Why Do Contemporary Refs Stop Fights So Quickly

[GrandpaBernard]

back then guys would have greater opportunities to get back into the fight at the risk of taking more punishment

[joseph5620]

back then guys would have greater opportunities to get back into the fight at the risk of taking more punishment

Deaths in the ring and long term damage. In this era there is much more awareness and precautions for both. Just my opinion.

[Scott9945]

Deaths in the ring and long term damage. In this era there is much more awareness and precautions for both. Just my opinion.

Oh, no doubt. And the current trend will almost certainly lead to even more caution. Seeing NFL players and pro wrestlers quit during their primes recently is a strong indication.

[ShoulderRoll]

Yes, they do stop fights too quickly and I absolutely hate it.

Not that I'm bloodthirsty or want to see people get seriously hurt but you have to give guys a chance to show their heart and guts. That was part of what marked a fighter as great back in the day, having above average courage and spirit and stamina.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Deaths in the ring and long term damage. In this era there is much more awareness and precautions for both. Just my opinion.

This.^^^^^^

With all the concussion and cte brain disease talk, refs have too be more careful..

[BKM-]

Yes, they do stop fights too quickly and I absolutely hate it.

Not that I'm bloodthirsty or want to see people get seriously hurt but you have to give guys a chance to show their heart and guts. That was part of what marked a fighter as great back in the day, having above average courage and spirit and stamina.

Yeah but most guys now don't have that kind of heart. Back in the day letting a guy who was getting beat up off the hook wasn't a bad idea because they had heart and could still win the fight. Nowadays when a guy is completely getting beat up you know he's not gonna pull off the unthinkable, you might as well stop the fight for his health.

[soul_survivor]

back then guys would have greater opportunities to get back into the fight at the risk of taking more punishment

This is something which annoys me as well, when a fight is stopped far too early. Now, I am 100% against an opponent taking too much punishment and feel that fights should be stopped if a guy is consistently, over a period of rounds, not throwing punches or throwing any punches of meaning back at the opponent. For example, I believe Pascal/Kov II was stopped 2 rounds too late.

Having said that, there is a fine line between safety and "too early" a prime example of which is probably Froch v Groves 1, where Groves wasn't even given the chance to go down and the fight was stopped after only 3 or 4 unanswered punches, in which Groves looked to be covering up and moving. That's too early. Having said that, in the heat of the moment, with the referee realising it is how job to look after the safety pf the fighters, i can understand such decisions.

All in all, fighter safety has definitely improved and referees have done a better job of stopping fights, without the unnecessary punishment seen in fights of old.

[ShoulderRoll]

Yeah but most guys now don't have that kind of heart. Back in the day letting a guy who was getting beat up off the hook wasn't a bad idea because they had heart and could still win the fight. Nowadays when a guy is completely getting beat up you know he's not gonna pull off the unthinkable, you might as well stop the fight for his health.

You're probably right. Most guys today don't have that kind of heart and they don't seem to be as durable either.

[JAB5239]

Deaths in the ring and long term damage. In this era there is much more awareness and precautions for both. Just my opinion.

Gotta agree with this.

[joseph5620]

On the flip side of this, I have watched numerous old fights where the referee stopped the fight ridiculously late. Watch Griffith-Paret and Johansson-Machen for example. A referee wouldn't get away with that today without professional repercussions.

There's a fine line and for the most part contemporary ref's do a much better job protecting the fighter. Obviously there are a lot of quick stoppages that shouldn't happen(some based on corruption) but stopping a fight too late is worse in the long long term.