Boxing Fix? Stunning Decision Alarms Critics

Something smells seriously fishy in the world of Olympic boxing. As Deadspin notes, knockdowns are rare things in the Games. So when Japan's Satoshi Shimuzu put Azerbaijan's Magomed Abdulhamidov on the canvas six times in their third and final round, the outcome seemed clear-cut. Until, that is, the judges declared the bleary Abdulhamidov to be the winner.

Boos rained down, the announcers were apoplectic—"Everybody here should look at themselves and realize why this sport is considered a joke," said one—and Japan immediately appealed to AIBA, the sport's governing body. Amid the uproar, officials not only overturned the decision but expelled the ref from the Games. (Instead of stopping the bout, he actually fixed the Azerbaijan's headgear at one point, notes AP.) So why the conspiracy theory about a fixed match? Because last fall, a BBC investigation alleged that a certain country had given AIBA officials $9 million to ensure they'd win two gold medals in London. That country? Azerbaijan, of course. Head to Deadspin for video. (More 2012 London Olympics stories.)