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Originally posted by Willie Pep 229
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Thunderstruck
This is a very good example of one fighter winning the sporting competition, and the other man winning the actual physical fight. I've absolutely no issue with Taylor being up, and by quite a lot. Again, Taylor was winning the scored sporting competition, with opinions ranging from Meldrick Taylor being "safely/comfortably ahead/out in front" to what was likely the most popular opinion going into the 12th: Taylor running away with the victory. Winning the competition while just getting his ass kicked in the fight itself. Ironic, Taylor goes into the 12th with his likely lead being the only thing about Meldrick Taylor that could be classified as comfortable and safe, as his corporeal, physical form was everything but Very crazy sport where you can be declared the winner in multiple manners, main two being decisions and stoppages. You can be winning the points battle, perfectly, looking like Ray Robinson returned, all the way in to the last 10 secs, and still lose the damn fight. Crazy f mucking sport.
Steele's stoppage is still derided, and vehemently. I very well understand why those against it feel as they do. I find more irony in listening to Lampley, Merchant, and others, argue a point that boils down to the following: The rules should be disregarded at the end of a fight if one guy fought a great fight and is going to certainly win as long as he is standing at the final bell, as certain as can be allowed anyway, as this is still professional boxing after all. So in a scenario such as what played out, people seem to be under the impression that the last 15 secs of fights like this should be a grace period and rules be damned? The rule being when asked if you are ok, do you wanna continue, things of that nature. We just need to let those moments pass from here on out it seems? In the HBO made doc series "Legendary Nights" that was made for this fight, and all other docs made about the fight, all bring up the "The red 10 sec warning light was on, it was and it was on directly behind Taylor's shoulder, and it was visible...." which, again, is when the fight should have just gone into this proposed "no rules grace period, I find this odd too as we can see it right above this (there was a link here with an embed code to the relevant portion of the fight) Steele isn't looking at the damn red light. He isn't looking at it at all as, other when he turns to make sure either Chavez is in the neutral corner or possibly he sees outta the corner of his eye Kenny Bayless chasing one of Taylor's' seconds to prevent him from entering the ring early which would've/could've/ possibly should've to some, resulted in a DQ loss for Taylor. But again, maybe it is because Steele is a bit taken aback by what appears to be a zombie rising before him and it shakes him enough to miss the red light? Maybe? Maybe it is because Taylor truly looks to be on the verge of fmsucking death? Maybe a bit of this, that, and a little of the other?
I found it to be very peculiar, find it to be quite odd, as well as quite telling how, when the HBO documentary series titled "Legendary Nights: The Tale of Chavez vs Taylor" begins the segment on the controversial events in the 12th round, then Meldrick Taylor co-trainer, the very boisterous, cantankerous, curmudgeon-ish, but also extremely well respected, humorous and well liked by most, Lou Duva, a member of the Duva family ( obviously), the family behind the promotional boxing company known as "Main Events," a very successful, well-known, long time fixture in the sport, and which is still a highly successful, well-known, and very respected by many to this day. Although we the audience are not shown nor hear the question asked of Duva ,obviously it is something to the effect of "what were your instructions for Taylor going into the 12th and final round?" Duva, who is either just lying, or misremembering, tells us that he told Taylor to run, to dance, Duva wants Taylor's best Muhammad Ali impersonation. I wish that they showed someone drilling Duva regarding this massive inconsistency but, alas, we do not get that. They do show how Duva, as well as other co-trainer Georgie Benton, another very legitimate legend in the sport, instruct Taylor to fight the 12th round. They tell Taylor if he wants the belt he needs to fight these three minutes. What Duva claims to have told Meldrick Taylor, said in response to the question asked of him, compared with what we can see and hear him to without any doubt say, are about as complete polar opposites they could be. In my experience with lying, hiding and attempting to get away with things to not make oneself look like a total d+ildo head, is mostly derived from too many years as an active heroin addict many people do not generally lie unless you feel we have mucked something up, unless we have a reason to hide what we have done, we generally won't lie. he feels that he has some heart to blame in the lost another Taylor. he has no reason to change his story otherwise.
When South Korean challenger, Kim Duk-koo, passed away due to brain injuries incurred a few days after having challenged then champion, Ray 'Boom-Boom' Mancini, an event which is generally seen as the catalyst for 15 rd title fights being phased out, the ref in that fight? He suicided a few months later. These guys are doing that job cause the like the sport. They are not doing it to watch young men possibly die. Steele says it himself, "No fight is worth a ma's life." I believe he means it.
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