Joe Cooper - Worst Referee Performance of the Year?

I thought it was of all time. Yah he definitely makes a case for being one of the worst refs of all time...

He was a bit involved, but I actually enjoyed him. He actually let him(Peterson since Amir is incapable) fight on the inside. More refs should let them fight it out during the clinch. Actually a few times the fighters just stopped, expecting to be broken up, and both seemed shocked when he told them to keep on fighting. Can you imagine if he was breaking them apart every other second? Different fight completely.

I don't recall Khan hitting on the break, nor being warned for doing so. I remember the ref telling the fighters to "fight their way out". That's what Khan did. I don't see the problem. That's what I understood the point deduction in the 12th was for. He'd been doing it all along, when he could. Maybe subtlety is one of the things that the Roach teaches him.

Nah mora was definitely the worst ref this year... I thought it was of all time.

The worst refs I've seen were the one who reff'd Emmanuel Augustus-Burton 1, and Freddie Norwood-Smoke Gainer. Oh and I forgot the prize pippin, the ref in the Jack Johnson- Fireman Flynn fight. Flynn was grabbing Johnson with both hands and baltantly butting him, not once, but 4-5 times at go. As if he were throwing "head" combinations. It took 9 rds before the ref DQ'd him. In the Norwood-Gainer fight, the action had beated up with both fighters blatantly hitting low, but in a clinch, the ref caught and held Norwood back, so Gainer just let him have it, right on the cup. Norwood went down, and the ref counted him out, then continued the count to 20 and waved the fight off. When Norwood saw he was counted out, he jumped up and wanted to continue, which shows that those cups, made of either steel or hard plastic, really work. I don't think Hopkins saw that fight, or indeed many other "actors", but if they had, they'd think of a different way to get a DQ, like a "dislocated" shoulder. On second thoughts, maybe Hopkins DID see that fight........

Nah mora was definitely the worst ref this year...

I challenge someone to find me a worse, more corrupt reffing job out there than the pathetic display from Mora. The worst refs I've seen were the one who reff'd Emmanuel Augustus-Burton 1, and Freddie Norwood-Smoke Gainer. Oh and I forgot the prize pippin, the ref in the Jack Johnson- Fireman Flynn fight. Flynn was grabbing Johnson with both hands and baltantly butting him, not once, but 4-5 times at go. As if he were throwing "head" combinations. It took 9 rds before the ref DQ'd him.

I can't think of a thing he did right. * Pre Fight - takes more time shouting his lame catch phrase than giving instructions to the two fighters * Round 1 - puts himself in a bad position and trips up Peterson. * Round 1 - scores a knockdown against Peterson incorrectly. * Round 7 - deducts a point from Khan having not given a hard warning about pushing. * Round 12 - deducts a second point from Khan, again without a hard warning. * All Fight Long - inconsistent with pushing. It's ok for Peterson to push Khan against the ropes. It's ok for Peterson to hold and hit Lennox Lewis style. It's not ok for Khan to push Peterson. Peterson was awesome and I don't begrudge him the victory, but it's a real shame that those two point deductions decided the fight. The best referees are barely noticed, except in tough call situations, and Joe Cooper seemed to want the attention. Terrible performance. By rd 7 Khan had been warned about hald a dozen times about pushing, the ref is the ref, and by rd 12, he'd been warned several times about hitting on the break. The ref is in charge of thhe fight, what do you expect him to do when a fighter is flagrantly abusing the certain amount of leeway a fighter always gets??

Aside from the knockdown, which is understandable; Cooper called a great fight, he gave Khan plenty of warnings. I agree. It was a great fight and the ref played a part in that. He allowed Peterson to do his inside work and he gave Khan plenty of warnings. It was strange to see 2 deductions for shoving though.

Aside from the knockdown, which is understandable; Cooper called a great fight, he gave Khan plenty of warnings.

this thread proves people have no idea what they are even watching. peterson was holding and hitting? khan would lock up petersons arm and peterson would hit him with his free hand. khan was the one trying to hold but peterson didn't let him and now its somehow flipped into peterson holding and hitting? you are just used to pansy fighters letting their opponents hold them until the ref breaks them. peterson didn't let that happen. pay attention during the fight please!

It was more like he MADE them fight on the inside, to favor Lamont. Khan pushing off to create space was a big No No to this ref. That's because it's against the ****ing rules moron. Can't some people at least learn the basic boxing rules before talking as if you know them. You cannot push someone away. Before you say "Lots of fighters do it!" like a whiney *****, no they don't. Lots of fighters do not use an open handed shove with all their strength that nearly throws the opponent off their feet.

All he had to do was take Khan to one side and warn him that the next time it happens he deducts a point. A good referee like Steve Smoger would have. The inconsistencies prove he wasn't just taking a hardline on pushing as well, neglecting the pushing Peterson did on the inside. He did. He said after Khan had pushed Petersons' head down once and shoved him off (all of which are against the rules and perfectly legit to deduct points) "Khan, last time. Last time Khan" yelling it in his face. Go watch the fight again. People have seriously got to get over this. Khan broke the rules over and over and over again throughout the whole fight, despite repeated warnings and then a point deduction. HOw ****ing hard is it to understand? Lamont wasn't coming in with his head dangerously. It wasn't against the rules the way he was fighting. Khan was pushing down, not because Peterson has his head down but because that's the only way for him to stop Peterson punching inside. However, it is against the rules and you cannot do it. There is no grey area and it's not some kind of favouritism. Read closely people: It's against the rules to push your opponent or push and hold their head down. Is it really so hard to understand? :nonono:

Mares Agbeko ref was worse but this guy took full advantage of his 15 minutes

He let them fight on the inside. There were many warnings against the pushing. Don't act like the deductions came out of nowhere. Whether or not you agree with that rule being enforced so strongly, Khan was told many times not to do it yet he kept at it. This^^^ I find it funny how people are making excuses when the British commentators from SKY even said Khan was to blame for his own loss. He was warned God knows how many times and he got points taken away. Let's not act like Khan pushing off and down on fighters heads isn't something he's not known for doing. Just so happens he met a referee who wasn't going to allow it to happen. Live and learn.

Mora and Cortez are way worse.

http://i43.tinypic.com/23tr3pu.jpg

Ref only supposed to have to give a FEW warnings before taking points. He warned Khan double digit times almost every round to stop: -Holding behind the neck. -Headlocking and using the time he had that headlock to walk away from the ropes. -Pushing his opponent away (like literally open hand pushing with all his strength, not even a legal barge or shove). -Holding his opponents glove. Not only that, but just before the second point deduction, he was hitting on the break. He was also turning his back when Lamont got inside and "nocked" him down by putting his leg behind Lamonts foot and putting his elbow in his face. Khan is LUCKY he only got two point deductions. Short story, Khan had NOTHING to offer against someone who knew how to fight on the inside and HAD to resort to fouling and literally pushing the guy away because he had nothing in terms of boxing skill to counter it. Every punch went right through his guard so he HAD to run. When he couldn't run anymore and those body shots were killing his legs, he had to stop. When he had to stop, he could only cover up because once again, he had no inside game. When he covered up, he got battered straight through his guard. Khan was LITERALLY complaining that his opponent was fighting on the inside and didn't keep his chin high enough for Khan to hit it. So what if he had his head in your chest? It means Khan wasn't able to use his speed and was crowded? WELCOME TO INSIDE FIGHTING. GLAD TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE MR KHAN. You hear Ali complain that Joe Frazier was coming in with his head down to get on the inside? You hear Sugar Ray Robinson complain that Jake Lamotta was crouching too much when he fought him? You hear Spinks moan that Tyson was coming in with a low bob/weave and that he kept "just coming in" to him? No. How the hell are you gonna stand there as a man and complain that an inside fighter "just kept coming in" as if its against the rules to stalk and wear down a guy that keeps running and has no inside game......and he wants to keep talking about "growing some balls".... So why should Khan be allowed to complain that his opponent fought on the inside like inside fighters do and that he wasn't allowed to use playground style chest pushing with his hands in a boxing ring when he should have used boxing skill instead? Khan might have been impressive in previous bouts, but this was a horrible showing from him and exposed him a little.

The ref from the 1st fight of Agbeko-Mares, now that's a ****ty ref.

Not even close. Russell Mora had the worst refereeing performance arguably ever. I challenge someone to find me a worse, more corrupt reffing job out there than the pathetic display from Mora.