What fight was stopped to early and was the worst stoppage

[Scott9945]

Not if he was focused on Taylor and his safety, as he should have been.

The fight was virtually over, and Taylor's safety was no longer at risk. If it were at a different time in the fight, it is a different story. It's all about context.

[THE REED]

Calzaghe - Manfredo

[joseph5620]

The fight was virtually over, and Taylor's safety was no longer at risk. If it were at a different time in the fight, it is a different story. It's all about context.

It's funny how all of the people talking about "safety" and all of the rules always overlook that Chavez was never in a neutral corner, Steele never asked Taylor to walk towards him to check his legs, Steele knew that the round was going to end in seconds. Even though he lied in his interviews and claimed he has no idea when a round is near the end. Either he's lying about that or incompetent because referees are supposed to know that. I think he lied.


It's very clear that Steele was looking for any reason to give Chavez an out. If he was so worried about Taylor's "safety" he would have stopped the fight long before the knockdown. And he never came close to doing that.

[jabsRstiff]

I think Steele made a mistake. I do not think he had any hidden motivation or agenda. He let Taylor get away with a good amount of low blows....and I'm thinking if he were looking to help Chavez he would have taken advantage of that.

[SBleeder]

The fight was virtually over, and Taylor's safety was no longer at risk. If it were at a different time in the fight, it is a different story. It's all about context.

The point is that if he was properly focused on Taylor, he wouldn't have had any idea of exactly how many seconds were left in the fight.

Did he know there were less than ten seconds left? Possibly.

Did he know that there were only two seconds left? Don't know how he could have. As far as he knew, there was at least enough time left for Chavez to land one punch.

Perhaps referees should wear watches with a 3:00 timer on them. Or Nat Fleischer's son should sit at ringside and tell the referees what to do. But as it is, not sure how Steele could have known with 100% certainty that Taylor was out of danger.

[Anthony342]

I'm with Scott and Jabs on this one. Steele made a mistake, no hidden agenda, just a bad mistake, like he made in Tyson/Ruddock 1 or in an early Pacquiao fight overseas, when the fight went longer because he called a lot of the earlier knockdowns slips. And he should've at least known it was the last round and that the light went on since it was right in front of him if you watch the fight, indicating there were less than 10 seconds left. The corner was also at fault for distracting Taylor from responding to Steele. I think on Legendary Nights it was Ron Borges who said Taylor earned the right to continue, that he earned those extra seconds and was cheated out of a victory, albeit not deliberately.

I stilll don't think Leonard/Benitez was THAT bad a stoppage, but maybe a little early. Benitez himself had no problem with it afterwards, he congratulated and hugged Leonard in the ring so I have no major problem with it.

[Scott9945]

The point is that if he was properly focused on Taylor, he wouldn't have had any idea of exactly how many seconds were left in the fight.

Did he know there were less than ten seconds left? Possibly.

Did he know that there were only two seconds left? Don't know how he could have. As far as he knew, there was at least enough time left for Chavez to land one punch.

Perhaps referees should wear watches with a 3:00 timer on them. Or Nat Fleischer's son should sit at ringside and tell the referees what to do. But as it is, not sure how Steele could have known with 100% certainty that Taylor was out of danger.

If you watch a replay, you'll clearly see a bright red 10 second warning light in each corner. No way an experienced ref misses that. Regardless, Steele should have insisted that JCC was in a neutral corner before he attended to Taylor. That is a rule. You can ask Librado Andrade.

[SBleeder]

If you watch a replay, you'll clearly see a bright red 10 second warning light in each corner. No way an experienced ref misses that. Regardless, Steele should have insisted that JCC was in a neutral corner before he attended to Taylor. That is a rule. You can ask Librado Andrade.

Again, still no way he could have known exactly how much time was left. For all he knew, there were five seconds left, which would have been enough time for Chavez to land something.

[The Smash]

Israel Vasquez - Rafael Marquez II.
Roy Jones vs Otis Grant
Roy Jones vs Richard Frazier
Floyd Mayweather vs Angel Manfredy

[JAB5239]

Again, still no way he could have known exactly how much time was left. For all he knew, there were five seconds left, which would have been enough time for Chavez to land something.

Im just going to say what I've always said...time left is irrelevant. Steele deemed Taylor wasn't fit to go on.....he was a beaten fighter. Had he allowed the fight to go on even with only 2 seconds left after Meldrick either couldn't or wouldn't respond to his commands he would have robbed Chavez.