Criticism seems to follow every major event like a shadow. Zach Maslany, the official judge for Craig Jones Invitational’s second year, addressed this perpetual negativity with a colorful analogy during a recent appearance on the Jits and Giggles Podcast.
“I always see every time I turn on the Instagram, I always see people complaining about and it’s like I always say like you could literally send everyone a free pizza and they complain about it,”
Maslany observed. His frustration with the constant stream of criticism reflects a broader issue plaguing combat sports – the impossibility of pleasing everyone.
Maslany, who has judged both years of CJI, witnessed firsthand the controversies that dominated social media following the event. Two disputed tap situations became lightning rods for criticism, with fans dissecting every angle and frame. The Giancarlo Bodoni incident left Maslany uncertain from his judging position:
“It looked like he kind of tapped, but like he went to tap and then maybe he was like, you know, ah, whatever. I’m going to keep going.”
The Geo situation proved equally contentious, with different camera angles telling different stories. Maslany‘s solution? Clear communication.
“Tell Big John and I’ll probably tell him this too to really go over with the athletes like look we don’t want what happened yesterday. Please verbal tap, scream, you know, tap, you know, yell ah, you know, whatever.”
This year’s team format brought new challenges, with 17 out of 22 matches ending in draws. Rather than surprising Maslany, this outcome reinforced his understanding of elite-level competition.
“Bottom line, eight minutes, these guys are so good. It’s so hard to tap really good guys in eight minutes,”
he explained, comparing it to other high-level competitions where submissions remain elusive even in longer formats.
The Helena Crevar versus Adele Fornarino decision sparked Instagram debates about judging, prompting Maslany to pull out his actual scorecards during the interview. He defended his scoring based on
“initiating effective action,”
explaining how Helena’s forward pressure and deep submission attempts earned her the victory despite Adele’s strong second round.
Even seemingly minor issues like hair management became talking points, with Maslany noting the practical difficulties pigtails can create during competition.
“It was even even in the first round I felt like it was bothering her,”
he observed, suggesting such matters should be addressed through competitor courtesy rather than rigid rules.
Despite the constant criticism, Maslany maintains perspective on the sport’s growth. He praised the emerging talent, particularly noting 19-year-old Sarah Galvao’s performance as match of the night against Vieira.
“These young kids, they don’t stop moving. They’ve grown up in jiu-jitsu,”
he said, highlighting the evolution of the sport.
His message to perpetual critics remains simple:
“Just be happy, enjoy the matches, you know what I mean? It’s all in good fun and jiu-jitsu is getting bigger. That’s the main goal.”
Sometimes, even free pizza can’t satisfy everyone – but the sport continues to evolve regardless of the complaints.
