Pavlik vs. Hopkins: Earl Morton Removed as Referee

[Yessum]

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

more so than in other fights a reff can make
a differents in a bullethead bernard fight!

i don't see it as pavliks team whineing. its a
legit call.

[Mr. Philadel]

more so than in other fights a reff can make
a differents in a bullethead bernard fight!

i don't see it as pavliks team whineing. its a
legit call.

no doubt....its a REAL legit call!
but it also shows how confident they are.....if Pavlik fights his fight the ref or the judges shouldn't matter! Kelly is supposed to win regardless who's the ref or the judges.....he is supposed to KO B-Hop......thats what the massives are sayin' right? Thats what Jack Lowe was sayin' right? so the point I'm makin is.....if they're so sure of their guy's ability to beat an over the hill throwback, how come are they bitchin' about the ref....they said they have a few tricks intheir bag if it gets like that(unfair) so why the complaint? it just puzzles me thats all.......

[roujinziro]

Smoger or Bayless would be my pick, but really anyone other than Mr. "Firm and Unfair" spotlight stealing Cortez.

[Mr. Ryan]

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................

While there was no one moment where Joppy was out on his feet, he was taking a ridiculous amount of punishment, risking life and limb to make the final bell. The accumulation was getting out of hand and the fight was completely one-sided by the second half. It looked as if Hopkins had horseshoes in his gloves.

Joppy was all heart but he just wasn't good enough to beat the top guys.

[Erudite]

My choice for ref

My choice for ref would be Benjy Esteves: excellent ref, not controversies to date and a decade and a half of experience. I thought he did a fine job with the Cotto v Mosley fight.

[King Jaffe Joffer]

B!tchmove by team Pavlik

[deanrw]

no doubt....its a REAL legit call!
but it also shows how confident they are.....if Pavlik fights his fight the ref or the judges shouldn't matter! Kelly is supposed to win regardless who's the ref or the judges.....he is supposed to KO B-Hop......thats what the massives are sayin' right? Thats what Jack Lowe was sayin' right? so the point I'm makin is.....if they're so sure of their guy's ability to beat an over the hill throwback, how come are they bitchin' about the ref....they said they have a few tricks intheir bag if it gets like that(unfair) so why the complaint? it just puzzles me thats all.......

It is pure hypothetical. This is mainly due to any potential unfairness. If a ref wants to be overly fair to one fighter, but very harsh on another, they have the power to dramatically alter the outcome of a fight. Not just decision wise, but also wrecking a fighters chances of stopping an opponent he has hurt.

A ref carries a ton of power in there if they want to.

[Kris Silver]

Nice to see Nard being up front about, shady stuff has begun before he's got in the ring. A good call, if they really weren't going to put Pavlik in with him as the ref, I'm amazed it's only just been resolved.

[j.razor]

They should bring in Steve Smoger for this.

Steve Smoger is the best ref!

[FLY TY]

no doubt....its a REAL legit call!
but it also shows how confident they are.....if Pavlik fights his fight the ref or the judges shouldn't matter! Kelly is supposed to win regardless who's the ref or the judges.....he is supposed to KO B-Hop......thats what the massives are sayin' right? Thats what Jack Lowe was sayin' right? so the point I'm makin is.....if they're so sure of their guy's ability to beat an over the hill throwback, how come are they bitchin' about the ref....they said they have a few tricks intheir bag if it gets like that(unfair) so why the complaint? it just puzzles me thats all.......

yessir!!! all i'm hearing is KO, KO, KO! and also, "what happens when bernard gets hit flush?" this does show team pavlik is not as confident as they appear to be, and with good reason....NOBODY, i repeat NOBODY, will ever walk to the ring on run over bernard hopkins....bottom line is, hopkins has a better chance of KO'ing pavlik than pavlik does of KO'ing hopkins, and that's real.....

B!tchmove by team Pavlik

***** move indeed, for somebody who's so sure they're gonna win by KO....