Campillo's camp queries IBF, Texas commission about Cloud verdict

Both the IBF and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation are reviewing the controversial split-decision victory by IBF light heavyweight titleholder Tavoris Cloud over Gabriel Campillo that aired Feb. 18 on Showtime from Corpus Christi.

Officials from both organizations told RingTV.com that they are examining the circumstances surrounding the matchup based on separate filings by the handlers of Campillo, including attorney Leon Margules and promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz.

After being floored twice in the first round, Campillo appeared to take control of the fight, doing damage that sliced open cuts around each of Cloud's eyes.

But it was Cloud who was named the winner of an unpopular verdict, 116-110 (eight-to-four in rounds) and 114-112 (six-to-six) on the cards of judges David Robertson and Joel Elizondo, respectively. Judge Dennis Nelson had it for Campillo, 115-111.

Dennis Nelson, of Saint Paul, Minn., had worked such title bouts as junior flyweight Ulises Solis' split-decision over Luis Lazarte in April of 2011, junior welterweight Devon Alexander's unanimous decision over Andriy Kotelnik in August of 2010, and Tim Bradley's unanimous decision over Lamont Peterson in December of 2009.

Robertson is out of Houston, and had worked only one other title bout, a ninth-round knockout by Solis against Bert Batawang for the IBF junior flyweight belt in February of 2007.

Elizondo was working his first major title fight.

Margules informed RingTV.com that he has sent a letter to IBF President Daryl Peoples and Championships Chairman Lindsay Tucker on Monday "formally asking them to order an immediate rematch under rule 5-K" of the organization's rules governing Defense of a Title.

In accordance with the rule, "The Championships Chairman and The President in their discretion may direct two contestants to engage in a rematch for the championship within a perscribed time."

"This is a little bit different than an appeal, because there are very specific things that you can appeal with the IBF. And you can't appeal bad scoring, because there is no legal basis to appeal bad scoring," said Margules.

"I can't prove that anybody was cheating. So, there's no legal basis for an appeal under their rules. However, rule 5-K allows the Championship committee, at their discretion, to file a protest, with or without a formal appeal."

IBF public relations director, said Jeanette Salazar, said "[Peoples] did get the letter from [Campillo's handlers] basically appealing under rule 5-K, and he's working on it."

Public relations official Susan Stanford, of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, also acknowledged receiving a protest from Margules.

"After every event, the performance of judges and referees are evaluated, and right now, we're in the process of evaluating that. I have called our enforcement division, and intake did receive the complaint from Mr. Margules," said Stanford.

"And now, there was a request that has been sent [to Margules] for a request for more information that we needed. That was mailed out yesterday. So we'll be waiting to hear back from him with the additional information that we need."

Stanford would not reveal what extra information is required from the Campillo camp.
 
"Once intake verifies that we have jurisdiction, then it will go to an investigator, and then the investigator performs the investigation, and then turns it over to a prosecutor," said Stanford. "That prosecutor then examines the file and determines whether or not there should be an administrative penalty or what action, if any, should be taken."

Stanford would not elaborate on what "action" could result in a finding in favor of Campillo's camp, but Margules said, "basically, I have asked them to investigate and to discipline the officials, and to change their decision to a no-contest."

Stanford also briefly addressed the Texas commission's failure to test the four fighters in the title bouts of and HBO-televised broadcast from the Alamodome in San Antonio on Feb. 4, saying, without elaborating, that the commission is "putting procedures in place so that it will not happen again."

Nonito Donaire won the WBO's vacant junior featherweight belt with a split decision over Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. successfully defended his WBC middleweight belt with a unanimous decision over Marco Antonio Rubio.

In an undercard bout, junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan stopped Troy Lowry in the third round. Although Martirosyan and Lowry were tested, none of the four title-bout performers were.

"The department did not book the drug laboratory for that event," said Stanford. "We regret that that happened."

Stanford also touched on why no action was taken against Chavez for his drunk driving arrest on Jan. 22 prior to facing Rubio.

"No action is taken unless there has been a conviction. On the application for a license, there is a box that asks whether you have been convicted of a felony, or, in this case, it could be a DUI," said Stanford.

"Then, a criminal background check is performed. But until you have a conviction, there is no action taken."

Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Photos by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com