By Jonathan Snowden

The boxing lexicon is filled old chestnuts, hoary cliches that serve as shorthand and identify the sport's many foibles. When a sport has been relevant to the American public since Grover Cleveland’s first term, those saying and little bon mots tend to multiply. 

But among the most famed in boxing is a simple plea for action: “Don’t leave the fight in the judges hands.” 

Saturday night on Showtime, Badou Jack and James DeGale did just that. The intent was to setup a unification bout between the two men down the road. While that's still in the cards, it's suddenly a much weaker hand.

The most significant card of the weekend opened with a seemingly unappetizing  IBF Super Middleweight title bout between Rogelio Medina and DeGale. DeGale came in an overwhelming favorite and most people’s choice for the top fighter in the weight class. His opposition, by comparison, was a career journeyman who managed to find himself in this position thanks to another man’s staph infection and a defeat of the overhyped prospect J’Leon Love last year.  DeGale said he expected to win the fight by stoppage no later than the 6th round. That felt about right. 

Instead, Medina threw twice as many punches as the champion, coming forward and working the body with aplomb. DeGale did have some fine moments, landing hard single shots and showboating frequently during the bout, leading Medina to spit on him in frustration in the 11th round. While not launching as many punches, statistics indicated the two men landed roughly the same number of shots, creating a challenge for ringside observers. The judges awarded a unanimous decision to DeGale, and the audience inside the DC Armory immediately voiced their displeasure.

Boo-birds returned again later when the judges decision was read for the main event of Lucian Bute and Badou Jack. Stephen Rados, Glen Crocker and Omar Mintun held Jack's fate in their hands. And, as is now customary, they bungled the job. While a broad spectrum of fans and media saw the bout for the WBC champion, two of three judges saw an even fight. 

Instead of a clear win, propelling Jack into a unification bout with DeGale, Crocker and Mintun agreed Bute earned a draw. They may have been alone in that opinion, at least outside of Romania. While most thought Jack did an excellent job of countering Bute’s largely ineffective forward march, the popular veteran's aggression in the championship rounds likely earned him a tie. 

Promoters love to put potential opponents on the same card in an attempt to hype up future fights. But events like this show the risks inherent in such a scheme, as it has somehow managed to devalue both 168lb title holders in the leadup to their “superfight” later this year.

OTHER NOTES:

-Anthony Dirrell, a former 168 lb title holder himself, re-entered “the mix” with a 1 round KO victory against Caleb Truax on Spike. Truax couldn’t stop the right hand of “The Dog,” who should finally get back to fighting appropriately sized opposition soon. 

In the main event, his brother Andre Dirrell bored the pants off the crowd winning a decision over Blake Caparello on Spike TV. “The Matrix” is still uber-talented, but never seems to have recovered from his time away in contract disputes.

-Out at the Stubhub Center on Fox, Andre Berto overcame a flash knockdown in the second to stop Victor Ortiz in the 4th. A hard uppercut put Ortiz down, and Berto finished the job with a flurry a few seconds later. Ortiz claimed he was planning to “take a vacation.” I'm not sure how that's a change considering  he’s taken career pauses of 18 and 11 months over the last 5 years. Berto is just happy to still matter and hopes to get another cash out opportunity which would be a huge boon for a fighter who already won the Mayweather Sweepstakes last year.

-Fox’s PBC undercard featured a ton of knockouts and made for really entertaining television. Former world champion Fernando Montiel was stopped in the very first round by a wild swinging and undefeated prospect in Jorge Lara, followed quickly by a bombs away two-round war that saw Thomas Williams Jr. outlast Edwin Rodriguez to effectively earn himself a light heavyweight title fight with Adonis Stevenson. 

-The most entertaining fight of the weekend was a slugfest in England on the Hughie Fury/Fred Kassi undercard. 

Jamie Conlan and Anthony Nelson, a pair of undefeated domestic-level superflyweights, traded big blow after big blow. When the smoke cleared in the 8th round, Conlan was the winner by body shot KO. Thanks to the cunning Brits, who’ve uploaded numerous versions on YouTube for their American friends.