Pavlik vs. Hopkins: Earl Morton Removed as Referee

[MANGLER]

Steve Smoger should ref every fight.

[edgarg]

The attraction of Smoger is that he is obviously a nice guy, and has a rapport with the fighters. BUT.......he stops fights far too late, and nearly always breaks up "clinches" which are NOT clinches but skilful INFIGHTING" something that most viewers know nothing about.

Years ago, we used to have whole rounds of infighting, according to the tactics and styles of the boxers, and the ref didn't interfere.

Nowadays, they jump in so quickly that it makes a farce out of trying to fight ion the inside, where many fighters could do much damage, if they wwere allowed.

ANOTHER bad action done by ALL referees today, is, when they separate fighters, to push them back at least a full arm length on each side, and maybe more, giving the "weaker" fighter more space to manoeuvre, and nullifying any advantage gained by the more skilful infighter.

THE RULES OF BOXING state, that when a clinch is broken, the boxers must retreat ONE STEP.......... . That's all..... ONE STEP.

And these days they go back 3 or 4 steps, making 6 or 8 between them.....

[edgarg]

When I read the title I thought that it was Hopkins who was objecting to the choice of referee. We all remember how Hopkins didn't want Joe Cortez in as referee for the de la Hoya fight.

The one thing I can say in defense of Morton is that he refereed one Hopkins before, the Joppy fight. Hopkins had arranged a side bet with Joppy before the fight that Joppy would not last the distance. I remember it being a very significant money figure so it was in Joppy's best interests to finish the fight. Mouton had a few opportunities to stop the fight but Joppy made the distance.

Some thing the fight should have been stopped earlier, he looked like a cabbage patch doll after the fight.

The bet was $100,000. Joppy, although well beaten was in no danger of being KO'd. If he was, he'd have been KO'd. Trinidad had already well softened him up for Hopkins, and Joppy, after the Trinidad fight was broken down, really finished as a top fighter, and Hopkins couldn't take advantage of it.

Trinidad half killed him. not long before that fight, there was a full length feature on Joppy, in which he said that all he wanted was to be remembered as a great fighter, up with the likes of Monzon and Greb and Hagler.

Poor guy................

[Easy-E]

You must be smoking Angel dust my friend.

Pavlik was certainly dazed, but jumped right back up and won the second half of the round.

# 1 Taylor had NO COMPLAINTS about the stoppage, so why do you?

# 2 Taylor wasn't getting up if it was a 30 count let alone 10 count. He was out and slumped against the ropes like a hobo after a bottle of cheap Whiskey.

This is the principal response from a person who does not understand the argument being presented.
The claim is that Smoger should have allowed Taylor fall to the canvas and give him a 10 second count. Hell, give him 8 seconds and look for any motion to rise. You are supposed to count a fighter out unless the referee needs to intervene. Taylor was falling to the canvass and then Smoger jumped over him and waived the fight.
Give the champion an opportunity to rise.
Would it have changed the outcome?
No
Would Taylor had gotten up.
Unlikely.
Would Taylor have been in shame to continue had he gotten up?
Not a chance.

The issue here is procedure. Smoger violated standard referee procedure in this fight.

[Silencers]

The referee's job is to protect the fighter, Taylor was slumping on the ropes when Smoger stepped in, Taylor wasn't down, he went down after Smoger had already stopped the fight, good call from Smoger IMO.

But Smoger could have given Taylor an 8 count on the basis that the ropes were the only things keeping Taylor up, that's a judgment call though, I think Smoger did the right thing.

[Easy-E]

Latest news out of Atlantic City, which has been solidly confirmed by this writer, and is also being reported by Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, is that veteran referee Earl Morton who was scheduled to be the third man in the ring for the Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins fight on Saturday night will be replaced. [details]

Good move by the Pavlik team if it has any validity.
Kenney Bayless is good, Steele is likely out, he has not reffed a fight since 06, Smoger is solid, Jay Nady is acceptable i guess...

[ReadyUp]

Kenny Bayless would be nice to have in there.

Yeh im with stevie then.....

Do not wanna see cortez

These are both Vegas/West Coast ref's. So is Nady and Steele.

Don't think you'll be finding them in the A.C..

[Easy-E]

These are both Vegas/West Coast ref's. So is Nady and Steele.

Don't think you'll be finding them in the A.C..

Yeah was not even thinking about that. Just want to see a good ref.
Who are some notable refs that fight on the East Coast.

[damian5000]

This is the principal response from a person who does not understand the argument being presented.
The claim is that Smoger should have allowed Taylor fall to the canvas and give him a 10 second count. Hell, give him 8 seconds and look for any motion to rise. You are supposed to count a fighter out unless the referee needs to intervene. Taylor was falling to the canvass and then Smoger jumped over him and waived the fight.
Give the champion an opportunity to rise.
Would it have changed the outcome?
No
Would Taylor had gotten up.
Unlikely.
Would Taylor have been in shame to continue had he gotten up?
Not a chance.

The issue here is procedure. Smoger violated standard referee procedure in this fight.

The ref can wave off the fight any time he wants. End of story.

[Mr. Philadel]

Dam.....Team Pavlik already crying and the milk didn't even spill yet
Actions reveals thoughts.......and Team Pavlik isn't as confident as the odds makers