Was Lewis-McCall I stopped prematurely?

the stoppage was fine but i wish it had gone on so lewis could have gotten a worse ass kicking by a crack head than he did, we might have been spared his second (and third) reigns as champion...:!:

 

I thought Lennox deserved a chance to continue and try to compose himself, even if he didn't have it 100% together at that very moment. Most fighters don't have it 100% together after a knockdown, but if you can keep your compose you can survive, and if not the ref is still right there to jump in.

 

That's the thing: I wouldn't have problem with the stoppage were it not for the fact that many other champions have gotten passes far deeper into wars. At any rate, what's definite is that if this fight is to be held against Lewis's chin, then a lot of other heavyweight champions (Ali, Holmes, Louis, Holyfield etc.) should also have their "got up but were hurt" KD's held against them.

In the long run it helped Lewis because it inspired him to tighten up his game and change his trainer. He almost certainly wouldn't have been a great champ without the call.

 

I was 10 feet from them both on that night at wembley arena and McCall was so highly charged , i was very relieved when that fight was waved off..

Oliver would have hurt Lennox ...... very severely...

there was a lot of time left and they knew it..

Look at the corner.. Shand , Knight, everyone... they knew the right decision was made..

It was the best thing to happen to Lennox's career..

He became 10 times the fighter when the flaws were all brought to his attention and Correa was removed.. He took his game to a whole nother level..

rest is history........

 

Judging by the film, Lewis is pretty badly out of it when the fight is stopped; he lurches around unsteadily, he can't take two coordinated steps, he's doing about all he can to stand and put his gloves up, and he nearly falls on the ref while walking to him. I suppose it might not have been unreasonable for the ref to have, say, allowed them to resume and jumped in right away if it was obvious Lewis was helpless, but again, judging by his appearance as he's getting up and after it, I'd say that judgment was quite reasonable already, and that the stoppage almost certainly rescued him from having his brains splattered on the canvas within the next 15 seconds.