Boxing Controversy: The Olympics Maintains its Proud Tradition of Questionable Judging at the London Games

In a classic "just watch the tape" moment, Azerbaijan's Magomed Abdulhamidov won his Olympic boxing match after hitting the deck five times in the final round against Japan's Satoshi Shimizu. The judges must have been rewarding resilience in the match because Abdulhamidov was awarded a 10-8 victory in that round and a 22-17 victory in the match.

Boxing is a sport that is often filled with disputed outcomes, and the Olympics is no different from the professional ranks. In June, Manny Pacquiao found himself on the wrong end of a controversy in a split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao has since accepted the loss and will most likely call for a rematch to prove he is the better fighter.

While the professional ranks have had numerous questionable decisions, the Olympics have had their fair share, as well. Evander Holyfield was disqualified in the 1984 Olympics for a not hearing a "break" call, and Roy Jones Jr. dominated his South Korean opponent in the gold-medal bout in 1988, only to be denied by poor judging.

The match in London may have swung on something more sinister nature than a simple missed call, though. The BBC reported in 2011 that Azerbaijan paid a $9 million bribe to secure medals at this year's Olympics.

The Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) quickly dismissed these claims as, "groundless and unsupported by any credible evidence," but perhaps they should have waited for the Olympic matches to issue such statements.

Shimizu has since been awarded his rightful victory and a place in the bantamweight quarterfinals, and the AIBA has brought down sanctions against referee Ishanguly Meretnyyazov, who has been expelled from the London Games.

The AIBA released a statement on its website emphasizing a commitment to transparency, but one can't help but think that the organization's image may already be tarnished beyond reprieve.

Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, the president of the AIBA, has pledged to reinforce the integrity of the organization and make sure that all indiscretions are quickly dealt with. The AIBA Olympic Compliance Committee has proposed that he expel the International Technical Official, and the president quickly obliged.

For a sport with a diminishing fanbase since the rise of mixed martial arts, boxing may not be able to handle more controversy.