(POLL): Was Richard Steele wrong for stopping Chavez-Taylor?

[-DSG-]

nope thats what happens when you fight a PRIME mexican

[elfag]

Steele asked Taylor 2 times in less than a second if he was ok? How did Steele know if Taylor heard him? I've been in nightclubs with a few hundred people and I couldn't hear who was right in front of me. How are we sure Taylor heard Steele in an arena with thousands???


Lastly, Weren't ref's and fighters notified when there was 10 seconds left in the fight because of the guy that was KO'd after the bell?

I'm pretty sure the 10-second notification rule was implemented for that fight. What does that mean? It means Steele knew exactly how much time was left.

Wait I thought the arena was super loud because of all of the cheering fans? Maybe Steele didnt hear the bell because it was so loud?

[Russian Crushin]

Right because allowing a guy to fight until he goes blind is ethically better. Lol you're a funny guy.

Because you know exactly when he'll go blind right.

Like i said i didnt find it that bad, especially enough to stop the fight

[gauze]

i'm still on the fence with this one. i mean chavez ruined taylor. he would have been in absolutely no condition to continue had there been more time on the clock. he wasnt even in any condition to get up! but he did and maybe he deserved the W for showing balls like that.

i know there were only 2 seconds left in the fight but on one hand, if chavez did land something it could have been even more detrimental to taylor's health than that fight already was. and on the other hand, i'm not sure if there was enough time for chavez to come from his neutral corner and land something.

here's something i've never considered until now... imagine if it did continue and chavez rushed over to land another one, bell rings, and chavez gets one slightly after the bell as taylor lets his guard down thinking it was over and he won it? that could have been bad news.

it kind of puts into perspective how some judges score fights, i suppose. taylor was racking up the points, but chavez really beat him down and ruined his career/life. i usually won't score a round for a fighter that lands a few brutal shots while the other guy is racking up points. and you can't always tell how much damage a punch is doing if there's no immediate results. i guess with these kind of fights i can understand some of the ******ed scorecards we see.

i can't say that steele was wrong to stop it. it was a heat of the moment type judgement. but who knows what could have happened if he didnt? it is what it is. i dont think that getting the win would put taylor in a better position than he's in today. their rematch and the rest of his career would have played out the same way in my opinion. i guess i'm saying it's better to possibly save a life than make a few sports fans happy

[BoxingGenius27]

Because you know exactly when he'll go blind right.

Like i said i didnt find it that bad, especially enough to stop the fight

You said Steele saved Taylor's life, so you knew he would've died right?

LOL if you think he wouldn't have went blind.

[Thread Stealer]

Chavez "ruining" Taylor is totally exaggerated. He took something out of him. There's a difference.

I won't knock Steele so much since Taylor wasn't reacting to his questions and took a beating(although Steele let Hearns go on against Barkley and his legs were in way worse shape). Duva deserves much blame for poor advice, distracting Taylor when Steele asked him questions, and later probably being part of the decision to cash out on Taylor against Norris.

[D4thincarnation]

How do you guys feel?

Was Taylor in any condition to continue or was Steele right in stopping the fight?

Thoughts?

Taylor was not responding to Steele, Steele had no option to stop the fight, whether there is one second left of the clock or 2:59, Steele had to make his decision on whether Taylor was fit to continue, he was not.

Maybe if his corner would not have told Taylor he needed the last round Meldrick could have survived the last round.

Brutal fight, great fight from both men, both stepped up to the plate and put it all on the line.

[hugh grant]

Not really wrong to stop as if Taylor lasted to the end looking like that his win would have been tarred anyway, looking in that state. It was his fault for looking like that so close to the end and dukeing it out with chavez when he didnt need to.

Hindsight is good though and im sure Steele has seen the tape and convinced himself he could have let the fight go on, but at the time he didnt want to.
So on the night it was the right decision but sitting at home watching the tape, Mr Steele told himself he should have let it go on, so Taylor could win.

[NEELZ]

At the time, I was outraged by that stoppage. Steele saw the 10 second light flash. He knew the round was almost over. If he didn't see that light, maybe he was in a coma or had cataracts and wasn't fit to referee. Taylor absolutely deserved an opportunity to crawl to the finish line. He fought a valiant fight. I doubt he would have taken another solid punch before the bell rung. The odds that he would have been killed in that split second are similar to the odds that someone in the crowd hits him in the head with an empty whisky bottle.

[wizard king]

At the time, I was outraged by that stoppage. Steele saw the 10 second light flash. He knew the round was almost over. If he didn't see that light, maybe he was in a coma or had cataracts and wasn't fit to referee. Taylor absolutely deserved an opportunity to crawl to the finish line. He fought a valiant fight. I doubt he would have taken another solid punch before the bell rung. The odds that he would have been killed in that split second are similar to the odds that someone in the crowd hits him in the head with an empty whisky bottle.

exactly probly couldt take another hit,probly may have been killed with another punch,could have be been oright but at the end of the day it was the right stoppage,bottom line taylor was never the same after the beating he got that is a fact and could have been worse had the fight not been stoped