Fights where the cornermen did a bad job...

The worst example of this that I've ever seen was in the second Eubank-Watson fight. The referee literally had to walk Watson to the center of the ring to touch gloves at the start of the twelfth round. If your boxer is that out of it, the fight's over.

Somehow the ref missed that too, as he easily could have waved it off once he realized the state Watson was in. I realize that I have the benefit of hindsight but it seems like a call that would be pretty easy in real time as well.

 

I’m not up to speed on that - but if true, and of course I believe what you say/think Eddie - that sucks.

In equal proportion, I doubt she wanted her “fair share” of Evander’s accrued wear/tear from arduous training and the repeated head traumas he received throughout his career.

I’m sure he’d gladly impart some of that “wealth” to her to lighten his load.

 

duk koo kim's corner should NEVER have let him out for that round.

 

Didn't Golota's corner try to send him out against Tyson when he was injured and wanted out?

 

Absolutely Mike. Worst I ever saw was Charlie Nash cornering a lad called Steve Friel at Digbeth Civic Hall. Friel had been an All Ireland Finalist and had one win as a pro. In the other corner was Coventry's experienced and big punching Martin McGough.

Martin did an absolute job on the poor lad. We were yelling, "Stop it", at Syd Nathan as early as the third round. Nathan eventually waved it off with a few seconds to go before the end of the sixth and final round. Harry Mullan mentioned it in his editorial in the next week's Boxing News.

My feeling at the time and it's never diminished, was why didn't Charlie save the boy ? Nathan's argument was that Steve hadn't been on the deck. Fatuous !

The reason I remember it so well is that I went into the dressing room after the main event to congratulate my gym mates Kostas Petrou, for winning his final eliminator against Lloyd Christie, and Pat Cowdell, who had stopped Kevin Pritchard in Pat's comeback.

As I walked into the dressing room, Steve was coming out of the, "Away", room. The kid's face was purple. Ernie Fossey was there and was visibly shaken and distressed. I will never forget the tenderness in Ernie's voice when he asked, "Oh my God ! Are you alright boy".

Steve Friel, to my knowledge, never boxed again. It was brutal of Charlie to do that to the kid.

 

One old, well before most of us were born but I read about it in my Uncle Joe's scrapbooks. Ted Broadribb throwing poor Freddie Mills in round after round against Joe Baksi until Freddie had to quit as it seemed nobody had any interest in his wellbeing. As an afterthought, Bruce Woodcock's own Father was barely more compassionate letting his Son lose half his eyesight and risk his future against Baksi. Whitey Bimstein in Joe's corner was frightened that Woodcock would be killed.

More recently, although I have met the guy and like him, Gary Lockett really should have pulled Nick Blackwell out against young Chris Eubank. Nick's head was flying about like it was on elastic. I know those two were very close and I'm sure Nick was saying he was fine and don't you dare stop it but as an ex pro and a Champion, Gary should have known better.

 

Cornerman has a tough job he has to balance preservation of a fighters health AND preservation of a fighters career. As well as motivate, advise and fight for the fighter. A few fights that stand out to me as poor corner actions

Davey Moore vs Duran...he took a vicious beating and the ref was going to make sure Duran was on full display

Cotto vs Margarita 1....a lesser man would have been a ruined fighter as long as Cotto took the punishment

Duk Koo Kim-Mancini.....Kim faded dramatically and was getting beat up the last few rounds

McClellan vs Benn....There was something wrong with McC he was uncharacteristically sluggish as the fight went on and he told his corner something was wrong when it could have been caught

 

Frazier's in the thrilla, Frazier didn't want it stopped and there's a chance he would have finished Ali if Ali didn't quit, and they should have had the ice situation figured out

 

Ruiz's corner when they told him to destroy Tua's fists with the angles of his chin.

Rocky Balboa when he didn't "throw the damn towel" - damn, rest in peace Apollo Creed.

 

Never. The fight had turned all Ali and it's like a marathon runner collapsing after the finishing line. If they had to do another 1 km, they would but the mental sees the finishing line and gives up the ghost once the task is done.

 

1. Ali was never going to quit in Manila, no matter what Dave Wolf and others claimed, and if Futch had sent Frazier out for round 15 he’d have gotten hurt really badly.

2. The problem with Holmes-Ali was that Angelo really wasn’t “driving the car” to be able to make the call to stop it, Herbert Muhammad was, and Angelo stopped it as soon as Herbert gave him the sign.

 

I thought Ali himself said he told Dundee to cut his gloves off and Dundee refused, the main issue with Frazier was his eye swelling/inability to see and their ice packs had melted due to the heat

Some reports of the fight made it sound like Ali punched himself out trying to get a stoppage in 13-14, there's a good chance Frazier could have mustered up a finishing/winning left hook in 15 with his swelling under control