Despite flooring his opponent twice in the third and ninth rounds, it was a sad day for Filipino flyweight Jayson ‘Smasher’ Mama as he was deprived a win by a controversial split decision that has ignited controversy across the boxing community.

The former world title challenger was left devastated in his locker room, shedding tears after the contentious loss to hometown favorite Juan Carlos Camacho who now owns the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) title and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) flyweight crown.

The bout, held in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on October 30 (October 31 Manila Time), sent many boxing aficionados in disbelief, doubting the real score of the judges and questioning the eventual outcome.

Mama had entered the ring exuding confidence as he had prepared for the title fight and at the end of the fight, he strongly believed he had outperformed his foe with scoring two knockdowns against the Puerto Rican.

As part of the WBO’s annual convention in Puerto Rico, the bout was of high significance but sadly, Mama’s sterling performance proved it was not enough as only one judge, fellow Filipino Aquil Tamano, scored in favor of the ‘Smasher’ with a decisive 96-92, while the other two judges, Francis Jackson and Charlie Ruiz, both leaned otherwise, scoring the fight 95-93 and 96-92, respectively, in Camacho’s favor.

The fight’s turning points began in the third round when Mama’s powerful right hand drove Camacho into the ropes and as Camacho’s gloves touched the canvas, the referee ruled it a knockdown, momentarily shifting the momentum.

The succeeding rounds showed Mama expertly using his jabs to control the distance, until in the ninth round, Mama landed a precise counter right hook, sending Camacho to the canvas again in a decisive moment that appeared to solidify his edge.

However, after the final bell rang, the announcement, however, came as a shock as Camacho was declared the winner, drawing gasps from Mama’s corner.

The result marked his second professional defeat, bringing his record to 20 wins with 10 KOs and 2 losses, while Camacho’s record improved to 18 wins, with 8 KOs with 1 defeat.