Terence wrote:Well, first of all the one who doesn't read and reply to previous posts is you. All the points you bring up have long been discussed in this thread. You may not have bothered reading, which is OK, but then don't throw the mud you're sitting in on other people.
I did read the other comments. They seemed more like petulant outbursts at times rather than cold-water analysis, because when you apply it there is a perfectly sound explanation to all your, only recently forged, opinions.
No he didn't. Benn came back into the ring early, which was his choice - probably because he was stunned. Many stunned fighters signal that they're ready to fight too early and get knocked out.
But when Benn was back, the ref had checkd him out and both fighters were ready to continue, the ref delayed the fight for several MORE seconds. This is plain illegal. The ref also delayed the fight afte the next three clinches (all initiated by Benn) -- which is illegal too.
Benn got back in the ring and beat the count. It was about twelve seconds all told with him struggling back in. Meaning the ref wasted a massive six seconds, legally I might add.
On the one hand you seem to suggest Benn came into the ring early because he was stunned and wanted to get back up. He did not show any great signals, the man went from being inside the ring to being on the ring apron. Fighters won't think "I'll just have a wee lie-down for twenty seconds.
Benn got in the ring, the count was beaten and then the fight had to resume. That is a rule. But the referee has to wipe the gloves of the fallen fighter, check the other guy is in a neutral corner and then wave both men into the fight again.
The ref checked for Gerald and found him right on his shoulder, that is breaking the rules. So he had to push Gerald back to restore some semblance of control. McClellan seemed to be in too much of a hurry to begin and was trying to push the ref aside, no wonder he got pulled back. The referee lost control of the situation by not checking Gerald earlier yet Gerald contributed greatly to the confusion.
As for initiating clinches. Benn was hurt and his legs were wobbly, he was lurching forwards. Gerald was coming forward winging shots. Therein lies the rub, or clincher if you will.
Gerald McClellan should have stepped back and delivered considered shots, he moved into the clinches because of his own inability to put the end game into place.
This is how you get it right: the ref should have followed the rules and therefore have allowed McClellan to attack.
There is no rule whatsoever that a ref should delay the fight after the knocked down fighter is checked out and ready to cointinue. There is also no rule whatsoever that a ref should delay the fight after a clinch. This ref did both, and the secdon thing repeatedly. And of course only one fighter profited from this: Nigel Benn.
The ref did follow the rules, that is why McClellan could not attack from ring centre when the fight is waved back after the KD.
The ref did not impose verbal authority. He would break a clinch with both fighters falling back into them, he had to pull them apart and both men would come right back in. He did not seperate the clinches cleanly and ended up dragging both apart at times. Benn's legs were gone in round one, surely this would have favoured McClellan?
He broke the clinches (=legal), pushed Gerald back a couple of meters (=illegal), held him back again when Gerald wanted to come back in (=illegal), and thus gave Benn several additional seconds (=illegal).
Actuall this pro-Benn ref was breaking the clinch, warning Benn, whilst all the while having Gerald trying to jump back on top of the action. You bring the fighters apart to warn them, you do not shout "Oi! Benn!" as they are fighting. Benn got warned a lot, witness his old Martial Arts days bow when he is warned, witness McClellan at times being where the other fighter should be, at a distance, at other times he is right on the refs back.
Gerald fell into clinches?? Seems we haven't seen the same fight. Benn clinched at every opportunity, and he was right to do so -- this is what stunned fighters do to gain time. Not right though was that Benn got even more time than he had asked for after each clinch because the ref found reasons to delay the fight further.
Yes he did. He stopped following the right hand with a left hook and this left his winging and reaching. He would also put a hand on Benn's bowed hea,d Benn would come blindly fowards right on top of Gerald and hey presto! Instant clinch. Gerald's technique deteriorated as the fight went on and technique free fighters clinch more. He was tired and falling in with his shots.
McClellan settled for the 100 meter option, started off with blistering speed, and it seemed as if he would make it. But then ref placed all kinds of obstacles onto the racetrack, and because of these McClellan did not beat the clock.
If I came last in the 1500m and said I had trained to run the 100m people would call me a fool. McClellan went a mile a minute in round one, he hurt Benn yet you have gone strangely quiet on one fact, his shots did not take Benn out in the massive time he had left to finish the job. It was a 10m burst followed by a fade.
I suppose you will post back and say it was a 100m race with hurdles on the track, again
Benns desire, McClellans impudence and the referee trying to enforce the rules broken in the fight gave Benn time, yet it was what? 8 seconds. Gerald had a further 160 minutes.
Unless you are saying Benn can completely recover his senses in eight seconds, in which case he would have recovered anyway .
So in other words what you need to be saying is "Salutations Nigel Benn, respect to Gerald for fighting a gutsy fight, but the wrong fight."
I was bitter about the fight afterwards, I wanted Gerald to win, I did not see Benn challenging the top names, I wanted McClellan-Jones. Immediately afterwards I was bitter and looking for excuses. There were none to be found. The better fighter won, within the rules.
I was sixteen at the time though. What is your excuse?
