Should Kessler vs Ward Be Changed To A No Contest Because Of The Headbutts?

[BoxCleva]

A caller on a boxing show last night said this "Ward's headbutts would have gotten him disqualified if the fight was in Europe so the decision should be changed to a no contest."

I thought most of the headbutts looked unintentional but there were a few which I suppose were debatable. Do you think the decision should stand or should it be overturned and changed to a no contest because of the headbutts?

No contest is a technical term used in the sport of boxing, to describe a fight which ends for reasons outside the fighters' hands. Various reasons could be used for a fight to be ruled a no contest, but the rules that dictate whether a fight should be called a no contest, a disqualification, or a knockout, differ between countries and boxing organizations. Source

[The Hammer]

A caller on a boxing show last night said this "Ward's headbutts would have gotten him disqualified if the fight was in Europe so the decision should be changed to a no contest."

I thought most of the headbutts looked unintentional but there were a few which I suppose were debatable. Do you think the decision should stand or should it be overturned and changed to a no contest because of the headbutts?

I think it definitely should be changed to no contest.

They were obviously deliberate, and that last one was especially blatent.

[shonuff488]

Either way Kessler was getting outboxed and beat up. So it really doesn't matter.

[The Hammer]

Ward should have been disqualified for that last headbutt. But the ref Jack Reiss is obviously crooked.

[Bad Boy Dazza]

That last headbutt was insane.

[dans]

The headbutts looked unintentional to me, and even if they were intentional, Kessler still got whipped.

I don't care if that fight is in Denmark, Ward would've won. Kessler had nothing. Anyone crying about headbutts is looking for excuses.

[Benny Leonard]

I think it definitely should be changed to no contest.

They were obviously deliberate, and that last one was especially blatent.

Do you want to go back in history and change all the fights then?

[Mersey]

No, this isn't the first time somebodys used their head.

Half of Evander Holyfields career would be no contests...

[Benny Leonard]

Ward should have been disqualified for that last headbutt. But the ref Jack Reiss is obviously crooked.

Was there any points taken away?

A point usually has to be taken away first as the big warning...then the DQ if the ref decides not to take away another point.


Only time DQs really seem to come into effect is something big, like knocking the guy out many seconds after the bell rings...like this:

Fact is, Kessler was getting out-boxed anyway...that was more of the problem than anything. He couldn't deal with Ward's speed, Jab, combos, angles. That's why someone who doesn't even come in with the clinch with his head, like a Prime Roy Jones Jr, since we are talking about styles, would school Kessler.


Should Ward have been warned? Yes, we've gone over this. The Ref should have done his job better. Accidental or not, you can't allow it to happen if it happens more than twice, maybe even once. Once should be the warning, twice the point...three times either another point or just go for the DQ...either way, after two points are taken, DQ tends to follow.

[The Hammer]

Having Jack Reiss work the fight was in violation of the Super Six contract:

from yahoo sports:

OAKLAND, Calif. – New WBA super middleweight world champion Andre Ward has become embroiled in a bitter rift between rival promoters that could impact the future of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Ward, who defeated Mikkel Kessler here Saturday night, may be denied the opportunity to fight in his home city of Oakland later in the competition after German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who represents the interests of Kessler and Arthur Abraham, revealed that he would refuse to bring his boxers to California in the future.

This stance stems from a bitter dispute regarding the naming of Californian Jack Reiss as the referee for Ward’s unanimous technical decision victory over Kessler – a choice enforced by the California State Athletic Commission.

Sauerland claimed that Reiss’ appointment was contrary to the Super Six tournament regulations drawn up in conjunction with organizer Showtime, which stipulates a requirement for neutral officials and judges.

“I have another fighter, Arthur Abraham, who could also come up against Ward,” Sauerland told Yahoo! Sports. “I would never bring him to California, for 100 percent not.

“Why should we come to a place where there is a commission who says the referee has to come from there? We protested but there is no chance, so we have to go in the future to states where they also allow neutral referees.”

Sauerland said the promoters have contracts stipulating that the fights need to be refereed by neutral officials and that the issue could have caused “a big fuss” and the cancellation of the fight.

“I don’t think it helps in this case, but our fellow promoters on this know now what is happening,” he said. “Andre Ward is the only one who has three home fights, the other guys all have to travel. So I think there will be a lot of attention on this in the future.”

Ward was crowned WBA champion when the contest went to the judges’ scorecards, with the fight being stopped in the 11th round due to cuts on Kessler’s face caused by an accidental headbutt. Two judges scored it 98-92 to the American, a third ruling 97-93.

Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen, has ambitious plans for his fighter that involve tapping into the his strong support base in the Bay Area, where more than 10,000 showed up to the Oracle Arena to see him defeat Kessler.

With Saturday’s spectacular display likely to have dramatically increased Ward’s support, Goossen even floated the possibility that if Ward qualified for the final of the Super Six, the championship bout could be held outdoors at the Oakland Coliseum.

However, if Sauerland and the other Super Six promoters refuse to agree to bouts in California from the semifinal stage onward, it could create severe friction and a potential stalemate.

Ward’s next two fights are scheduled to be against fellow Americans Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell, with both set to be held in Oakland. However, Taylor and Dirrell are widely considered to be the boxers most likely to be eliminated when the six-man field is cut to four after the round-robin stage.

That would mean there is a strong likelihood of Ward being paired up with either Abraham or Kessler in a semifinal bout. England’s Carl Froch is another potential opponent, and Froch’s promoter, Mick Hennessy, would need little encouragement in pushing for a home fight in Nottingham, England, rather than a trip to the U.S.

Given the strength of conviction held by both Sauerland and Goossen, discussions could reasonably be expected to become mired in a stalemate, as neither promoter would be keen on giving up home advantage and the associated spinoffs.