It's amazing when you think about it the influence a referee can have on the outcome of a fight. Specifically, a referee can dictate what kind of fight ensues, whether fighters are allowed to work inside, or to the advantage of certain styles, if the action is stopped whenever inside and the fighters separated. Announcers talk about this distinction like it's a matter of taste or personal preference. But for a lot of fighters, it can be the difference between a W and a L. What are some examples in which the referee inclination to break fighters could've arguably changed the outcome of the fight?
It Wasn't Subtle, Nor Did it Decide the Outcome of the Fight, but the Sheer NEGLIGENCE of the Ref who Did Griffith-Paret, Decided Paret's Fate, LITERALLY... [video=youtube;vBNQNwCyYqk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBNQNwCyYqk[/video] REED:hammert:
If Hatton hadn't been allowed to armbar in MEN, he might've lost against Tszyu Ruiz would've lost a lot of fights if every referee was like Jay Nady (i.e., didn't allow him to hug his opponent to death)
Gatti-Ward I probably ends earlier if Frank Cappucino isn't the ref. Capp being the ref might've changed the outcome of Judah-Tszyu. Obviously Richard Steele had a major impact on Chavez-Taylor I Joe Cortez is out to lunch often, but a lot of refs would've stopped Pac-Marquez I in the first, which would've radically changed boxing history
Robin Reid would have beaten Sven Ottke rather decisively were it not for the most inept referee I have ever seen in my life. The guy was giving Reid warnings for punching Ottke in the face.
If wald pussy's fights had been officiated competently across the board, he likely has another KO loss or two on his resume from a combination of his putrid stamina and his cheerleader's chin, despite the horrendous opposition he faces A Mere Con, as well, has been greatly aided by the pavlovian "oh one guy hugged the other... lemme break them and just ignore that this happens any time the opponent negotiates his way past a jab... as if the two guys mututally decided to hug it out"
Joe Calzaghe would have roughly 14 or 15 "KO" victories on his ledger had he not been the receipient, time and time again, of some of the most disgraceful, unnecessary, unearned "stoppages" ever seen at the world class level His stoppage wins are like the polar opposite of Griffith/Paret
Whereas Paret died, a report of one of Calzaghe's "victims" conditions would have read something like "... Doctors worked feverishly on Manfredo, who was diagnosed with a condition known as 'Bemused Irritation'"
The referees were doing Joes opponents a favour and saving them from the platter of punishment which awaited them a round or so later. They should actually have been given awards for saving lives.
Other than in cases where the ref is in the bag for the house fighter, the biggest way refs usually influence a fight one way or the other is how they handle in-fighting. Some will tell the fighters to work their way out and others break it instantaneously.
