Comments Thread For: Ceja Files Protest With WBC Over Stoppage Loss To Rigondeaux

[glenn mcrory]

The chances of such a protest being successful are slim to none. Russell Mora had a decision to make, he thought Ceja was badly hurt and stopped the fight. It's a judgement call. There is no glaring mistake, like a knockout from a punch behind the head or after the bell. I thought it was a bad stoppage and if I was in Ceja's shoes I would be mad, but overuling Mora's decision would undermine the referee's function and set a bad precedent that would lead many other fighters to file protests every time they feel they have been on the wrong end of a premature stoppage.

The conspiracy theories are hilarious though. So the fight was fixed, but instead of simply having the judges rob Ceja - the good old method - they decide to take chances for fun and hope that Rigondeaux drops Ceja hard enough to give the ref an excuse to stop it. If Ceja doesn't get dropped, the plan goes out the window lol.

Yeah cause we definitely dont see fights where the time the judges spend “tallying” their scores goes over the hour mark because instead of counting they are rewriting.
Why spend the bribe money unless you absoultely need to?
Besides they, like everyone else, didnt actually think the almighty RIGOD would actually be trailing and losing almost every round to Julio f***king Ceja.

[-Kev-]

Refs are scared to be held liable over a fighter having brain damage. Don’t blame the refs, blame fighters families looking to sue everyone involved with looking after the fighters. Ref is the very first person in charge of preventing a boxer from taking too much punishment. I thought Ceja responded well, could’ve continued, but i’m not the one that will be held accountable if that was the last punch Ceja could’ve taken before putting his brain in danger.

Ceja will continue fighting, the ref doesn’t have to worry about getting sued or blamed for injury, and the NSAC avoided any negative attention due to boxing injury.

“But in the old days...”

This is no longer the old days, things change for the safety of the participants in the sport and to prevent lawsuits from the participants families. I’m not paying a dime for the recovery of these fighters, or paying a dime when the refs need to get a lawyer to defend themselves in court because they couldn’t tell when a boxer was too hurt to continue.

[The_Hamster]

I do think it was a quick stoppage. He was doing well in the fight and it was actually somewhat of a sudden flash knockdown and he got up quickly. I don't see what else he could have done to show that he wanted to continue. He really did not even look out and punch drunk. If a fighter gets up and they are slightly unbalanced that is not a means to stop the fight. If they are stumbling all over the place fine stop the fight but if they get up quick at 8 and they want to continue you should let them.
There's one other factor that has me concerned about this and that is Russell Mora.

He participated in the most dirty refereeing job I have ever seen in 25 years of watching boxing. It was during the bantamweight tournament and it was a fight where Abner mares landed nearly a hundred low blows and never had a point taken it was the most low blows ever landed in a fight I am sure. You guys can YouTube the fight or look it up but I know some of you remember this.

I have never seen a referee do a fighter so dirty as that. The broadcasting team commented on it quite a bit they were amazed that a point or disqualification hadn't been served to Abner Mares. So Russell Mora is definitely a suspect referee.

[frosty-g]

This isnt MMA. A fight shouldnt get stopped every time someone is wobbled.......

In MMA they aren’t capable of hitting properly so the odds of then sustaining a serious injury are far far lower.

[frosty-g]

That's why it got stopped, because he was winning. I only gave Rigondeaux the first round. The worst part, there was only 1 second left in the round. I think they just used it as an opportunity to give Rigondeaux the victory. Very surprised to read that all 3 judges had Ceja ahead.

Those pesky Cubans always getting favouritism eh...?

Is this some alternate reality you’re living in?

[deanrw]

What I took from that fight is Rigo could punch bricks and break them. It is when he punches air that he breaks. Air is his Achilles heel.

[HeadBodyBodyBody]

Refs are scared to be held liable over a fighter having brain damage. Don’t blame the refs, blame fighters families looking to sue everyone involved with looking after the fighters. Ref is the very first person in charge of preventing a boxer from taking too much punishment. I thought Ceja responded well, could’ve continued, but i’m not the one that will be held accountable if that was the last punch Ceja could’ve taken before putting his brain in danger.

Ceja will continue fighting, the ref doesn’t have to worry about getting sued or blamed for injury, and the NSAC avoided any negative attention due to boxing injury.

“But in the old days...”

This is no longer the old days, things change for the safety of the participants in the sport and to prevent lawsuits from the participants families. I’m not paying a dime for the recovery of these fighters, or paying a dime when the refs need to get a lawyer to defend themselves in court because they couldn’t tell when a boxer was too hurt to continue.

In the Colon case, it is the ringside doctor and the promoters who are being accused. I don't see how the ref can be held liable, he is not a medical professional, that is why the doctor is there. Ceja did everything he was asked to do. If the ref is unsure of whether a fighter is fit to continue, despite the fighter doing everything asked, the correct step is to defer to the doctor's better judgement, that is why the doctor is there. So, take a timeout, or in this case, get the doctor to check over Ceja in-between rounds.

EDIT: If the referee had called a timeout, I assume it would have come at the start of the next round? I'm not sure on that

[-Kev-]

In the Colon case, it is the ringside doctor and the promoters who are being accused. I don't see how the ref can be held liable, he is not a medical professional, that is why the doctor is there. Ceja did everything he was asked to do. If the ref is unsure of whether a fighter is fit to continue, despite the fighter doing everything asked, the correct step is to defer to the doctor's better judgement, that is why the doctor is there. So, take a timeout, or in this case, get the doctor to check over Ceja in-between rounds.

EDIT: If the referee had called a timeout, I assume it would have come at the start of the next round? I'm not sure on that

I will take a refs word over a ringside doctor on whether or not a fighter can continue or not. The ref has to initiate a check up on a fighter, for the ringside doc can check on him. I don’t think a doctor can jump on the ring apron, call time out, and check on the fighter’s welfare, that is all up to the ref. And the corner can do that, I think only to stop the fight.

So it really all falls on the ref to protect the fighters.

My point is, as the ref there’s a lot of pressure to not stop a fight prematurely and to not let a fight go on for too long to the point where you just allowed a fighter to become brain damaged. I can see why after the Magomed, Colon, and Maquinto fights, refs are probably urged by athletic commissions to protect fighters more than ever, and stop fights before a fighter even looks badly hurt. I don’t think we’re going to see fights where fighters are fighting hurt, exhausted and look out of it anymore, out of fear of lawsuits against the athletic commissions. Seems like a battle they will lose as you saw with the Magomed family winning their lawsuit against the NYSAC over the Perez-Magomed fight, and boxing changed all over the US right after that fight. Just like it always does after something big happens, for example 15 rounds being eliminated after the Mancini vs Kim fight.

[ShoulderRoll]

Refs are scared to be held liable over a fighter having brain damage. Don’t blame the refs, blame fighters families looking to sue everyone involved with looking after the fighters. Ref is the very first person in charge of preventing a boxer from taking too much punishment. I thought Ceja responded well, could’ve continued, but i’m not the one that will be held accountable if that was the last punch Ceja could’ve taken before putting his brain in danger.

Ceja will continue fighting, the ref doesn’t have to worry about getting sued or blamed for injury, and the NSAC avoided any negative attention due to boxing injury.

“But in the old days...”

This is no longer the old days, things change for the safety of the participants in the sport and to prevent lawsuits from the participants families. I’m not paying a dime for the recovery of these fighters, or paying a dime when the refs need to get a lawyer to defend themselves in court because they couldn’t tell when a boxer was too hurt to continue.

Old days?

Corrales vs Castillo didn't happen that long ago.

A classic like that will never be seen again if these refs don't give fighters a chance to make a comeback.

Barring an obviously out of it boxer the fight should be allowed to continue.

[-Kev-]

Old days?

Corrales vs Castillo didn't happen that long ago.

A classic like that will never be seen again if these refs don't give fighters a chance to make a comeback.

Barring an obviously out of it boxer the fight should be allowed to continue.

Apply the old days comment to which ever fight you want, it doesn’t matter to me, even if it’s a only 15 year old fight like Corrales-Castillo. It’s a comment aimed at any one who wants to talk about the “past”. That past can be a 15 year old fight.

Or it can be a 30+ year old fight like Mancini vs Kim, where Kim’s mother committed suicide and so did the ref of the fight, all over Kim dying due to the fight.

My point still remains the same. Ref’s are under a lot of pressure for the fighter’s health and the fans have no real care in the world for the fighters. They just want to see a “good fight”. They will not donate one cent to a fighter who’s under serious medical care but then they demand the most out of fighters and refs. “Get well soon” and sending prayers is not enough to keep a boxer alive.