TO THE ATTENTION OF THE I.F.B.A
RE: PROTEST FILING- BROWN VS KIM FIGHT OCT 15, 2009, INCHEON CITY,
SOUTH KOREA
As Lisa Brown's lawyer, and as President and Director of Cloverlay
Management Corporation, Lisa Brown's manager, please treat this as
our official protest being filed with the I.F.B.A in regards to the
above fight. Firstly let me express Lisa Brown's full appreciation
to the I.F.B.A. for proactively taking the extraordinary steps on
their own in filing a protest of the decision rendered by the
judges. That in itself, coupled with the comments made by the
I.F.B.A after the fight, speaks highly as to what transpired. We
would also like to thank the Promoters Shin and Ju Gang-Ho for
providing their services leading up to, and during, the week of the
fight. We would ask that you correct the I.F.B.A. press release in
regards to the official scoring. The actual scores were
96-94,96-95,96-95 in favor of Hyomin Kim. Having attended the fight
as a cornerman and having had the opportunity to review carefully a
video of the fight, I would comment as follows:
(1) It is utterly transparent that some of the rounds should not
have been scored for Ms. Kim, including rounds one, three, four, and
nine ( please see my comments to follow in regards to round three).
Those particular rounds were not even remotely close. Aside from
those rounds it is clear that Lisa Brown won the majority of the
other rounds as well. While Ms Kim was flailing away with pushes and
arm punches Lisa Brown was landing solid effective blows.
(2) In the third round Ms Kim was knocked down by a right hook high
on the temple. She went down immediately on both knees facing the
corner. Amazingly the referee ruled this a slip. Shortly thereafter
Ms Kim went down again from a flurry and again it was ruled a slip.
The scorecards did not reflect the knockdowns on a ten point must
system. At the end of the round Lisa Brown was hit in the body after
the bell with no warning or point deduction ( this foul and other
numerous infractions are important in regards to my comments to
follow. Either call infractions consistently or let the fighters
fight! Give them a warning and let them fight unless it is flagrant
and or repetitive!). Throughout the fight Ms Kim was holding by the
back of the neck, predominantly with her left hand, and hitting
without warning or point deduction. After the second knockdown,
which was not called, amazingly Lisa Brown was warned. Miss Kim also
was holding onto the ropes on occasion with one hand without
warning.
(3) In the fourth round Miss Kim went down yet again. Two of the
three Judges amazingly gave the round to Miss Kim in a very
one-sided round for Lisa Brown.
(4) Ms Kim, in repeatedly holding and pushing, and going down, with
no clean or effective punching, pushed Lisa Brown to the canvas a
number of times, without warning or point deduction. In fact one of
the judges twice made hand notes on their scorecard in recognition
of the push downs.
(5) In the seventh round a point deduction was given against Lisa
Brown for a backhand without any prior warnings and regardless of
the infractions by Ms Kim as mentioned, including the repeated
holding behind the neck and hitting, the repeated pushing to the
ground, and the punch after the bell without point deduction. The
backhand was not a full swing and nor did it connect.
(6) I would make the following further comments in regards to the
referee: Twice he interrupted our chief second, in back to back
rounds, to advise us of the round number to follow. Twice we advised
him he had the wrong round number. Given there were card girls this
was pretty hard to get wrong. It was disruptive to say the least as
was his interrupting our chief second twice to warn about open
gloved hitting although no mention was made to the fighter the
previous round, in the ring. Despite what action the Korean Boxing
Commission takes, if any, upon your protest filing, we would urge
you to set aside this decision, as the I.F.B.A. sanctioning body, or
at bare minimum have this fight declared a no contest. Lisa Brown
won this fight. She did not have one mark on her face after the
fight. Her opponent ate dinner after the fight with a face full of
red bruises and an ice pack attached to the side of a swollen head .
For all those years spent training, and all the early, lonely
morning roadwork this is not a proper decision for someone like a
Lisa Brown who lives, eats, and loves the sport of boxing, or for
anyone else for that matter. I congratulated Ms Kim and her corner
after the fight, in the ring, not because she won but rather that
she showed the heart of a true warrior in taking the punishment she
did. I suspect in her heart she knows she lost that fight but of
course that is somewhat irrelevant. As your I.F.B.A. governing
by-laws allow for you to set a rematch where a questionable verdict
has taken place Lisa Brown welcomes that opportunity. Next time,
like major mens title fights, rather than an all Korean Judges and
referees how about impartial judges and referees (perhaps an
American, a Canadian and Korean judge and British, Canadian or
American referee!) I thank you for your consideration. I have been
around boxing since the age of eight and care dearly about the sport
and the boxers. I sat with one of the promoters for approximately
three hours after the fight and was met, unscheduled, by one of the
co-promoters the next day just before we flew out. Lisa Brown
remains the world super bantamweight champion and looks forward to
defending her title, as always, against all comers. At this point in
time Lisa Brown should have included, with her current four title
belts, this fifth world title belt!
Yours very truly,
Michael J. Schmidt
