Did Joe Calzaghe give the ref a sign to stop the fight? Or did the ref **** Joe?

[hugh grant]

I was angry the ref stopped it. Even though Joe would have likely won in the next couple of rounds or so, i wanted to see a fight. It had a big build up this fight.
Man wasnt hurt and was defending himself so i cant see the reason it was stoped. Boxing is about defence as well and Man was showing his defensive skills.

[Red_Menace]

Watching it a couple times, I think the ref though Manfredo was really hurt and out on his feet. He didn't look concerned until Manfredo leaned forward with his head down and didn't seem to have any ability to get away. The shots weren't landing clean, but he was just standing there looking like a sitting duck. He basically went from each corner of the ring, leaning on the ropes and letting Calzaghe rain shots on him. When he got to the last rope, he took a body shot which looked like it hurt him a little bit, he backed into the rope and got swarmed. When he didn't know how to get away, he ducked and covered. I don't know if the ref thought he was hurt, which he could have, or if he just saw the Manfredo was way out of his league and decided to save him some injury. The ref should have given Manfredo a standing count, but was the standing count in effect? If it wasn't, maybe he thought stopping it was the best option.

[hugh grant]

Ali was doing the same thing to Foreman to tire himself out and it happens all the time. It was diabolical last night and i support Joe though. Maybe it was manfredos tactics to tire joe out. That is why you cant stop fights like that.

[Red_Menace]

Ali was doing the same thing to Foreman to tire himself out and it happens all the time. It was diabolical last night and i support Joe though. Maybe it was manfredos tactics to tire joe out. That is why you cant stop fights like that.

I agree, but Ali stayed upright and even though he was losing the fight, it looked like he was still in the fight. Manfredo was getting swarmed from rope to rope and I think ref thought he was badly hurt when he bent over with his hands covering his face and didn't seem to have any plan of escape. He wasn't moving his feet to get out. He was just standing there. This wasn't the same as James Toney ducking under a few punches and then getting back into a position to throw or counter. Manfredo just ducked and covered with shots raining on him, whether they were landing clean or not. I'm not saying I agree with the refs decision, but I can see how he might have confused Manfredo's body language.

[squealpiggy]

Manfredo just covered up as Calzaghe dropped about ten shots on him, then he started trying to bob and weave and perhaps it looked to the ref like Peter was just turtling.

I still think that a stoppage like this is more to Manfredo's benefit than it was to Calzaghes. Manfredo could have been seriously hurt in this fight. It really shouldn't have been sanctioned.

[Franko]

**** him in as, he screwed joe calzaghe's 20 defense over by making it look like a bull**** stoppage, not ****ing him literally? I know alot of you think I'm an alt but I'm not. I like Calzaghe but, i didn't like his performance tonight. Well, we never got to see the best of him. And in my opinion he didn't land nearly enough to get a stoppage, something just seems fishy as hell. As much as you can bad mouth manfredo for not throwing back, he did a pretty good job at ducking, weaving, and blocking in my personal opinion. This ref didn't just steal this fight from calzaghe, but stole it from manfredo. Manfredo would have lost most likely, but this stoppage will always leave a question to what would have happened. We can only make assumptions

I suggest that you listen to Ray Leonards interview after the fight. It was poor refereeing IMO. No more, no less.

[ThaHorseman]

What a terrible stoppage. Don't get me wrong, I knew Manfredo had no business being in the same ring with Calzaghe, but DAMN. He was blocking a lot of those punches and the ones that were hitting him were slapping punches that wouldn't hurt a 12 year old girl. Hmmm, I wonder why American fighters don't like to go overseas?

[Dozer]

I suggest that you listen to Ray Leonards interview after the fight. It was poor refereeing IMO. No more, no less.

Poor reffin or not, Manfredo was A done deal.

[Franko]

Poor reffin or not, Manfredo was A done deal.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. If you mean that Calzaghe was always going to be too much for Manfredo then i agree. If you are suggesting that something untoward went on in order to gift the fight to Calzaghe then i disagree.

[ben41193]

manfredo was outclassed. Calaghes hand speed was blinding. He was just to fast for manfredo and manfredo was confused he didnt know what to do. He just couldnt handle calzaghes speed. So he just coverd up layed on the ropes and bobbed around randomly. He wasnt hurt and it didnt need to be stopped at that time. But i dont think manfredo woulda gotten anything done at all if it had gone on. But we will never know.