How does this work? I don't understand where this rule would be used or how it is applicable. Forgive my ignorance, I don't think I have ever even seen one. If a fighter is getting his ass handed to him but is still standing wouldn't the ref be more likely to just stop the fight and call it a TKO? Also, is this rule used in only some states/countries or do the different sanctioning bodies decide whether or not it is used? 99% of the time the rules specify no standing 8 count, but surely it is allowed in some places. I feel like a dumb **** asking this but its always confused me. What big fights have featured standing 8 counts? I wanna look it up on youtube...
If a fighter reels from a big shot and looks like he's about to fall but then covers up against the ropes, that would be a typically appropriate situation for the ref to step in and administer one when allowed by jurisdictional governance. That, or a glove touching the canvas (obviously it counts as a knockdown, but it would be silly to do a traditional ten count where the fighter beats it by simply rising...since he never came off his feet with just the glove touching down. The referee uses the eight or fewer seconds of the count to determine how hurt the fighter is and whether he can or should continue). Or flash knockdowns where the fighter pops right back up to his feet and, again, a traditional ten count beaten by rising would be inappropriate. It's a bit archaic and not used as often these days, and I don't think they were ever extremely common. They are used more in the amateurs.
It has always been quite common, but after they decided to implement "unified rules" into boxing the rule isn't used as much anymore. It's still used quite often in Europe (UK, Germany) and in amateur boxing though. It is used to give a buzzed fighter who is still on his feet (for instance because he's tangled up in the ropes and can't fall down) time to recover and it counts like a knockdown. edit: It was in the UK... Seen it plenty of times.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6j__ZN3q2I[/ame] scroll to 1:30 fighter refuse to fight and bow,got 8 standing count twice
