The top ten referees throughout boxing history.

I'm kinda cynical about the International Boxing Hall of Fame. I mean, I love that it exists, I love that it brings boxing people & fans together every year, and I love that it honors boxers and people in the sport. But it is a hall of FAME, and I'm not sure that any of these guys, as good as they were, were famous enough to be inducted. Maybe Mitch Halpern. I can see others - Mercante Sr., Mills Lane, etc. - being famous enough to get in, but not this group. Nothing against them, they're just not famous.

 

No it wouldn't. The ref won't have the right to stop the fight unless the guy is KO'd / unconscious. Otherwise, no matter how hard he gets pummeled, the ref has no right to intervene (assuming that is what one of the boxers agreed beforehand).

The other boxer has no right to protest since he wasn't willing to die like the first one.

No it isn't, you only have 4 potential scenarios:
1. boxer A is willing to die in the ring, boxer B isn't
2. boxer B is willing to die in the ring, boxer A isn't
3. both are willing to die in the ring
4. neither is willing to die in the ring

 

Thank you! One last quickie on the Hall of Fame: do you see a trainer such as Roger Bloodworth getting inducted ever? Is he famous enough? I think he has a decent shot.

 

My first instinct would be to say probably not. But that begs the question, what trainers have been inducted already? I honestly don't know. Eddie Futch? Angelo Dundee? George Benton? Emmanuel Steward? Ray Arcel? If those guys aren't in, I wouldn't think Roger Bloodworth would be.

 

So all of the men you mention are inducted in Canastota indeed.

 

Speaking of stains on boxing history, do you think there's few people who are more of a stain on the sport than Golota?

 

Than Golota? Oh, I see nothing wrong with him. All he did was short-circuit his own career, that's his thing. Ruby Goldstein was a sadist that got people killed. Big difference.

 

Stanley Christodoulou, anyone? He's in the IBHOF. Some of his fights:

Thomas Hearns v Pipino Cuevas

Aaron Pryor v Alexis Argüello (First bout)

Marvin Hagler v Roberto Durán

Victor Galindez v Richie Kates

 

Certainly. What I meant by Golota is that he's widely known as "The Foul Pole" who disgraced himself and the sport by that infamous "Riot" after which there was boxing banned at Madison Square Garden for a couple years if I'm not mistaken. Plus his other mishaps which resulted in some of the most controversial moments in fight history.

 

Sure, but I mean, look at someone like Fritzie Zivic. Filthy, filthy fighter yet we look at him with starry-eyed remembrance or romanticise him, largely based on what a foul little beast he was. Not sure how different Golota is. He was nowhere near as good mind you, but.....

 

Steve Smoger is the best in the business.

 

Did you ever consider that maybe you are too weak mentally ?!? Cause you seem to act like a sissy girl.
I never hurt an animal in my life, I had a great childhood and nobody ever picked on me at school.
My point is very simple: many boxers have been waved off prematurely. So to avoid that, boxers could signs a piece of paper in which they say they do not want that and that they are willing to accept the potential consequences, therefore absolving the ref of any blame. Those that are not willing to accept potential consequences will not sign it.
For example, after the rematch with Fury, Wilder said he was willing to go out on his shield and that he did not want to be waved off. His chances might have been very slim, but it was his decision to make.

 

The whole point was to let them choose. Many are going to pick something between the extremes, if the choice is get stopped if you're a bit stunned, when you don't want to be, so then you have to choose to agree to let yourself get beaten to death, that's hardly a free and fair choice, and I'm pretty sure wouldn't hold up at all legally.

Turning the sport into one where you have to sign to allow the ref to not intervene if you're getting beaten to death, in order not be at a major disadvantage is the sort of thing that'd get boxing banned.