Tyson v Ruddock 1 - a fair stoppage?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by fists of fury, Jul 25, 2007.


  1. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Thanks to the wonderful invention that is youtube, I finally got to see the one of very few Tyson fights I have not yet seen.

    If one remembers, this stoppage by Richard Steele was seen as very controversial, and for years afterward Steele had to endure catcalls of "Stop the fight Richard!"
    Having read pages and pages of peoples' opinions over the years, my verdict is that the stoppage was premature.

    Tyson hit Ruddock with a left hook which wobbled him, and a right, a left and another right (all of which were not well-timed and were grazing) had Donovan reeling into the ropes. At that point Steele, not even bothering to look at Ruddock, stops Tyson in his tracks and waves it off.
    My gut feeling is that Ruddock was finished at that point, but surely he should have been given the benefit of the doubt here? I mean, a man does have the right to try and defend himself surely? As a matter of fact, Tyson should have been given the chance to end the fight convincingly, no?

    What are your feelings on the matter?
     
  2. My dinner with Conteh

    My dinner with Conteh Tending Bepi Ros' grave again Full Member

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    Awful stoppage. Typical Steele-King shenanigans.
     
  3. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    You can never have an awful stoppage when a fight is stopped too soon IYO. Steele has the most important '0' in boxing: no ring deaths on his shift...

    As this fight showed, nobody lost out, both made good money in a rematch.
     
  4. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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  5. ChrisPontius

    ChrisPontius March 8th, 1971 Full Member

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    That stoppage was even more premature than the 'stoppage' that happened during the first time i got laid.

    I thought the other often-discussed stoppage of Steele was rightful, though.
     
  6. Holmes' Jab

    Holmes' Jab Master Jabber Full Member

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    Agree with the above posters, pretty poor stoppage. Despite saying that Razor didn't really show enough that he was fighting back/defending himself, though. I don't think Ruddock seemed to be too hurt at the time the fight was stopped. Would Ruddock have weathered the storm had he been allowed to continue? I suppose unless you let him do so you'll never know. Personally I would have given him that chance, though I'm sure Stelle took his decision on safety ground.


    Ironically I watched the rematch for the first time in ages last night. It was a very goog slug-fest that fight, high octane stuff. Tyson won the early rounds and Ruddock didn't start that well, he seemed on the edge of defeat a few times when Tyson knocked him down in the second fourth, but Mike just failed to find the shots to finish it.

    The fight became alot more even entering the mid-rounds, Ruddock gained a foothold was alot more successful with his jab, catching Tyson clean on more than a few occasions with hooks and disrupting his rythmn. What impressed me most was Tysons chin, some of the shots we walked through were chilling. The low blow decuctions certainly made thing interesting and depite being floored again Razor fought on gamely to the end. This fight proved two things: the resiliance of Tyson chin and Ruddocks heart.

    How did you score the rematch?
     
  7. MrFoFody

    MrFoFody Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I though it was fair. Tyson had Ruddock reeling from quite a few unanswered power shots and all Ruddock was able to do is flail his arms around. Sure it may have been a little premature but the end was near. Ruddock wasn't complaining at the time of the stoppage in fact, he congratulated tyson with a hug.
     
  8. DamonD

    DamonD Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Ruddock slumped right back against the ropes, but I could contend that he had an odd habit of completely wiping out whenever he got knocked down anyway so Steele probably should've allowed for that. Look at the knockdowns against, say, Bonecrusher and Morrison and you'd think he'd never get up from those. But he did. The fact he could immediately look at Steele and protest showed there was no slowing of his mental faculties.

    So I feel it's a premature stoppage because of that...Ruddock had commedable recuperation powers.
     
  9. My dinner with Conteh

    My dinner with Conteh Tending Bepi Ros' grave again Full Member

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    So weaver-Dokes was an ok stoppage. Why not stop Snipes and Holmes? Castillo-Corrales, etc etc? Maybe when Louis went down to Braddock they should've called it off? Clay-Cooper?
     
  10. Ted Stickles

    Ted Stickles Boxing Addict Full Member

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    What he said.........:good
     
  11. Doppleganger

    Doppleganger Southside Slugger Full Member

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    It's a shame. I used to rate Steele as one of the best but he's had too many dodgy decisions on his record now, of which this fight was one. I'm not even gonna mention the fight that should not be mentioned..




    Oh, ok then, Chavez vs Taylor. :p Actually though, that stoppage for which Steele is much maligned for was more genuine than the Tyson Ruddock IMO.
     
  12. Sonny's jab

    Sonny's jab Guest

    It was a bad stoppage.

    I defend stoppages such as Tyson-Carl Williams and Lewis-McCall 1, which others call premature, because I think the ref had to make a judgment call on a risen fighter and the fighter reacted all ****ed up. But Ruddock was not getting hammered more than he had been in early moments of the fight, and he'd fired back in time on those occasions. I think he wasn't really given a chance to do that.
     
  13. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Both made good money in a rematch, that is at the end of the day what many fighters quite rightly worry about.

    It is much better to stop a fight 10 punches too early, than one too late IMO.
     
  14. josak

    josak Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Bad stoppage, but Ruddock was screwed anyway. He was wobbled pretty badly. Mike would of been all over him.
     
  15. My dinner with Conteh

    My dinner with Conteh Tending Bepi Ros' grave again Full Member

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    Oh, so Weaver was ok about it was he? They couldn't have called a rematch had it gone over four rounds or something? And what about the punters? Don't they count now. :huh