Hall Of Shame Referee Screw Ups

[The Old LefHook]

I agree Mills' initial judgement was for stopping the fight and that would have been the correct decision.

He decided against that though, one can only assume after bringing the magnitude of the fight to mind. Ratner didn't make the decision, he mearly asked Mills, "do you want to disqualify him?"

He evidently didn't. So he consulted the doctor who said Holyfield could continue and deducted two points instead. It was a bad call by Mills on the night. He buckled and was only really bailed out of being answerable for that by Tyson repeating the offense.

A normally stellar referee and also one of my favourites but he had a bad night at the office on that occasion.

On I side note. I've watched both a British and an American broadcast but neither seem to show what you've indicated. A point in the right direction would be much appreciated.

If a referee wants to stop a fight and his boss in direct opposition to what he just said, then asks him: "Do you want to let it continue?" I call that pressure from above. The real question was: "Would you like to referee fights in Nevada again?" Lane was smart enough to know what Ratner was saying.

[- Ram Raid -]

I thought Mills let the fight continue because Holyfield wanted to fight on. No? I remember Evander saying afterwards how angry he was and wanted to fight Tyson some more after that and hurt him bad for getting bit by him.

Evander wanted to continue and we'd expect nothing less from the man really.

If I remember rightly he said his first instinct was to bite him back (he'd bitten an opponent himself in the semifinal of the Georgia Golden Gloves). I'm not sure of this one but I think he then wanted to cut off the gloves before deciding that he wanted to fight on. Understandably, he'd have a whirlwind if conflicting emotions in the moments after.

If I'm getting the sequence right though Mill's makes the call to deduct points before he asks Evander if he can go on. By that time Holyfield had regained his composure.

[- Ram Raid -]

If a referee wants to stop a fight and his boss in direct opposition to what he just said, then asks him: "Do you want to let it continue?" I call that pressure from above. The real question was: "Would you like to referee fights in Nevada again?" Lane was smart enough to know what Ratner was saying.

That's in part what I was alluding to by referring to the magnitude of the fight. I'd question whether he would have been ostracised completely for making the call though (after all he did stop it shortly after, though by that point his hand was forced into making the correct decision).

Mill's himself is on record stating that Ratner didn't try to overrule him but as you state, there's a clear implication in asking him whether he wants to disqualify him. Whatever the reasoning for his final decision, it wasn't the right call. A fighter has bitten off part of an opponents ear. That isn't a points deduction. It's not even within the legal exceptions that boxing operates under. It'd be a GBH with intent charge in Britain (I'm not aware of the American equivalent).

The whole affair brought a lot of shame on the sport. The majority if not all of that rightly aimed at Tyson. Had Mike not have been hell bent on finding a way out of fight we conceivably (though admittedly unlikely) could have had a scenario where Tyson bites off a chunk of his opponents ear, is allowed to continue, wins the bout and is awarded the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Boxing's opponents would have justifiably had a field day. Mill's actions would have brought the sport into disrepute. Whatever his reasons for making it, it was a very bad call. Thankfully for all involved , Tyson's cowardice on the night wasn't to be curtailed and the indecent didn't unfold to have the ramifications that it could have had.

[The Old LefHook]

That's in part what I was alluding to by referring to the magnitude of the fight. I'd question whether he would have been ostracised completely for making the call though (after all he did stop it shortly after, though by that point his hand was forced into making the correct decision).

Mill's himself is on record stating that Ratner didn't try to overrule him but as you state, there's a clear implication in asking him whether he wants to disqualify him. Whatever the reasoning for his final decision, it wasn't the right call. A fighter has bitten off part of an opponents ear. That isn't a points deduction. It's not even within the legal exceptions that boxing operates under. It'd be a GBH with intent charge in Britain (I'm not aware of the American equivalent).

The whole affair brought a lot of shame on the sport. The majority if not all of that rightly aimed at Tyson. Had Mike not have been hell bent on finding a way out of fight we conceivably (though admittedly unlikely) could have had a scenario where Tyson bites off a chunk of his opponents ear, is allowed to continue, wins the bout and is awarded the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Boxing's opponents would have justifiably had a field day. Mill's actions would have brought the sport into disrepute. Whatever his reasons for making it, it was a very bad call. Thankfully for all involved , Tyson's cowardice on the night wasn't to be curtailed and the indecent didn't unfold to have the ramifications that it could have had.

No, sir, I do not believe he had bitten off part of the ear with the first infraction. That came off with the second bite. If the part had been missing after the first chomp the fight would have been stopped for sure. I think even Tyson was shocked it was allowed to go on, since his intention had been to be DQd. But he was determined to have his way, whether it meant being DQd or backing Holy's head off from the action.

Holyfield has a head the size of a wood stove. Whenever he was not boxing someone fluidly, he was boring in with his head down like a fullback using his helmut.

Tyson should have tired some of his roundhouses, following through characteristically with the dirty elbow. Maybe his elbows feared that forehead. He could have tried the elbow uppercut.

[- Ram Raid -]

No, sir, I do not believe he had bitten off part of the ear with the first infraction. That came off with the second bite. If the part had been missing after the first chomp the fight would have been stopped for sure. I think even Tyson was shocked it was allowed to go on, since his intention had been to be DQd. But he was determined to have his way, whether it meant being DQd or backing Holy's head off from the action.

Holyfield has a head the size of a wood stove. Whenever he was not boxing someone fluidly, he was boring in with his head down like a fullback using his helmut.

Tyson should have tired some of his roundhouses, following through characteristically with the dirty elbow. Maybe his elbows feared that forehead. He could have tried the elbow uppercut.

The top of Holyfield's ear was taken off by the first bite. Tyson then spits it to the canvas. That's why I'm stating that Mill's officiating on the night is worthy of some harsh criticism.

[REMOVE SHARK 55]

Marlon Wright. Lucian Bute vs Andrade. The first fight, last round. Don't know whether he screwed up or that was corruption.

[McGoorty]

The absolute worst ever referee decision was in the Young Griffo v Jack McAuliffe fight, this referee who's name I have forgotten declared McAuliffe the winner it was a big scandal at the time as Griffo had won every round very easily, in fact some say that as usual not a punch landed on Griffo who had punched McAuliffe around the ring the whole night. It is the worst robbery in history

[fanofslug]

Mills Lane, allowed Holyfield to headbutt his way to victory against Tyson. The ear thing was just an afterthought.

[McGoorty]

The guy who screwed up the Griffo v McAuliffe fight was Maxie Moore and ever since a poor ref decision has been described as, "done a Maxie Moore", He ripped off Griffo because it was McAuliffe's last fight and he had been undefeated up till then.... so now you all know, McAuliffe actually lost a fight, he was floored in the 6th and rarely landed on Griffo but one put Griffo down in the 2nd. The crowd was furious at this legendary fix.

[billeau2]

Mills Lane, allowed Holyfield to headbutt his way to victory against Tyson. The ear thing was just an afterthought.

People do tend to forget that Holly had a reputation as a dirty fighter. You and Left Hook have both alluded to his use of the head. In the Tyson fight Hollyfield was being coached to constantly push Tyson back on his heels before he could set to punch...its actually an old Ju Jutsu principle, if you stand in front of me feet about 3 feet wide, I can draw a triangle with its third point directly in back and in front of you where your balance is the weakest. Its called "Triangulation."

At the higher levels of Japanese grappling science these points are exposed in the flux of movement... For example, I push on you, you drop a leg back, to defend the point behind you, I dead weight drop to one knee while extending the leg in front of you straight across your legs ( I am facing you front to front as I drop) I am pulling you into the new front point you created and my leg is trapping your attempt to step past me... this is one way a sacrifice throw is accomplished.

So Evander using a somewhat crude variation of this concept is pushing in with his head and body just as Mike is getting ready to punch...As Mike tries to recover his balance Holly fires his shots.

Its kind of sad because Mike had the technical mind to overcome this strategy IF someone had been able to show him what Evander was doing. Of course because of the dirty tactics Evander employed, Mike was also distracted. Both guys did it dirty those fights....no question. Mike just got pissed that he was getting butted.