Sorry to harp on about them..... but British Refs

[forcefraser]

I watched a good fight the other night on Eurosport. It was a recorded welterweight fight between Antwone Smith and Henry Crawford.Smith is being touted for big things and Crawford is a very useful fighter who was unbeaten coming into the fight.

Crawford had a good few early rounds, then Smith started walking him down and had him in real trouble in the 6th (maybe 7th). Crawford was taking a pasting and his gloves were low. Looked like he was going to be knocked out. The ref let it go however and Crawford came back very well in the next two rounds, taking them both.

Smith finally got to him in the 9th and stopped him with a decent shot.

The fact was that had been in a British ring, Crawford would have been stopped after the first couple of punches. The ref in this fight did not let it go too far in my opinion and he gave Crawford (an unbeaten fighter) a decent chance to get back into it.

Wht can`t our ref`s start letting fights go a bit longer, as stopping things too early does not teach our prospects anything.

I was watching the fight thinking "He`s gonna stop this now" purely because I am so used to watching Friday Fight night and blokes being stopped for next to nothing.

[hurlock]

fighters are protected from themself's, the fact the ref aint letting them take a kicking with a chance of the other fighter tiring is long gone, so if you cant improve your skills find another way of paying your bills.
as for prospects, im glad the ref puts us out our misery, with outclassed bouts which tells us nothing.
dont get me wrong i love a good tear up but it has to be a see- saw battle.I mean who likes see'ing anyone getting hurt??

[DIRT SUGAR]

If I was a ref I'd rather get stick for stopping a fight too early than too late. No-one dies when they get stopped too early and it's less of a punishing defeat for the fighter too. He lives to fight another day.

And a guy who gets hurt, then carries on fighting with his hands by his side and keeps getting clocked (see aforementioned fight) then he has no reason to complain if he gets stopped really.

Roy Jones' last fight is a good example. I'll enever blame the ref for stopping it as he was closer to the action than me and Jones wasn't firing enough back. On the flip side, he could have let the wobbly Jones carry on and Green, a good finisher, may have absolutely flattened him.

It's not a fight to the death is it?

[dondada]

Britain has the best refs in the world. Like everyone else - you and me included - mistakes are occasionally made. But they are, thank god, as you say, mistakes erring on the side of caution.

Then again, not everyone was saying that when Mickey Vann refused the towel from Graham Earl's corner

[overhand_right]

British refs are all crooked - they stop fights early if the house fighter is on top, however when it's the other way round they afford the house fighter every opportunity.

I despite British refs with a passion, Terry O'Connor needs a life ban.

[J]

despite them? what despite them?

stupid comment you cant say all british refs are crooked you fool.

Thats bordering on refism.

Howard foster Richie davis and Ian jon lewis are all top blokes and top refs and NOT FOOKING CROOKED. I take umbrage that you infer they are.

Idiot.

[Asterix]

Then again, not everyone was saying that when Mickey Vann refused the towel from Graham Earl's corner

I thought Mickey Vann was fantastic in that fight. He's a very good referee, imo.

[alexpaterson]

Being a referee is the toughest job in boxing, stop it to early and you get criticised stop it too late and you get criticised. I think British ref's normally get it spot on in the bigger fights, but most of the times the prospect fights do get stopped a bit too soon

[jBacca]

Dave Parris and Terry O'Connor are awful and need to be binned off.

[taffytoon]

British refs are all crooked - they stop fights early if the house fighter is on top, however when it's the other way round they afford the house fighter every opportunity.

I despite British refs with a passion, Terry O'Connor needs a life ban.

As above what is Despite?

Regarding your statement that all British refs are Crooked

defamation of character is illegal even on an internet forum

[Smigga]

Referees have a really difficult job. I don't like the fact they have to judge fights in non-title and English title fights, as it adds to an already difficult job in my opinion.

But.... They can never win to be honest, they stop a fight too early and they're called crooks and they stop it too late and they're barbaric.

British refs, 99%, are on the ball and do an excellent job in my opinion. There's one or two like in any walk of life that are in that other 1% but all in all they definitely earn their wages.
Keep stopping the fights too early 'cos it's a lot better for boxing than a late, late one

[hurlock]

agree with the judging 100% the ref has a very important job to do,& they are under emmense pressure & cant judge clearly.ive spoke to larry o'connell & roy francis imo are best refs ever with howard foster cut from the same mold, & they have said they hate judging as it dont go hand in hand when they have a job to do, but i suppose it save's on fee's.

[jonny]

If I was a ref I'd rather get stick for stopping a fight too early than too late. No-one dies when they get stopped too early and it's less of a punishing defeat for the fighter too. He lives to fight another day.

And a guy who gets hurt, then carries on fighting with his hands by his side and keeps getting clocked (see aforementioned fight) then he has no reason to complain if he gets stopped really.

Roy Jones' last fight is a good example. I'll enever blame the ref for stopping it as he was closer to the action than me and Jones wasn't firing enough back. On the flip side, he could have let the wobbly Jones carry on and Green, a good finisher, may have absolutely flattened him.

It's not a fight to the death is it?

X2

[dondada]

Terry O'Connor actually reffed Fury-McDermott well, you know. 'Twas only the scorecard that was poor.

Ridiculous, insulting and indeed, defamatory to say they're crooked.

[Asterix]

Terry O'Connor actually reffed Fury-McDermott well, you know. 'Twas only the scorecard that was poor.

Ridiculous, insulting and indeed, defamatory to say they're crooked.

O'Connor also refereed Khan vs Prescott, and I feel he let that go on too long. Khan was obviously gone from the first knock down.

[dondada]

Terry O'Connor actually reffed Fury-McDermott well, you know. 'Twas only the scorecard that was poor.

Ridiculous, insulting and indeed, defamatory to say they're crooked.

O'Connor also refereed Khan vs Prescott, and I feel he let that go on too long. Khan was obviously gone from the first knock down.

Aye, you could be right. But don't you agree every ref, whoever they are, will have a few of these in their locker? Some more than most, of course.

[Asterix]

O'Connor also refereed Khan vs Prescott, and I feel he let that go on too long. Khan was obviously gone from the first knock down.

Aye, you could be right. But don't you agree every ref, whoever they are, will have a few of these in their locker? Some more than most, of course.

I do. However, I also believe that if the boxers' roles were reversed in that bout it would have been stopped sooner.

Terry O'Connor was also the referee for Calzaghe vs Manfredo. And it shows a complete reversal of Khan vs Prescott, but still in the home town fighter's favour. From all the fights I've seen I can't accept it being a coincidence.

[Deno1986]

Terry O'Connor actually reffed Fury-McDermott well, you know. 'Twas only the scorecard that was poor.

Ridiculous, insulting and indeed, defamatory to say they're crooked.

O'Connor also refereed Khan vs Prescott, and I feel he let that go on too long. Khan was obviously gone from the first knock down.

yep I agree, I think if it had of been Prescott that went down he would have been stopped after first knockdown but I think all refs, not just O'Connor, give the home fighter a extra opportunity to sort themselves out. I guarantee it that if Terry had of stopped it after the first knockdown there would have been gombines on this forum saying he stopped it to early and Khan would have came back and outboxed Prescott

[jonny]

The referee is never right in any sport, no matter what decision they make theres always plenty to say they got it wrong..

[dondada]

O'Connor also refereed Khan vs Prescott, and I feel he let that go on too long. Khan was obviously gone from the first knock down.

Aye, you could be right. But don't you agree every ref, whoever they are, will have a few of these in their locker? Some more than most, of course.

I do. However, I also believe that if the boxers' roles were reversed in that bout it would have been stopped sooner.

Terry O'Connor was also the referee for Calzaghe vs Manfredo. And it shows a complete reversal of Khan vs Prescott, but still in the home town fighter's favour. From all the fights I've seen I can't accept it being a coincidence.

Yep, totally understand.