Great A has posted some excellent photos in a fine thread started by Russell,the bottom photo shows Frazier about to hit the deck after sampling Foreman's bombs. My questions are was the fight stopped too late? Should Durham have thrown in the towel earlier? Should Mercante have intervened sooner? Would Eddie Futch have stopped it earlier? Harry Gibbs ,one of the UK's most respected refs was ringside ,in fact he was originally in the frame to referee the fight ,he did not get the call but received the same fee as Mercante. Gibbs in his autobioghraphy Seconds Out, recounts how ,after the fight he was in a restaruant with several British writers and Mercante,when Mercante asked him,in front of the press boys if he thought Mercante had stopped the fight too late,Gibbs says he was put on the spot ,but answered truthfully, yes ,he thought Mercante should have stepped in sooner,that he was several punches too late. Well, what do you think?
You can see that Foreman and his corner are asking the referee and Frazier's cornermen to stop the fight in this version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByNUWOtaa0
Youv'e come up trumps once again .A , you ae the Classic's Jim Jacobs! Foreman was quoted as saying something like "stop it I dont want to kill him". I think Mercante was a great referee, but maybe he could have intervened sooner?
First off, I have to say that the different angle on that video really shows how many blows were landing clean and flush when they didn't really look that way in the one I've been used to seeing... it makes me wince a bit thinking about just how much damage Frazier absorbed in that ring in less than two round. Mercante certainly could have, I think he was stunned by the speed with which Foreman was crushing Frazier and the ruthlessness with which it was being carried out. Which is why he probably let Frazier take too much punishment in this fight.
Thanks for the find. I think it was stopped at the right time because Frazier was a great champion, but what bothers me is that, right after what was the final blow, Mercante was still floundering and even Durham was still hesitant. This angle shows us Foreman properly demanding a stoppage, as his corner and even Dundee and Pacheco at ringside were screaming for. I've never really been impressed by Mercante, by the way. Too much theatrics, to me. Too little empathy. He was closest to the two men and should have realized Frazier was in deep jeopardy.
Frazier had a history of getting stunned early,I think Mercante wanted to give Joe every benefit of doubt,and after all,Joe was the undefeated champion.mercante also was probably in disbelief of what was happening,and kept expecting,Frazier to turn it around.Also,it was common Knowledge,Yank Durham loved Smokin Joe like a son,and woulda,shoulda stopped it before anyone.
