I am not sure if much was learned about either Daniel Jacobs or Peter Quillin on December 5. I do know that referee Harvey Dock is definitely not ready for the big time. He is a trigger-happy stoppage ref, who is robbing fans of the finish they paid to see. Dock jumped in too soon, when he thought Quillin was going down. When he did not go down, Dock was caught, and in a moment of confusion, waved off the fight to protect his decision, rather than give a proven champion a chance to get back in the fight. We also watched him try to find a reason to stop the GGG-Lemieux fight as well. Lemieux was getting beaten, no question, but he was taking the punches well, defending himself, and firing back. He also, as a big puncher, deserved the chance to turn the fight around. It is time to debunk the myths surrounding early stoppages that we see every time this happensAny stoppage is justified, because the ref has two men's lives in his hands.
Nonsense, this is merely an excuse for not doing one's job. He also has their financial future in his hands, and TKO losses can kill a fighter's marketability. Ruined marketability leads to longer careers, and more damage taken. You are doing incredible damage stopping a fight early, just as you are stopping it late. Steve Smoger lets fights go on, because he's good at his job, and rarely do fighters get injured on his watch. You need to know when a fighter is truly defenseless, and when he is merely staggered. Dock does not know, and neither do too many referees.The referee is closer to the picture than we are.
Maybe when the camera is doing a long shot, sure... but with technology, today, we get replays, close-ups, and have no reason to distrust our own eyes over a referee's. Again, defending the ref because he had to make a snap decision, should not take away from the message: Then, make a GOOD decision! Get better at your job, or let someone else do it. When refs blow calls, they should be punished. They never are, which is why this nonsense never stops. Consequences are what will breed action. There is also a star-issue here. referees, many times, like to be the center of attention, or subconsciously steal the show. A quick stoppage allows them to do so. Add to that, they may get hired more by the winning fighter's promoter.Even Quillin didn't protest.
Don't put much credence into that. You never know why a fighter is not protesting. Fighters have masters... namely their promoters. You never know if a financial gag-order has been placed on a fighter. It's the reason you see so few fighters calling out anyone specific. Promoters don't want fans clamoring for things that they cannot, or wish not, to provide. Haymon may have ordered Quillin to be silent, until he can work his magical spin. There may not be a rematch, therefore, don't hurt the company with demands for one.All of that being said, Quillin had showed potential chin issues when tagged by Andy Lee, but unlike most of Lee's opponents, he got back up, and continued to fight. I think the lack of experience being hurt, led to Quillin's demise. He should have taken a knee several times, but he did not. I have no idea why fighters do this. You know how quickly referee's will stop fights now. TAKE A GOD-DAMNED MOTHERFUCKING KNEE! This is a lesson all fighters must learn in current times. You are not guaranteed the chance to come back in a fight. Hassan N'Dam was dropped 10 times in the backyards of Quillin and Lemieux, but because the knockdown gave him a chance to recover, he was never stopped. Take a lesson.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
