Premature stoppages in british boxing

[Ettt9350]

Why is it that fights in Britain seem to be stopped much earlier than they would over in America? Are British referees working under different rules or guidelines compared to their American counterparts?

[Rexob]

I'm all for premature stoppages gives the boxers a better chance of having a longer careers and potentially lucrative return matches.

[Ettt9350]

I'm all for premature stoppages gives the boxers a better chance of having a longer careers and potentially lucrative return matches.

Would you agree that premature stoppages have many times robbed paying fans of seeing a definitive conclusion to a fight?

[Parson Cross]

How about we throw a Lion in as well and go back to Roman times ?
Where is your evidence to substantiate Americans let fights go longer ?

[Broomhall]

In every sport in every country there will be controversial decisions. One mans premature stoppage is another mans wrong red card. Its all an opinion made in a split second. You need to provide the stats and evidence behind the claim.

We have hours and endless video replays to go over things. Refs dont.

I am more concerned about fights stopped late than early to be honest.

[crusader]

I'm all for premature stoppages gives the boxers a better chance of having a longer careers and potentially lucrative return matches.

Should a stoppage be considered premature if you're 'all for it'?

I believe quick stoppages can also damage someone's marketability, hurt their rankings, impair their confidence/desire to continue fighting, and if such stoppages became more tolerated it could encourage biased officiating, as it would legitimize a tool for favoring certain boxers. Additionally, if stopping fights hastily becomes a standard (which again raises the semantical issues of whether these stoppages would actually be premature), I think the sense of unfairness that could be used to help promote 'potentially lucrative return matches' would diminish, such that instead of a Froch-Groves like stoppage generating debate that boosts the hype for a return, it would more likely be accepted as within the confines of standard officiating and interpreted as a legitimate ending.

Would you also defend stopping a bout on the first occasion that a boxer shows any sign of being hurt? After all, a stoppage in that case would lead to them taking fewer blows and that in turn may lead to a longer career.

How about we throw a Lion in as well and go back to Roman times ?

Right, because it's either an early stoppage or a lion and Roman times.

We have hours and endless video replays to go over things. Refs dont.

Do people tend to complain about premature stoppages only after seeing replays? I don't think replays are needed in most cases to see that a fight was stopped prematurely and I don't believe that most people form their opinion about whether a fight was stopped appropriately only after watching replays.

[Boxerbeetle]

The IJL stoppage of Maccarinelli in the first Ovill fight was probably the worst premature stoppage I've ever seen. The stoppage of Manfredo Jr against Calzaghe was pretty shocking as well.

Can't think of any American premature stoppages to rival those two off the top of my head.

[Ettt9350]

Froch v Groves 1
Degale v Gonzalez
Chisora v Scott
Selby v Munroe

None of these fights would have been stopped in America, and rightly so.

[deadpan]

I'd consider it a worthy, safety first edict if it wasn't the case that every premature stoppage in a British ring is in favour of the 'home' fighter.

[Tuan_Jim]

In British rings, as soon as the visiting fighter is wobbled the referee is angling to intervene.

The house, or 'star' fighter, is always given the benefit of the doubt.

It's a culture of corruption that has developed over the last 10 years or so. Some British refs are worse than others. When one certain British ref is announced in the ring, you know the visiting fighter, and the fans, are in trouble.

[danamba7]

Froch v Groves 1
Degale v Gonzalez
Chisora v Scott
Selby v Munroe

None of these fights would have been stopped in America, and rightly so.

I thought Gonzalez was done but each to their own.

We're a strange nation that seems to often belittle ourselves and over-rate other countries. As someone else mentioned, I'd rather an early stoppage than a late one. And I don't think it occurs often enough to be a real problem.

[forcefraser]

Froch v Groves 1
Degale v Gonzalez
Chisora v Scott
Selby v Munroe

None of these fights would have been stopped in America, and rightly so.

Degale v Dilks
Mathews v Crolla
Calzaghe v Mitchell
Bellew v Ovil (1)
Rose v Alcine
Murray v Thaxton

There are countless early stoppages.

[Wa1nuts]

Froch v Groves 1
Degale v Gonzalez
Chisora v Scott
Selby v Munroe

None of these fights would have been stopped in America, and rightly so.

Scott didn't get up on ten, so the ref was right to stop it??? His own fault, and as we seen against Wilder, he obviously didn't want to be in there.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Great post crusader.

And yes, there are countless more occasions of bad early stoppages than in the US. A lot of Brit refs need to learn how to do their jobs properly in a more consistent manner because the officiating across the pond is night and day.

[orbtastic]

Some stoppages are early but let's not make out it's purely a British phenomenon.

I'd rather a fight was stopped early, than some sort of Steve Smogeresque "he's ok" eyes rolling around in his head in no position really to be taking punches and defending himself type stoppage.

Howard Foster took immense stick for the first Groves stoppage, which I felt was premature, but you could see why it was stopped. I think he was massively vindicated by the rematch due to the conclusive/concussive way it ended with one punch.

Again, IJL's stoppage of Enzo looked quick, but at the point he dived in his head was bobbing around like a cork in stormy water. There's been a ton of discussion on here about Enzo's stoppages, usually of the quite brutal variety but you can't have it both ways - He was stopped way too late against Frenkel. Likewise Terry O'Connor gets an inordinate amount of stick yet look at Prescott/Khan? No doubt some people will say he was protecting the house fighter, lolz.

[DazDiCanio]

O'Connor 'helping' Cleverly to his corner before the bell takes some beating guys.

[Tuan_Jim]

I can only sigh at the way openly corrupt, wholly inconsistent referees are let off the hook because someone can trot out a brainless cliché like: 'It is better to stop a fight too soon than too late'.

Don't take the moral highground mate. This is professional boxing we're watching. If you genuinely fear for someone's safety, don't watch them get punched in the head by a professional boxer.

I don't want any fighter hurt, ever. But they do and they always will, whether short term or long term. Still they serve themselves up, for money or glory or whatever. Still we watch it, no matter what tragedy occurs. And so all I want is a fair and honourable fight, with a man given every opportunity to win, and fights to be decided beyond doubt. That's the very least a fighter deserves.

[danamba7]

I can only sigh at the way openly corrupt, wholly inconsistent referees are let off the hook because someone can trot out a brainless cliché like: 'It is better to stop a fight too soon than too late'.

Don't take the moral highground mate. This is professional boxing we're watching. If you genuinely fear for someone's safety, don't watch them get punched in the head by a professional boxer.

I don't want any fighter hurt, ever. But they do and they always will, whether short term or long term. Still they serve themselves up, for money or glory or whatever. Still we watch it, no matter what tragedy occurs. And so all I want is a fair and honourable fight, with a man given every opportunity to win, and fights to be decided beyond doubt. That's the very least a fighter deserves.

Good point well made sir.

[brian13]

Calzaghe / Manfredo was an awful stoppage. Wasn't there some controversy about Maccrinelli / Mc Philbin, I can't remember if it was premature.

On Gonzalez / DeGale, I didn't think the stoppage was that bad

[GooalaShooola]

Calzaghe / Manfredo was an awful stoppage. Wasn't there some controversy about Maccrinelli / Mc Philbin, I can't remember if it was premature.

On Gonzalez / DeGale, I didn't think the stoppage was that bad

From memory there wasn't a premature stoppage, but the 1st round ended something like 40 seconds early with Enzo in big trouble.

[TheCobra]

IJL and O'Connor have had some absolute stinkers in the last few years. Proper, genuine dodgy officiating.

[Baboon]

In British rings, as soon as the visiting fighter is wobbled the referee is angling to intervene.

The house, or 'star' fighter, is always given the benefit of the doubt.

It's a culture of corruption that has developed over the last 10 years or so. Some British refs are worse than others. When one certain British ref is announced in the ring, you know the visiting fighter, and the fans, are in trouble.

Totally agree with this point. When was the last time you saw a house fighter get stopped prematurely? Ok, somebody might be able to dig one out of the trenches somewhere but it's beyond rare. Early stoppages would be a lot more respected if they happened to both sides of the bill (and were therefore some form of standard), but that simply is not the case. I couldn't really give a toss when the poor bugger on the right hand side of the bill stopped prematurely is some Latvian no-hoper who shouldn't be in there in the first place, but it has ruined many a good 70/30 fight before now.

[stujones]

Thought Degale vs Gonzalez was worst than Froch vs Groves 1 IMO. Gonzales had recovered. It was a cracking KD shot and had the ref waved it off there and then I would said good call - but he waved it off when Gonzales had clearly his senses and was blocking well.

[Flump]

In British rings, as soon as the visiting fighter is wobbled the referee is angling to intervene.

The house, or 'star' fighter, is always given the benefit of the doubt.

It's a culture of corruption that has developed over the last 10 years or so. Some British refs are worse than others. When one certain British ref is announced in the ring, you know the visiting fighter, and the fans, are in trouble.

Totally agree with this point. When was the last time you saw a house fighter get stopped prematurely? Ok, somebody might be able to dig one out of the trenches somewhere but it's beyond rare. Early stoppages would be a lot more respected if they happened to both sides of the bill (and were therefore some form of standard), but that simply is not the case. I couldn't really give a toss when the poor bugger on the right hand side of the bill stopped prematurely is some Latvian no-hoper who shouldn't be in there in the first place, but it has ruined many a good 70/30 fight before now.

This. Absolutely. There are some fine refs in our country, but there are some blatantly dodgy ones too.

[rio]

Froch v Groves 1
Degale v Gonzalez
Chisora v Scott
Selby v Munroe

None of these fights would have been stopped in America, and rightly so.

Scott didn't get up on ten, so the ref was right to stop it??? His own fault, and as we seen against Wilder, he obviously didn't want to be in there.

No....he got up on 9. Nobody told him they had changed to rules from a 10 count to a 9 count and he left it to late