxing crowd riots at the Olympic Auditorium, beer cups, paper trash, bottles and other debris flew in all directions at the Forum Monday night when Greg Richardson was given a decision over Victor Rabanales.

Many in the crowd of 5,438 were already filing out of the Forum when it was announced that Richardson, who was defending his World Boxing Council bantamweight championship for the first time, had been given a split decision over Rabanales.

Most were stunned. And many were outraged. Richardson’s cornermen had to bodily protect their man in a mad flight to the Forum dressing rooms off the arena floor, shielding him from a shower of refuse.

Jerry Nathanson, 80-year-old former chairman of the California Athletic Commission, seemed to express the outrage of most when he said: “In sixty years of watching boxing, that’s the worst thing I ever saw.”

Said another commissioner, Raul Silva: “That was awful, just awful.”

Judges Marty Sammon of San Jose and Angel Guzman of San Juan, Puerto Rico, both scored the fight for Richardson--Sammon by 115-111 and Guzman by 117-112. Arsenio Garcia, from Mexico City, scored it 115-113 for Rabanales.

All three judges were assigned by the Mexico City-based WBC, a practice that has been a sore point with the California commission for years. The referee, Lou Filippo of Downey, was assigned by the California commission.

The Times card had Rabanales a runaway winner, 117-110, taking every round except the fourth and the seventh, when Filippo took a total of two points away from the Mexico City challenger for a low blow and a head butt.

The Rabanales camp seemed stunned, as if the decision hadn’t yet set in.

“I can’t believe it,” said Rafael Mendoza, Rabanales’ promoter. “Victor won every round. We’re absolutely filing a complaint with the WBC.

“It’s unbelievable, it wasn’t even close. How can that happen?”

Said Tony Curtis, the Forum matchmaker, who was in the dressing room hallway and didn’t hear ring announcer Jimmy Lennon read the scorecards: “They gave it to Richardson? Are you sure?”

Said John Beyrooty, Forum boxing publicist and former boxing writer for the Herald Examiner: “I think that’s just about the worst decision I ever saw.”

There was no riot, but it was close. One Richardson cornerman, Jimmy Rajan, said he was hitin the face with a bottle in the mad dash from the ring, for cover.

Richardson, 34, won the championship last Feb. 25 at the Forum in an upset decision over Raul Perez.