BoxRec

Alp has inadvertently given me an idea for a thread, with his mentioning of the Tyson-Williams stoppage. These fights produced (or didn't produce, but could have) what I often call, "swing stoppages," where the call could go either way. Let's say you're the ref for the following bouts. What's your call?

Casamayor-Katsidis, 2008
Vazquez-Marquez II, 2007
Tszyu-Judah, 2001
De La Hoya-Quartey, 1999 (As Quartey is battered along the ropes, round twelve)
Lewis-McCall I, 1994
Moorer-Cooper, 1992 (Round one, & round five)
Bowe-Holyfield I, 1992 (Round ten, obviously)
Tyson-Williams, 1989
Tyson-Ribalta, 1986

I would have...

1) Let Casamayor-Katsidis go just a little longer.

2) Let Marquez continue at that point in time.

3) Stopped Judah.

4) Let Quartey fight on.

5) Stopped Lewis.

6) Stopped Moorer in the first, but let Cooper continue in the fifth.

7) Let Holyfield fight on.

8) Stopped Williams (that blink & head twist he gave worried me).

9) Funnily enough, I would've stopped this at one point, but when the ref chose to step in? No, Ribalta should've been permitted to go on.

I agree about both Williams (disappointingly) & Lewis. McCall clocked him good. And I think Smokin' Bert was hurt bad.

Casamayor-Katsidis, 2008 - Stopped it. Katsidis was on queer street, and about to be really hurt.
Vazquez-Marquez II, 2007 - Good stoppage. Marquez was hamburger.
Tszyu-Judah, 2001 - Stopped it. Judah's actions afterwards show where he was mentally.
De La Hoya-Quartey, 1999 (As Quartey is battered along the ropes, round twelve) - Let it go on
Lewis-McCall I, 1994 - Is this the one where Mccall closed his eyes and hit Lewis?
Moorer-Cooper, 1992 (Round one, & round five) - Moorer was up ok in the 1st, let it go on. No problem with the stoppage of Cooper either.

Lewis-McCall I, 1994 - Is this the one where Mccall closed his eyes and hit Lewis?

That's what seems to be said about Hasim Rahman putting Lewis away in their first meeting. I never really use this, but I think Lewis-McCall I was the one where Lewis got KTFO. :idea:

I'm pretty sure Lewis got to his feet and it was waved off.

Lemme try and find it on youtube...[/quote]


Yes, he did. Hoped I didn't sound like a smartass. I just meant it was a legitimate "TKO" stoppage. Sorry.

purple.obi wrote: Yes, he did. Hoped I didn't sound like a smartass. I just meant it was a legitimate "TKO" stoppage. Sorry.

Oh, I know. I just couldn't remember if this was the fight that happened in.

I still say Lewis should have been allowed to continue. The referee asked if he was OK and he said yes. If he wasn't going to stop the fight anyway, then why bother asking the fighter?
Lewis also had the presence of mind to hold up his hands indicating that he was ready to continue.

I think we have all seen guys hurt worse and survive.
Maybe McCall would have finished him off; maybe not. However, this is boxing; Lewis should have been given a chance.

Is there any real controversy about the Judah fight being stopped?

There was a degree of controversy (if you recall as clearly as I do) at that moment --- it's lessened with the passage of time, but at that moment, there was discussion.

Sometimes, the fight doesn't have to be controversial --- for instance, everyone agreed Halpern did the right thing permitting Quartey to continue in the last round, & while I certainly liked what Halpern did, it probably wouldn't have been a massive controversy (a degree, but not huge) had he stopped it. Likewise, no one really discusses Casamayor-Katsidis, even though that only happened last year, yet Kellerman & company traded arguments on whether Katsidis should've been allowed to continue. Not much controversy, & it's not as if I strongly disagree with, or don't understand, that ref's call, but it was a judgement call, as Kellerman noted, & like him, I'd have let Katsidis fight on a little longer.

Great fight, though. It got lost somewhat, caught between arguably the upset of the year (Campbell-Diaz), one of the highest-profile bouts of the year (Pacquiao-Marquez II), & unquestionably the fight of the year (Vazquez-Marquez III), which is a shame as it was a barn-burner.