Tyson vs Douglas - the ref should have counted Douglas out

I think it was Mills Lane who said it: its the referee's count, not the timekeeper, nor the Timex watch nor the commentators, nor even the fighter's own, counts that count. So, so long as the ref did not get to ten, the fight is still on.

 

Unfortunately you’re spot on. As much as I wanted to make the long count a legitimate reason for Tyson’s defeat, even back then in my rabid, fanatical Tyson phase, I really couldn’t.
Douglas simply took advantage of the ref’s count, and took his time. I suspect if the count was fast, Buster would have got to his feet quick sharp!

 

I doubt most 10 counts are spot on 10 seconds. Douglas took a great shot & fell like a sack of spuds, but he immediately smacked the canvas with his fist in disgust & looked like he could get up straight away. It's the fighters job to follow the refs count, which he did.

 

Douglas looked fine after the first few seconds imo.

 

You keep embarrassing me, I'm gonna make you bounce just as hard as the check.

 

Tyson shouldn't of gotten dropped either but it happened and Douglas was just the better fighter that night. I get liking Mike as a fighter he has a legion of fans but he was/is a grown man that should b held accountable for his own flaws like anyone else. Not Douglas fault he was the only person prepared that night he was arguably the biggest underdog in sports that overcame the odds.

 

Ten count not ten second count.

The refs give the fighters the benefit of the doubt to get up. It would be incredibly lame to stop fights because it took 0.1 seconds longer for a fighter that is fine to continue. Tyson would have got exactly the same treatment but he was completely out of it.

 

Another excuse thread.

Douglas got up based on the ref's count FFS. Had the ref counted slightly quicker, Douglas would have gotten up a bit earlier. He wasn't badly hurt. It made absolutely no difference to the result of the fight.

It was only the other day that I rewatched the fight in full. Douglas was fantastic that night. His performance is the stuff of legend.

 

Wilder--Fury was noticeably worse.

 

No disrespect but isolated examination and criticism of Meyran’s count often invites wayward claims of being pro Tyson and/or wanting the outcome changed.

There are also implications that it’s being claimed that Douglas was somehow at fault for being the mere recipient of a long count.

At least as it pertains to me, those assumptions don’t apply. But I do understand that many people don't want Boxing's greatest upset tainted in any way, shape or form. I get that.

Does anyone have the exact wording re authority and execution of the 10 count?

We all understand that the rules empower the ref with the application of “a” 10 count upon a KD.

Thereafter, from one ref to another, the execution of that count is inequitably arbitrary.

Someone new to boxing might fairly ask “How long is a 10 count?” You might have to answer them with “Well, how long is a piece of string?”.

I think there’s reasonable evidence to show that a ref does intend and try to keep his human meter to real time seconds.

Let’s suppose a ref drags his count out to a real 20 seconds. Would people then uniformly complain about that?

Based on the belief that a count is however a ref chooses to toll it (read: the acceptance that the ref is a law unto himself in that regard), those defending the ref’s autonomy in Tokyo could not complain about a real time count of 20 seconds - their own rationale right here, actually doesn’t allow for a complaint.

Was Foreman given the benefit of the doubt by Zack Clayton and his applied count? I timed George to be down for 10.5 seconds but the vision is incomplete in so far as determining exactly when Foreman’s gloves left the canvas.

Note the television timer for the round also. According to that timer, the round barely ended after or even upon Foreman rising. However, BoxRec lists that the fight officially ended at 2:58 - which should mean that Clayton finished his count exactly as at the time, 2’secs prior to the finish of the round.

At any rate, I can’t recall if counting after the bell was in force or not for Ali v Foreman.

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In fight 1, round 12, Fury went down at 2:23 (clock having counted down from 3;00). He was up at 2:13, but then the referee's checks allowed for another 12 seconds before the fight was waved back on as at 2:01 on the countdown timer. So, from the moment Fury hit the deck until the fight was waved back on, 22 seconds had elapsed.

 

Reiss coached Fury to his feet.

 

Not disagreeing but how so?

 

It's funny how Mike himself and some of his fanatics still use that excuse to this day.

 

I thought he said "Come on, Tyson" or something like that, but he didn't.

It's not so bad now that I see the replay, but Reiss made questionable comments about how he wouldn't stop the fight bc Fury was a champion before and after. He also counted right in a guy's face who was on his back with closed eyes, which is a little weird.

Serious question: What were some other instances of a ref getting down on his knees to issue a count right in a fighter's face?