I know the dynamics potentially change in some bouts (but not all no doubt) but imagine the implications. Holmes would have likely? have been defeated by Shavers and Snipes. Many great comebacks would have been foiled. Many, many fights would have ended sooner. Clay - Cooper takes on a different look. Foreman - Lyle. Louis would have had some interesting ones. What fights come to mind?
Very interesting thread idea. The amount of fights that could've changed as a result is quite large, really. I'll think on it.
I'm trying to come up with something original and fresh. There's not much that hasn't been done and done again in here by now i'd reckon.
Perhaps most significantly, Benn is beaten by McLellan and his health is spared. Moore loses to Durelle and Marquez is taken out in one by Pacquiao in their first fight, destroying the greatest comeback in history and modern boxing's second greatest rivalry (after Marquez-Vasquez). Hamed-Kelley?
Would probably stop the controversy around the Chavez Taylor fight as Taylor would have been KOed surely? Diego Corrales would not have been able to celebrate his famous comeback win vs Castillo as he was all over the place with the 1st knockdown and Castillo would have got the job done, especially with the gumshield not buying him any more time.
Every fight where one man gets up from a solid hard knockdown on really shaky legs because an immediate second knockdown would seem inevitable.
The standover rule clearly benifited explosive fighters. It totally suited Dempsey - maybe some of his victims could have weathered the initial storm if the had an extra few seconds recovery time on their feet and gave him hell later in the fight. A fight like Foreman v Stewart illustrates this. If Foreman could have stood over Stewart it would of been a first round blow out - Holyfield may never have lost to Moorer and be 2-1 over Bowe. To me the ruling really changes the nature of who and what style of boxer becomes the champion