Majority draw in James DeGale-Badou Jack fight irritates promoter Floyd Mayweather

The first major boxing card of 2017 was a smash hit from top to bottom, with a series of entertaining matches throughout.

But they saved the best for last. The main event, a super middleweight unification bout between WBC champion Badou Jack and IBF champion James DeGale, was a thrilling back-and-forth battle at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn between two technically sound and determined fighters.

DeGale knocked Jack, a notoriously slow starter, down with a straight left in the opening round. Jack landed a punishing left hook-right hand combination midway through the 12th that send DeGale thudding to the canvas.

But when the scores were tallied, it was all for naught. Julie Lederman and Steve Weisfeld scored it 113-113 each, and Glenn Feldman had it 114-112 for DeGale, making it a majority draw. Yahoo Sports scored it 114-112 for Jack.

That didn’t sit well with Floyd Mayweather, who loudly complained about the scoring after the Showtime-televised fight had ended.

“It’s the second time in a row Badou Jack has gotten a bad decision,” Mayweather said. “James DeGale is a hell of a fighter, but tonight he didn’t win. I respect him as a fighter, but Badou Jack was the better man tonight. But James DeGale is one hell of a fighter.”

DeGale and promoter Eddie Hearn were lobbying for a rematch. Jack said he is having trouble making the super middleweight limit of 168, but pressed on it said, “I’ll fight anybody.”

Mayweather, though, wasn’t in the heat of the moment all that interested in doing a rematch.

“I’m the promoter, this is my fighter and this is the second time this has happened,” Mayweather said. “Two times in a row. It’s all about being fair. At the end of the day, I don’t know what the judges be looking at. When I fought Oscar De La Hoya [in 2007], one of the judges had him up by unanimous decision. When I fought Canelo [Alvarez in 2013], one of the judges had him winning. This is bad for boxing when it’s all said and done.”

There was nothing bad about this night. Women’s boxing returned to Showtime and Amanda Serrano successfully defended her IBF super bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision over Yasmin Rivas in an excellent, action-filled match.

Gervonta Davis turned in a star-making performance in the co-main event, stopping Jose Pedraza in the seventh round in their bout for Pedraza’s IBF junior lightweight belt.

And the DeGale-Jack fight was everything those who bought a ticket could have hoped for. DeGale fought most out of a southpaw stance and landed hard, fast combinations throughout. True to his reputation as a body hunter, Jack repeatedly ripped DeGale to the midsection and seemed to hurt the 2012 Olympic gold medalist several times in the last part of the fight.

Jack seemingly was on the verge of a finish when he dropped DeGale in the 12th but true to what this fight was, DeGale got up and battled back and was firing away at Jack when the bell sounded.

Predictably, both fighters felt they’d won.

“He was doing a lot of running,” Jack said. “I thought I won the fight. I finished stronger. His knockdown was a flash knockdown.”

DeGale saw it differently.

“I have huge respect for this man,” DeGale said of Jack. “He’s tough, durable and skillful, but I won that.”

A rematch would seem to be in order, though Jack was saying he wanted it at light heavyweight. If it’s anywhere near as good as the first one, the rematch will be a can’t miss match.