Man this guy knows how to keep the fight going. Won't tolerate hugging, makes them fight out of clinches. English fans would cry wolf so hard if this was Mayweather/Hatton fight, like they did when what's-his-name wouldn't let Hatton wrestle. Anyway, we need more referees like Smoger.
Best referee in boxing, hands down. He lets the fighters fight and in stead of breaking them up he makes the fighters punch themselves out of the clinches.
Terrible stoppage from Smoger though. THe man let Taylor and Pavlik 1 go on with more damage done than the stoppage he allowed in the Malinaggi/Khan fight, he must know Paulie personally.
much respect to steve smoger. he's a very very good referee. he and bayless are pure class. and paulie just gave his interview...class interview. respect paulie
Man, even Paulie didn't have a problem with the stoppage. If I was a sadist I'd want this fight to continue, but as a boxing fan I didn't wanna see a fighter get hurt for no reason.
Khan was just pecking away relentlessly at Paulie. Good stoppage because Malignaggi had no chance at winning and would only have taken more shots. Fantastic tache too.
smoger did his job. there is no comparison w/ pav/taylor. actually, if there is a beef w/ a smoger/pav fight it was with stopping the miranda fight when miranda was badly hurt so edison could get his mouthpiece back in. smoger was in complete control. did the right thing by calling time to let paulie get a once over, was vocal about what he wanted and when he didnt get it stopped the fight. a championship caliber ref for a championship fight. textbook.
