If you were the ref...

one that springs to mind is that Tyson beat Douglas as there was a long count if that would have happened he would have remained heavyweight champ and not gone off the rails and wouldnt have started raping people and threatening people at pressers to 'eat their assholes alive'

 

I agree with the ref's judgement in Taylor-Chavez. You cannot be saved by the bell. Steele looked into Taylor's eyes and decided he's in no condition to continue, not even for one second or for the split second AFTER the ref makes the call, before the time keeper rings the bell.

This is the very reason Bute should've been stopped. He was in no condition for the ref to let him fight on. Since we all know, as well as the ref, that the bell was ready to sound as soon as, but not before the ref makes his decision, he just skipped to do the most critical part, which is to check Bute's condition, which was clear: standing, but completely out. Instead, he let the fight on, and only then, when Marlon Wright said 'box' (which he should've never said), the time keeper rang the bell.

I think Steele did the right thing, and the local Marlon Wright, the ref in all Bute titles fights, should've done the same.

 

i'd have let Kahn continue against Prescott

 

Taylor v. Chavez - the referee robbed Taylor. Very bad, unjust decision. The fight should never have been stopped.

Bute v. Andrade - the referee did the right thing not to stop the fight whilst Bute was still on his feet. After the KD, as soon as Bute got up, the bell should have ringed to signal the end of the fight. It didn't. Nothing the referee did, in these circumstances, could have been the right thing to do. However, the referee acted as if there was still time left in the round - he had no choice, nor knowledge that the fight was in fact over...because the timekeeper didn't ring the bell...Correct decision. Good refereeing.

...It's funny that BigBone and I completely disagree on these two fights. We never usually do...so this is an odd one...

...to me these two examples show the difference between a good referee and a poor referee. Wright had been a successful pro, and he knows where to draw the line in critical, difficult situations better than most. Richard Steele, however, despite his pro experience, doesn't.

A less experienced referee might have been tempted to stop Bute on his feet against Andrade, trying to "protect" him, for example. In the process, he'd have done a great injustice, given the course of the fight...but we only know that in hindsight. I'm sure Steele, for example, would have stopped Bute. Poor referee.

...When you're taking a life-and-death type beating, having laid it all on the line like Taylor did against Chavez, there can be nothing worse than to be robbed by a referee who is overly compassionate at the wrong time...the injustice is much worse than the beating you've taken...and instead of ending up with full glory, you're robbed of that too...and of the win as well...

...disgusting.

I remember, after the Bute v. Andrade fight asking sean about Taylor v. Chavez, exactly with this comparison in mind, and we both agreed that the referee had done a terribly bad thing stopping the fight like that...We both agree that Wright had sided with Bute at crucial times in the fight, sure, but we also agreed that the referee should not have stopped Bute on his feet, or waved it off right at the end.

...so...I'm happy with my stance on these two examples...

 

Yep.The devastasting Octavio Meyran chaos effect would have been curtailed,preventing all of Mikes future naughty behaviour.

 

Taking that fight away from Taylor was a crime.

 

People always take about how JMM could be undefeated but i have his career set and the ref robbed Julian Wheeler when he fought him. JMM had had 2 or 3 good rounds but for the most part lateral movement and a quick jab won him 7-8 rounds. Then with 10 seconds to go and a Wheeler or slightly wobblly legs who was clinching was stopped by the ref. He was ahead on the judges scorecards and he wasent to baddly hurt just wobbly. He deserved that win and god knows how JMM's career would have gone. This is a advantage to having a career set as most people don't see these fights. For example John John Molina could easily have gotten the decsion against Oscar de la Hoya

 

won Julian Wheeler 7 rounds, sorry

 

I actually agree with Steele on the stoppage, he asked Taylor "Are you alright?" He said nothing and was looking over to his corner for them to tell him how much time was left in the round or because maybe he was out on his feet and didnt want to continue. It dont matter how much time is left in the round, a fighters safety is most important and one or two more punches could of meant his life or career. It's just too bad Taylor is in such bad shape, it's pretty obvious he took one too many punches in his career.

The fight I probably wouldn't of stopped was the Vitali/Lewis match, it was for the championship of the world and Vitali wanted to continue. I think the fight was more and likely going to be over within the next couple rounds anyway, and people wouldn't be debating to this day who would of won if the fight was never stopped.

 

Punisher if u watch Legendary nights they say Taylor looked towards a cameraman who had gotten closer to the action.

 

No. If that were the case, as soon as you take a punch, you should be stopped, for your own safety. Better still, ban head shots, for the safety of the fighters.

In the Taylor v. Chavez fight, both fighters had taken a hell of a lot of punishment...so...why wasn't Chavez stopped as well, for his own safety, at some point?

When stakes are high and both put on a beating on each other, fairness becomes even more important than usual, because the stakes are higher. Suddenly, things are not just about safety and well-being. When they're daring to be great to that extent, reaching for glory, fairness becomes more important than usual.