Boxing Judge Suspended Amid Scorecard Controversy, Racist Tweets

ToplineGloria Martinez Rizzo faces a six-month suspension as well as possible expulsion from the World Boxing Association. This is after she submitted a controversial scorecard for Saturday's fight between Mykalfox and Gabriel Maestre. It led to racist tweets being posted from an account thought to be Rizzo.Manny Pacquiao (left) and Keith Thurman (right), flank Gilberto Mendoza, president of WBA, during Tuesday's news... [+] conference in New York. ASSOCIATED PRSThe Key FactsIndependent observers thought Fox, a Black American, had defeated Maestre in the second round. However, Rizzo won the fight with a huge 117-110 win for Maestre. ESPN President Gilberto Mendoza of the WBA stated on Wednesday that Rizzo was incorrect in scoring and suggested that "we need new judges." Mendoza stated that Rizzo could be expelled from the WBA due to comments she made in the past. Mendoza will meet Rizzo in Miami this week to discuss possible disciplinary actions. Rizzo, who is said to be married to Ricardo Rizzo (WBA executive), has not commented publicly on the matter.The Key BackgroundAfter Saturday's controversial decision, racist tweets were discovered from @GloriaRizz's Twitter account. Although the account was deactivated, it was still tagged by @GloriaRizz's official Twitter account in a post that announced Rizzo as the "Female Judges of the Year" for 2019. In August 2020, @GloriaRizz posted, "Ok monkey, your time has gone bye bye," to respond to a story on former First Lady Michelle Obama. Another tweet from the account stated that LeBron James was "so stupid that he can only play basketball, other that that he must go back to stable." This appeared to call to kill Black Lives Matter cofounder PatrisseCullors and claimed that Joe Biden stole Donald Trump's 2020 presidential election.What to Watch Out ForMendoza has requested a rematch between Maestre & Fox, but no timetable has been set.Tangent:Fox said to ESPN that he was surprised by the infuriating tweets. Fox stated that "this sport has allowed me to meet people from all walks of life." But I have to wonder if her outside boxing life affects the way she judges boxing. This [decision] could be really bad for me if it wasn't for the fact that it was on television. People around the globe witnessed the robbery that night.Additional Reading:Gloria Martinez Rizzo, a WBA judge, is suspended following a controversial scorecard and discovery of racist tweets. (ESPN).