PART 2 The career assassinations that take place because of an early stoppage can be drastically damaging. I will approach this not only from the point of view of fighters who have been unjustly denied the opportunity to continue, but from those who were, and with the imagination of what might have been had they not been so lucky in the referee department.
Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao 1
It's one of the most famous 4 fight series in boxing history, yet, most referees would have cut it 41 rounds short. Pacquiao dropped Marquez 3 times in round 1.. and although all 3 were flash knockdowns, tell that to James Kirkland or Iran Barkley (both men who lost in similar circumstances, when they may have been able to continue). Marquez even laid his head back after knockdown number 3, sure the ref would be waving it off. Instead, he got up, and won 7 of the next 11 rounds. With just one wave off, his hall-of-fame career may never have happened.
Steve Cunningham vs. Amir Mansour
True, these men had the best ref in the business, Steve Smoger, at the helm. Fighters do not get hurt permanently in his fights anymore than Moret, Russell, Howard Foster, Terry O'Conner, etc. so the argument that the quick-trigger refs save lives is a weak one at best. Cunningham could have been saved after the second knockdown, for sure, but he got up, and won the fight. He should be lucky that fight did not take place in England or California.
Julio Gonzalez vs. Julian Letterlough
Forget the drastic knockdown in round 10, Gonzalez may have been waved off by some refs after he was dropped in round 5. 3 times, Julio hit the deck, to Letterlough's 2, but in a fight where he outworked Letterlough in all the dead spots, Gonzalez won a unanimous decision. However, if he had hit the canvas any harder in round 10, he would have gone through it. however, the Columbus, Ohio ref allowed him to get up, and not only did he survive, he scored a knockdown the following round.
REFS HOLD CAREERS, NOT JUST LIVES, IN THEIR HANDS, Part 1
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
