Chavez-Taylor.

[SNG]

Just watched it again.

What do people think, should he have been allowed to continue given than he'd have made it out of the round given the time left, or had Chavez earned the stoppage given Taylor wasn't in a fit state to continue?

Should a ref take the time left into consideration or should he stop a fighter when he's not fit to continue regardless of what time is left?

It seems an obvious answer to me, but Chavez-Taylor is still a big talking point twenty odd years on.

[cocka09]

You can make good arguments for both sides. Obviously, you can't really slate a ref for trying to protect a fighter who was in serious trouble. But then again, with only seconds left could any more damage have been done? I don't even think Chavez could have gotten across the ring in time. I think the final bell should have been allowed to sound.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

One of the biggest robberies in Boxing history. Total bullshit, great comeback from Julio but he fell short.

[BoxBuzz]

Saad...I agree with you. Big robbery.

[witherspoon]

I think that the Chavez legacy would have been better served if the bell had been rung to end that fight.

I have always argued that he earned the stoppage and deserved the win, mostly out of loyalty to my early years man-crush on Julio. But his rep is slightly tainted in my eyes after the bitching and whining following his defeat to Frankie Randall.
I'm sure he would have complained the same had he lost to Taylor, but he would probably have crushed Taylor in a quickly arranged rematch.

[BoxBuzz]

I think that the Chavez legacy would have been better served if the bell had been rung to end that fight.

I have always argued that he earned the stoppage and deserved the win, mostly out of loyalty to my early years man-crush on Julio. But his rep is slightly tainted in my eyes after the bitching and whining following his defeat to Frankie Randall.
I'm sure he would have complained the same had he lost to Taylor, but he would probably have crushed Taylor in a quickly arranged rematch.

It's really one of those rare moments where a fighter (Chavez) loses the "fight". But wins the "war". Taylor was defeated in a big way in that event and was never the same again. When it comes to the technical scoring of the rounds that they engaged in....Taylor should have been given the fight. A very strange set of circumstances.

[Broomhall]

It is a difficult one to call but I think overall Taylor was robbed. This thing about him not being the same afterwards, it is strange the effect that a loss can have on someones psyche. If Taylor had survived and won I think his psychology after this fight would have been completely different.

[witherspoon]

It is a difficult one to call but I think overall Taylor was robbed. This thing about him not being the same afterwards, it is strange the effect that a loss can have on someones psyche. If Taylor had survived and won I think his psychology after this fight would have been completely different.

Exactly this thought crossed my mind when I was considering a quick return fight. My feeling is that the damage he took against Chavez was responsible for his decline thereafter, which is undoubtedly true, to some extent. But your post made me think again.

Taylor took some beatings against Norris and Espana, and if I remember correctly, his first fight back after Chavez against Mando Ramos was no walk in the park (but maybe that's just another indicator of how much the Chavez fight took out of him, he beat Ramos more easily when they fought previously. I'm leaning back to my original position now).

[Aftermath]

Once again...Richard Steele made the right call. There was no robbery. Meldrick Taylor displayed all the signs of a fighter who was knocked out on his feet within the scheduled rounds. It happens.

Chavez didn't accidentally knock Taylor down with one punch at the end of the fight. Meldrick threw a lot of combinations that missed and barely left a scratch on Chavez, while Chavez brutally beat the heck out of Taylor for 12 rounds. Taylor was knocked out before the fight ended. It happens.

[Ambling Alp II]

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor. Taylor had his head turned because he was distracted by his trainer yelling at him.
Steele was a good ref at one time, but later became horrible. He didn't even look at Ruddock in the first Tyson-Ruddock fight that he stopped.
Yet he let the complete one-sided beatdown by Tate against Olajide go the entire 15 rounds.

[Aftermath]

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor. Taylor had his head turned because he was distracted by his trainer yelling at him.
Steele was a good ref at one time, but later became horrible. He didn't even look at Ruddock in the first Tyson-Ruddock fight that he stopped. Yet he let the complete one-sided beatdown by Tate against Olajgo the entire 15 rounds.

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor??? He was 2 inches from his face with his eyes wide open. Taylor didn't put his hands up in the ready position, but held on to the ropes with both hands to hold himself up. This is clearly evident by the way his legs were wobbling underneath him. He would surely have fallen by himself if the ropes weren't used to hold him up. Earlier in the round he indeed fell by himself by throwing a swing and a miss, emphasizing his weary body and unsteady legs. Meldrick said afterwards that he didn't remember Steele asking him anything after the knockout. That being the case, then truly Taylor was knocked out on his feet. It's not the first time it's ever happened.

Even Taylor's cornermen knew their fighter was a hurt and beaten man. They told him he needed the last round to win the fight. Lou Duva and George Benton, along with Steele, saw up close more than anybody, the trouble and beaten condition Taylor was in. Steele saw a man who was knocked out on his feet within the scheduled rounds and made the right call.

[Giancarlo]

I'd rather a fight was stopped one punch too early rather than one punch too late.

Though, in this case, I've always thought the stoppage was spot on.

[BoxBuzz]

He was a beaten man, who won that fight, and was arguably robbed by the ref's decision.

It's a rather one of a kind event.

[Aftermath]

Chavez won the the war and with his arm raised in victory, while Taylor was carried out on a stretcher, won the fight justifiably.

[jackclem]

.....chavez couldn't have got to him before the bell rang.....but referees aren't time keepers and he a looking at a damage fighter and i think he was right in stopping it...

[Datsue]

.....chavez couldn't have got to him before the bell rang.....but referees aren't time keepers and he a looking at a damage fighter and i think he was right in stopping it...

This is my position also. Though I can see why it inspires such vociferousness in the other direction.

As long as it's still a sport, you stop that fight when one boy's taken enough, rather than going, "Oh yeah, he can't continue, the boy's fucked, but ah well, let's not stop it, time's about to run out..."

But like I said, I can see why it inspires vociferousness to this day.

Still one of my favourite, favourite fights ever. It would make a (non-partisan, even-handed & utterly tragic, for both fellas, with Chavez always seemingly a bit weird about being beaten afterwards & Taylor fvcked for life) film about it.

But I'm kinda glad no-one has, because I don't trust the collaborative nature of film-making for important subjects such as this & also depictions of proper boxing are always bollocks in films. So. You know.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The timing was just fortunate for Steele, he was there to collect a check and managed to cash in with 2 seconds left.

The ref is absolutely supposed to be aware of the time. No question about it. Anyway, nobody will ever change their minds on this one. Those of you that are wrong will always be wrong, those of you that think taylor got screwed will always be right.

[evrenb]

I find the pro chavez guys say it was a good stoppage...the pro taylor call it an outrage!! Fair??

[drunkenpiper36]

Watched that fight live and round by round when I was fifteen years old. I started off cheering for Chavez, but as the fight went on began rooting for Taylor. I felt sorry for Meldrick after that tremendous performance. Steele should have given him a chance, but as he said " I'm not the time keeper" and Taylor was really in bad shape in the end.

[Ambling Alp II]

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor. Taylor had his head turned because he was distracted by his trainer yelling at him.
Steele was a good ref at one time, but later became horrible. He didn't even look at Ruddock in the first Tyson-Ruddock fight that he stopped. Yet he let the complete one-sided beatdown by Tate against Olajgo the entire 15 rounds.

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor??? He was 2 inches from his face with his eyes wide open. Taylor didn't put his hands up in the ready position, but held on to the ropes with both hands to hold himself up. This is clearly evident by the way his legs were wobbling underneath him. He would surely have fallen by himself if the ropes weren't used to hold him up. Earlier in the round he indeed fell by himself by throwing a swing and a miss, emphasizing his weary body and unsteady legs. Meldrick said afterwards that he didn't remember Steele asking him anything after the knockout. That being the case, then truly Taylor was knocked out on his feet. It's not the first time it's ever happened.

Even Taylor's cornermen knew their fighter was a hurt and beaten man. They told him he needed the last round to win the fight. Lou Duva and George Benton, along with Steele, saw up close more than anybody, the trouble and beaten condition Taylor was in. Steele saw a man who was knocked out on his feet within the scheduled rounds and made the right call.

Taylor was not looking at Steele; his head was turned. He may never have heard Steele talking with Duva screaming and the crowd noise. Steele should have made eye contact. Steele stopped fight whenever he had the whim; you can guess why and when.
To me the perfect example is the Olajide-Tate fight. (I may be the only person who has ever seen it even though it was on network TV. )Tate just hammered Olajide over and over and Steele let it continue for 15 rounds when Olajide has absolutely no chance. It was much worse than Chavez-Taylor. Yet Steele let it go on.

[drunkenpiper36]

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor. Taylor had his head turned because he was distracted by his trainer yelling at him.
Steele was a good ref at one time, but later became horrible. He didn't even look at Ruddock in the first Tyson-Ruddock fight that he stopped. Yet he let the complete one-sided beatdown by Tate against Olajgo the entire 15 rounds.

Steele didn't even look straight at Taylor??? He was 2 inches from his face with his eyes wide open. Taylor didn't put his hands up in the ready position, but held on to the ropes with both hands to hold himself up. This is clearly evident by the way his legs were wobbling underneath him. He would surely have fallen by himself if the ropes weren't used to hold him up. Earlier in the round he indeed fell by himself by throwing a swing and a miss, emphasizing his weary body and unsteady legs. Meldrick said afterwards that he didn't remember Steele asking him anything after the knockout. That being the case, then truly Taylor was knocked out on his feet. It's not the first time it's ever happened.

Even Taylor's cornermen knew their fighter was a hurt and beaten man. They told him he needed the last round to win the fight. Lou Duva and George Benton, along with Steele, saw up close more than anybody, the trouble and beaten condition Taylor was in. Steele saw a man who was knocked out on his feet within the scheduled rounds and made the right call.

Taylor was not looking at Steele; his head was turned. He may never have heard Steele talking with Duva screaming and the crowd noise. Steele should have made eye contact. Steele stopped fight whenever he had the whim; you can guess why and when.
To me the perfect example is the Olajide-Tate fight. (I may be the only person who has ever seen it even though it was on network TV. )Tate just hammered Olajide over and over and Steele let it continue for 15 rounds when Olajide has absolutely no chance. It was much worse than Chavez-Taylor. Yet Steele let it go on.

You think DK had influence over Steele?

[Ambling Alp II]

It certainly wouldn't be surprising, but I can't say that for sure. Steele was certainly a referee who became bad.

[Aftermath]

You know when someone is screaming in your face no matter where you're at. Meldrick Taylor was knocked out and his own comments proved it.

[Aftermath]

Steele helping out King is a myth perpetuated on internet forums and started on HBO's Legendary Nights by Lou Duva who also blatantly lied about what he told Taylor before the last round.

If he was there for King, Steele sure did let Taylor get away with lots of low blows. By Duva's own admission, all those low blows by Taylor were intentional.

Fabricated myths and excuses don't change the fact that Taylor was knocked out by Chavez.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I see that you're clearly talking about the rematch. Yes, Chavez stopped him there.