By Gerardo Granados: Maybe the reader was upset when referee Luis Pabon stopped the Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal title bout; perhaps you might think it was the right call because it will always be better an early stoppage than a punch late. But are we the fight fans on the verge to say good bye to the epic Castillo vs Corrales type of fights? I surely hope not.
Back in March 31 of 1990 at the Sun Dome, Tampa, Florida; Hall of fame member “Terrible” Terry Norris defeated John “The Beast” Mugabi by knockout in the first round of their WBC super welterweight title bout. It was a ferocious and thrilling battle that deserved the Boxingnews24 and The Ring Magazine knockout of the year award. I believe many young fight fans have not seen this bout so you might be interested to search for it and enjoy.
The older fight fans were used to see the referee allow fighters to try to fight back and to take a breath by briefly holding his opponent when they were really hurt, but not as today that holding is wrongfully used as a “defensive technique”. Back then at a title bout if a boxer was cut or wobbled it was not enough reason to stop the bout, just as Referee Eddie Eckert did when he allowed Mugabi to fight back.
There is not much use to describe the fight so I will only say that John Mugabi was a brave, mean son of boxing who refused to go down until Norris landed a solid right hand that finally put him away. I think this type of performances might be in danger of extinction due the high interest by the boxing organizations to protect fighters. Please don’t get me wrong I think this is great for boxers but not as much for the spectacle of prize fighting.
When referee Raul Cantu Jr halted the Andre Berto vs Josesito Lopez fight, he might have seen something that I simply couldn’t see but to me it was an awful stoppage.
When referee Luis Pabon stopped the Kovalev vs Pascal bout it was like watching last Super Bowl and then a black out occurred just before the interception; it took something out of the fight to not be able to see the inevitable ending. But the only one close enough to judge if Pascal was in imminent danger to get injured by Kovalev was Pabon so although didn’t like it I totally respect his decision.
Pro Boxing constantly evolves and we cannot expect to see the fifteen rounders comeback so it might be possible that in the near future the epic battles of the ferocious warriors from the past could be remembered as a thing that no longer would be allowed.
Kell Brook dominated a limited but brave mandatory challenger Ionut Dan Ion and referee Earl Brown correctly allowed the challenger the chance to fight back. Let us not forget that on times fighters don’t have a big fan base or an influential promoter/manager to be able to have countless shots at major organization belts so for these hungry lions a shot at a Championship bout is a life time opportunity that they cannot waste.
Juan Francisco Gallo Estrada was giving a beating to contender Rommel Asenjo when his corner men threw in the towel and referee Jose Hiram Rivera correctly signed to take a time and looked back at the corner to corroborate if the corner was asking to stop the fight. Asenjo was fighting with one eye close in the third round and wasn’t seeing the punches landing from his right side; it was a good job from his corner to protect his pupil. But referee Rivera allowed the challenger the chance to fight back just as when Erik Morales fought nine rounds with only one eye against Marcos Maidana.
To stop a fight doesn’t require being able to understand Enrico Fermi quantum theories (Physics Nobel prize winner); a stoppage might be based on appreciation from the damage and punishment a fighter is taking that could lead to a serious injury.
A dilemma can rise when a lion is able to withstand an outstanding amount of punishment without even blink; but the determination to win and the heart of a warrior on times puts them on risk to get hurt so it might be better to have an early stoppage than a tragedy in the ring.
Do the readers believe it’s easy to decide when to stop a fight?
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