Al Bennett sits in front of his television at his condo in Avenel, N.J., watching a replay of April’s fight between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson in Atlantic City. He has a pen and paper at hand, scoring the fight after each round as if he were watching from ringside.
Problem is, Bennett hasn’t been ringside since July 9, 2011.
That’s when he was one of three judges suspended indefinitely after working the junior middleweight fight between Paul Williams and Erislandy Lara at a ballroom in Boardwalk Hall at Atlantic City.
Four days after Williams was awarded a controversial majority decision that drew boos from most in the crowd, all three judges — Bennett, Donald Givens of Linden, N.J., and Hilton Whitaker III of New Jersey — were put on indefinite suspension by Aaron Davis, the commissioner of the New Jersey State Control Board.
Bill Kostroun
LEFT HOOKED: Al Bennett now scores fights with a notebook on his sofa in New Jersey as he remains suspended indefinitely as a boxing judge following his involvement in a controversial decision last year.
In announcing the suspensions, Davis said in a statement, “we feel that we did not provide our best officiating on July 9.” Davis did add there was no evidence of any corruption on the part of the judges.
Nearly 11 months later, the three judges remain suspended, unable to work in any jurisdiction. Bennett, a judge for 25 years, and Whitaker, a 69-year-old who has been in boxing since age 15, say they feel like scapegoats. In interviews with The Post, they charge Davis with initially lying to them and ruining their reputations and careers.
“For him to do this to me after 25 years, it took me to a place I’ve never been before,” Bennett said. “You take one fight and flushed my whole 25 years down the toilet. He took me to a place where I was depressed. I was kind of ashamed to show my face out in public. It’s like we’ve been put in a dark closet and locked in the closet.”
Whitaker, a retired bus driver, also is angry and frustrated.
“To be told I’m one of the best judges in the world and have done all I have done to climb to where I have climbed to be at a standstill now is aggravating,” he said. “It has taken me out of something that I enjoy and love to do.”
Williams-Lara was televised on HBO, and the broadcast team, including former judge Harold Lederman, favored Lara after the 12-round fight. But Whitaker scored the fight for Williams (115-114), as did Givens (116-114). Bennett saw it a draw (114-114), giving Williams a majority decision. It was the 20th title fight for Bennett, the eighth for Whitaker and the first for Givens.
There was outrage over the decision. HBO broadcaster Bob Papa told his audience, “This is a joke.” Four days later, Davis announced the unprecedented decision to put the judges on indefinite suspension.
Nearly a year later, Whitaker is frustrated after following Davis’ recommendation to attend judging seminars held by the Association of Boxing Commissions in Washington and Raleigh, N.C., where he passed both tests and was recertified on Jan. 21, 2012.
Bennett attended the seminar in Washington, but failed the test. Bennett said he didn’t properly prepare for the test because he was angry over his suspension. He plans to retake the test at an upcoming seminar.
Davis admitted the suspensions have been “long,” but offered no hint of ending the suspensions.
“Those tests are not that hard to pass,” he said. “I’d like for all our guys to pass the test with no problem. I’d like them to have some more ongoing training before I fully reinstate them. Then, after training, I’d probably like them to shadow a judge and come back with those scores.”
Suspending judges is nearly unheard of in boxing, but Davis defended his actions.
“I just don’t go around suspending people with no reason,” he said. “I’d just like people to complete the training. If somebody got wind I reinstated somebody that failed the test that all the judges take, they would look at me crazy.”
Bennett, 62, is confident he will pass the test the next time he takes it. Not only does he miss the estimated $8,000-$10,0000 a year he earns judging, what makes him cringe these days is when they reference the suspensions during boxing telecasts.
“It’s just unfair,” Bennett said. “For me to get back in the game, I’ve got to build back up a whole new reputation. But I’m not going to quit because of this. I’ve been a judge for 25 years and didn’t have any problems until that night.”
Davis said all the judges are “good guys,” but hopes the suspensions send a message to other judges in New Jersey and regulatory commissions around the country.
“We can’t be satisfied with subpar performances,” he said. “We don’t accept that from fighters. We shouldn’t accept it from our officials either. If people know they’re going to be accountable for their actions, hopefully they’ll take better actions.”
george.willis@nypost.com
Al Bennett, Bennett, Paul Williams, New Jersey, Erislandy Lara, Aaron Davis, Whitaker, Bennett, Donald Givens, Hilton Whitaker III
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