Buzzer Beater: How Julio Cesar Chavez Kept His Streak Alive

Richard Steele? But he did the right thing. ( I actually felt that way watching the fight live all those years ago) Even in this video, we see him look directly into Taylor's eyes, asked him a question, Taylor did not respond.
If the fight was a 15rd one. Theirs no controversy. But possibly a death.

 

Based on the situation at the time and Richard Steele's not actually knowing how much time is left, I agree and felt that way at the time. If they had banged the ring like they do now to signal 10 seconds left, Steele may have made a different choice but that was not the case.

I've always felt bad for Steele for the booing he received from fans for years after this bout.

 

The idea that Lou Duva climbing steps 25 feet away distracted him from a man who was counting with fingers inches from his eyeballs and was right in his face asking him if he’s OK is laughable — if true, it tells you all you need to know about his condition.

(Like he’d never seen a cornerman climb steps before? Can someone show me another round where he turned from the action because Lou Duva was climbing steps?)

Steele made the right call. You have 3 minutes per round to incapacitate your opponent and JCC accomplished that within the allotted time frame.

 

I've changed my mind about this a few times, but Duva did Taylor no favors telling him to basically win the 12th, Taylor didn't listen to Benton who told him to slow down earlier in the fight because his pace was too hellish, and Steele did what he thought was right at the time. Steele also has/had a rep of a King referee which did him no favors.

 

Someone's woman mixes someone's drinks with a can of Red Devil Lye.

 

I don't think it would have made a difference. Steele's priority was the condition of the fighter.
In all honesty Taylor wasn't even really standing under his own power. He did climb to his feet but he was leaning hard on the corner post. Has Steele ask him to step forward Meldrick would have at least staggered.
I still can't comprehend Larry Merchant who was emotional and biased for the American fighter in the post fight interview essentially asking Richard Steele why he didn't cheat for the American Boxer.

 

Chavez wasnt in the neutral corner if Steele had looked back and see him and send him to the neutral corner that would take some seconds probably enough for Taylor to survive.

 

I wrote the script for this video. AMA.

 

I have to agree with you Flash24. No one fighters health is worth any amount of money. Getting ones brains scrambled just to satisfy some blood thirsty morbid fans is not cool. What about the aftermath? I believe that referee Richard Steele did call the stoppage right on March 17 1990. Let's say that Meldrick Taylor would have beaten the count against Julio Caesar Chavez, he still would have had some facial or internal injuries, or suppose a clot inside of his body gets loose in a later fight down the road. That is why there was a call for the banishment for boxing many times before that epic bout. Referees were hesitant to halt those type of fights when a boxer was obviously in distress, leading to a brain injury or in some instances possibly death, just to satisfy the fans gulping down their Suds and Hot Dogs. I like many am an avid boxing fan but not at the expense of another human beings life. Look at Taylor's injuries, fractured facial bones, and I am sure other injuries that were not visible. That is why there was a change in the amount of rounds in a championship bout, it was changed from 15 rounds to 12 rounds, safety precautions were also put in place for the safety of the fighter. Something to think about.

 

I think that Steele was in the right. Taylor was clearly out on his feet when Steele started doing the standing eight count. I feel awful for Meldrick, though, because this loss ruined him. He was never the same professionally or personally.

 

The shot wasn't that hard, but it's more of the accumulation of punishment Taylor had taken throughout the fight. And he was indeed out because he didn't respond to Steele's questions. He had no idea where he was.