They Got Away With It!

[Biglid]

Nigel Benn versus Iran Barkley. Rabbit punches and hitting opponent when down. I remember the Amercian commentators going nuts about it. They said Benn should have been disqualified.

[gilgamesh]

Can't remember which fights right now but for sure some boxers have gotten away with blatant KO rabbit punches?
And others hitting the opponent when clearly down.

The 3rd knockdown in the 1st round of Pac vs Marquez 1. Pac hits Marquez when he's down. GGG I feel like hit his opponent when they were down on several occasions. Just barely as they had gone down, but down nonetheless. I can't cite any specific examples yet, but when I go back through his career I'm sure there'll be more than one such example with him.

And don't get me wrong on Pac vs Marquez 1. Thank God the fight didn't end right there. That fight easily could've ended at that moment via DQ, via TKO for Pacquiao, via anything, and we may not have wound up having the great rivalry we had. So the Boxing Gods were definitely with us on that one.

[bmw hector]

Chris Eubank vs Dan Sherry.

Fresh from his thrilling TKO of Nigel Benn, Eubank faced unbeaten Canadian, Sherry.
Sherry's movement was giving Eubank fits as Eubank was never a great front foot fighter. His frustration was growing until he finally cracked in the 10th round. With Sherry standing behind him, Eubank threw a backward headbutt at his opponent. The force of the butt didn't look that severe but, as Eubank's head had sharp corners on it, a cut opened up above Sherry's eye. He collaped to the floor and claimed later to be concussed but looked to be putting on a fine display of acting that incensed the crowd. Eubank could've and possibly should've been DSQ, but instead it went to a technical points decision with Eubank scraping through on points.

[Thomastearns]

There's nothing wrong with "getting away with it" as long It's the fighter you're rooting for.

Boxing's a rough sport and everyone should surely know you must protect themselves at all times.

However, when a boxer you support, or worse have some money on, is on the receiving end of some "ungentlemanly conduct", you might find yourself questioning any remaining sense of natural justice you might have left remaining.

At least we have an excuse for being overly partisan and "turning a blind eye" to any indiscretions our boxer may commit but it's even worse when you see the commentary team behaving in this way.

Happens all the time.

So, for all the young kids starting out, what to do?

I'd say, after considerable hindsight, it's essential to never rely on the referee - MAKE YOUR OWN JUSTICE IN THE RING.

Kovalev and Lomachenko for example should have started throwing low shots immediately as soon as it became clear that they, as clear b side fighters, were not going to get the kind of referee protection that Usyk, an obvious a side fighter, did, correctly, against Dubois in that first fight.

Referees, due to unavoidable self preservation instincts are often consciously/unconsciously beholden to the promoters.

This is how the business of boxing works.

It's of little consolation when, years after your career has ended, you still find yourself wrestling with the consequences of how you were once cheated in the ring.

And let's not forget that it's quite human to cheat. Sports like football are absolutely full of cheats, and there's very little that any amounts of refereeing or VAR can do to stop it.

Even the immaculately noble Muhammad Ali didn't always stick rigidly to the rules of boxing according to whichever sanctioning body or geographical location he was fighting in.

Besides, why blame the boxers for not doing the referees job?

[gilgamesh]

My intention was not to shame any of the people mentioned in this thread. It was more just to shine a light on situations that easily could've played out differently.

[squiggy]

So, for all the young kids starting out, what to do?

I'd say, after considerable hindsight, it's essential to never rely on the referee - MAKE YOUR OWN JUSTICE IN THE RING.

Kovalev and Lomachenko for example should have started throwing low shots immediately as soon as it became clear that they, as clear b side fighters, were not going to get the kind of referee protection that Usyk, an obvious a side fighter, did, correctly, against Dubois in that first fight.

Referees, due to unavoidable self preservation instincts are often consciously/unconsciously beholden to the promoters.

Sounds like a fast track to a DQ loss too, though.

[victor-romeo]

I watched old footage of Roberto Duran vs Ken Buchanan. It appeared Duran won title on a low blow. He hits Buchanan low
Buchanan goes down and Duran raises his hands and the rest is history..

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Out on his feet, lol. What the fornicate were you watching.
And even if he was, how would that make it better? "It's ok he was really hurt anyway" fornicating retarded.

The fight
Its on youtube
You can watch it
Its free and everything

Kovalev was wobbly but he was boxing back and avoiding punches. Defending effectively but on the back foot. Ward's last 2 or 3 punches were all low blows. Ref should've given Kovalev time rather than call the fight.

Agreed

[gilgamesh]

I'm watching the bout between Thomas Hearns and Freddie Delgado right now, and there's an awful lot of getting away with fouls in this fight.

Delgado took a few swings at Hearns well after the bell in one of the rounds. Hearns retaliated well after the bell in one of the following rounds. No points deducted

Wild fight by the way. I had never seen this one before. Great slugfest of a bout.

[Evander]

Nigel Benn versus Iran Barkley. Rabbit punches and hitting opponent when down. I remember the Amercian commentators going nuts about it. They said Benn should have been disqualified.

Got to be a half boxing half free for all kind of bout
I don't think Benn deserved to be disqalified.
Nigel had lots of those types of fights, Gerald McClellan is a raw version of Barkley.
Mad fight though.