Controversial fights where the referee deeply affected the outcome

Ruddock—Morrison

 

Surprised no one mentioned Benn-McClellan or Benn-Barkley.

 

Dempsey-Gibbons.... Jack's ex-roommate Jack Dougherty allowed the champ to get away with wholesale Greco-Roman wrestling and many low blows.. Gibbons was livid afterward, displaying bruises below the beltline the next day and immediately demanding a rematch under specific rules and a different ref.

 

Traditionally in the UK, the Ref gave the decision as well as running the fight so, as you may imagine, there have been some shockers.
The worst I've seen up close was Syd Nathan giving Dave Needham the verdict against Pat Cowdell in a British Featherweight Title fight. Syd had to have an escort from the ring !
Another one I remember was Harry Gibbs, one of the great Referees, being unduly lenient with Dave "Boy" Green's use of the head against John H Stracey. Green just launched himself headfirst at Stracey in the first 4 rounds which left John with significant facial damage including a swelling left eye.
Later in the fight Gibbs was literally hauling Green off Stracey by the hair and I'm sure Dave was on a final warning but the damage was done. Stracey's eye closed completely and he was stopped in the 10th. Strange one as Harry never used to tolerate any serious infraction and never, ever played favourites.
I'll bet McVey was at this one.

 

That guy was pulling on the neck!!!

I saw it clearly!!!!

omg not even a point taken away cant believe the ref didnt step in earlier .... /s

That ref should get tossed out the sport; punches like that can actually damage your fertility. I'd sue his ass off. If I were a judge and saw that I'd give the guy hit in the nuts every round he cashed one in like that.

 

Here's another classic in the shitty ref stakes:

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And here's another ref that must have read the valetudo rulebook by mistake. Duran and Moore did whatever to each other and the ref is like "keep fighting boys, its ok".

He should have stopped it at least a round earlier than it went on:

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Edit: just rewatched it. I remember it as more dirty than it was. But goddamn, Duran is a guy that could beat you to death and enjoy it.

 

Oddly, I rewatched this last night. Moore's corner should have stopped this earlier.

 

When Duran scored that huge knockdown that turned Moore's mouthpiece sideways, is when I would have stopped it. It was clear that Moore was fighting on guts and instinct alone after that.

 

Can't think of a worse example of Klitschko vs Povetkin.. To put it into perspective - Wlad beat Povetkin the same way Akinwande lost to Lennox Lewis..

A fair ref would have DQ'd Wlad after the 7th or 8th round.

 

Totally ruined a possible great fight...and I think it was in Russia!?

 

Not on the same level as others but Joe O’Neill during Michalczewski-Rocchigiani I.

 

Wlad was the first person do put Povetkin down in 27 pro and over 100 amateur fights. And he put him down 3 times.

Get a life.

 

Tsyzu Hatton. Joke

 

Cmon that was terrible reffing lol. He should have been disqualified. But to be fair he did what he had to and if he Wlad was getting away w it it’s on the ref not him