Referee Marlon B. Wright ruins sensational finish in Montreal, Bute retains on ridiculous officiating
by Scott Christ on Oct 25, 2008 1:18 AM EDT
in Boxing Results and Post-Fight Analysis
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I realize this is rambling, semi-incoherent, and probably doesn't even make a lot of sense if you didn't see the fight. For that, I apologize. But I am madder than hell about how this fight finished.
I am going to try to keep this clean because I know people read at work, I know there's a chance kids read this blog, and because I only curse during the heat of the moment of a fight. That's the pure boxing nut in me coming out. I certainly let loose at the end of tonight's main event in the round-by-round in the post below.
Let's be all Quentin Tarantino-y and start at the end.
Steve Farhood: "Do you feel you were cheated?"
Librado Andrade: "Oh, yes!"
What happened in Montreal tonight ruined an amazing finish to a good fight, one that had featured Lucian Bute -- who did nothing wrong tonight and is a hell of a fighter -- outclassing the tough, workmanlike Librado Andrade.
Bute peppered with rights and lefts all night, and lost only one round before the final three minutes. He stung the seemingly-indestructible Andrade on numerous occasions. He fought great. He largely cut Andrade off, didn't let him get more than one shot at any given moment, and did exactly what he's known for doing. He boxed beautifully.
But in the final moments of this fight, in a GREAT 12th round with Andrade going for broke, Bute exhausted, and finally floored with a massive right hand, Montreal referee Marlon B. Wright disgraced boxing with an historically awful display.
First of all, and nobody's even talking about this, Bute was held up by the ropes twice before he finally went down.
A Montreal referee. A Montreal fighter. A Montreal fight.
I'm not one to start the boxing conspiracy theories or the favoritism B.S., but if this one doesn't stink to you, I don't know what to tell you. Bute collapsed under the pressure and was knocked out. A proper count and he does not get up. Instead, Librado Andrade is punished for standing three or four feet away from a neutral corner, and Marlon B. Wright turns what should have been a ten count into almost a 30 count.
This cannot be excused, this cannot be brushed under the rug. While Marlon B. Wright tried to sell the story that it was Andrade that cost himself the knockout win (admitting Andrade should have had a knockout win in the process), don't buy the bridge, folks. Andrade deserved a knockout win tonight.
This was Marlon B. Wright's fifth world title fight as a referee. Let's hope it's his last. Joe Cortez, you've got some competition. I'm not even saying Wright was anti-Andrade, really, or trying so much to help Bute. Maybe he was, but that's not the most bothersome aspect to me.
The worst part of it is that a referee in a world title fight lost control of himself, screamed at a fighter that had just knocked a man out, and let it dictate the outcome of the fight. Instead of fists doing the talking, an incompetent referee does it all.
Librado Andrade deserved better. Even Lucian Bute deserved better. Hey, maybe if the referee starts the count properly, Bute gets up quicker. He looked out to me, but never doubt a fighter's resolve to stand up, hold himself up as long as he has to, and retain a title belt he worked hard to get.
Boxing deserved better. Marlon B. Wright, may you never work a world class fight again in your life.
If you watched the first 11 rounds of this fight and missed the final three minutes, you wouldn't want to see a rematch. There'd be no need. And I think if they do it again, one of two things happens.
1. Bute outboxes and outclasses Andrade, because he's a far better boxer.
2. Andrade presses him harder, earlier, and looks to wear him out, because he knows he can put him on the canvas.
And all respect to both fighters, who showed class before, during, and after the fight. Andrade wants a rematch, but doesn't think he'll get it. Bute at least gives lip service to fighting Andrade again, if he "has to." I hate that these fighters have a big night in their careers marred this way, but it happened, and it should not be a two-day outrage followed up by nobody doing anything about it. Someone has to actually act on this and make it as right as it can be made. I'm not even saying anything drastic; order a rematch. Reprimand Wright for failing at his job. Something has to be done.
Knowing boxing and the sanctioning bodies, nothing will, and life will go on as if none of this ever went down.
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if i remember correctly soto was awarded the belt (but not the victory) after cortez’s screw up, so is there any possible chance andrade gets this belt?
by battle axe of doom on Oct 25, 2008 1:29 AM EDT reply actions
Soto didn't get the belt
He had to fight Gamaliel Diaz for it this month, it was still vacant. The WBC just refused to give Lorenzo the belt.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by Scott Christ on Oct 25, 2008 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions
The ref was horrible for the whole 12th round
As you said Scott, Bute was held up by the ropes several times.
When Bute would desperately try to hold, the ref took way too long to break them apart, and then would briefly stand in Andrade’s way before he could re-continue his assault. This happened a few times that round.
And he obviously was completely insane to stop his count simply because Andrade stepped a bit out of his corner. What the hell was that?
Now I’ll say one thing for the Bute side of things: even if the ref didn’t bizarrely stop the count, Bute was up before 10 seconds, according to my very amateur self-clocking. HOWEVER, while on his feet, he was still out on his feet. The ref did not bother to even see if the guy could continue…just rubbed the gloves to his chest and that was it.
I don’t think it was some grand conspiracy, but I do think that Wright was doing everything he could to give the hometown fighter the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately for Andrade, while these were mere seconds, they were ones he absolutely needed.
Just awful. I still can’t get over him stopping the count to yell at Andrade to get back in the corner!
management sez: recommend fanposts/fanshots/comments! Click 'reply' when replying to a comment! Flag jerkfaces! Be a 'Nazi' when it comes to thread duplication!
by your friendly BullsBlogger on Oct 25, 2008 1:45 AM EDT reply actions
I am so FUGGIN PISSED right now......I cant even talk.
That Ref was a piece of shit the WHOLE FIGHT!!!!
BUTE never got told anything for grabbing librados leg TWO times. He never told BUTE anything for holding My Cousin until the 11th round. He was on LILOs case the WHOLE fight. He is a piece of shit ass ref. I HATE boxing now. First STURM gets robbed against DeLaHoya then my other cousin, Enrique Ornelas gets robbed against Sam Soliman. NOW THIS. I will not take boxing serious AGAIN. I will still watch fights because I love watching boxing but I wont take it serious. Boxing is NOT A SPORT anymore it is rigged and if the commisioner of boxing does not fix this shit, boxing is going to go further down the shit hole.
Put Kendry Morales at 1B, and move Sean Rodriguez to 3B......NOW LETS GO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think it's a rigging question
Just that there’s a stunning amount of incompetence in refereeing and judging in the sport. Doug Tucker scoring Mijares-Navarro 120-108 for Navarro earlier this year should have had him banned for life. These things need to be better regulated.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by Scott Christ on Oct 25, 2008 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think Andrade has any chance in hell winning a case if he would protest to the local boxing commission.
I am very disappointed that the ref and not the fighters decided the fight.
Both fighters deserved a better ref .
I mean lets see how he screwed up…
Missed the slip/push KD.
Missed Andrade elbow
NEver said anything to Bute and his leg fetish
And SC covered the end…
You know with another ref the fight would have been stopped before he hit the canvas… looks at Terry O’Connor
Marion C Cooper
I agree with the above. I think he was awful the whole fight and I believe he cheated to help the home town guy.
1.) It was obvious that Andrade was not knocked down (that was an awful call).
2.) He stopped most infighting by constantly breaking after Bute held. Often when Andrade was trying to work inside (this helped Bute)
3.) The “long count” at the end was absurd.
Correction Ref. Marlon B. Wright
I believe the rule is even if Bute beat the count by an nanosecond that if he is incapable of defending himself he loses. Again I don’t think Wright was just bad (which he was) but he did not want the home guy to lose and it showed.
It's typically the ref's discretion
especially since there was no time left. I think a blatant robbery is an overstatement. Andrade deserves a rematch and I hope he get its, however, I think a better paced Bute outboxes him to another UD.
Montreal Boxing Fan
Even here in montreal we consider that Andrade won the fight. The ref took way too much time to put Andrade back in the corner and it was obvious that Bute was on another planet. Another punch from Librado would could have been lethal for Lucian Bute and the ref should have stopped that fight without even counting. Everyone admits that Bute won most of the 11th preceding rounds but that is not how a fight is won. I admire that people here dont put the blame on Lucian or the montreal amateurs because near 8 out of 10 montreal fan believe that Lucian lost the fight. You could see into Lucian eyes after the fight that he was not proud of that win and i hope that there will be a rematch.
great fans in Montreal
I said during the fight that Montreal might be the best boxing city in North America right now. I stand by that. What an excellent crowd tonight.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by Scott Christ on Oct 25, 2008 3:29 AM EDT up reply actions
No blame on Lucian
but he made himself look like a dumb ass by saying he won the fight. Then when asked about the knock out he said he was tired and that librado didnt even hurt him. Poor Sport. I hope Librado gets the rematch and knocks him the FUGG OUT!!!!!
I seriously wanted to see Grant knock the Ref out after the fight. I would have paid GOOD MONEY to see that.
Put Kendry Morales at 1B, and move Sean Rodriguez to 3B......NOW LETS GO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANDRADE got robbed by the ref. What an idiot of a ref. He should never officiate again. He gave ANDRADE a warning on holding when BUTE was holding for his life. BUTE has no admiration. He knows he lost and he acted like he won. He will never be the same. This is going to haunt him in his next fight and he will get dropped again. Take credit when it is due, and suck up the lost as a man.
Bad Call..
I seen the last round this morning. Bute was wasted, he was gone when he stood up. Dangerous and shit Job from the Ref. Andrade should of had a ko12 on his record. Its a another black eye for boxing but there are so many today its like its the norm… ill catch it full in the week.
Mainstream is brought to you ..
Underground you got to go there...
Ref's a sell out...
Was that a 50th count or an 80th.
"I beat him so bad, he ended up in the Hospital. And I am still pretty." -Cassius Clay
The real problem is that there wouldn't have been an issue at all if it was reffed properly
If the ref gives Bute a standing-8 count with 17 seconds left (the first time he bounced into the ropes) like he should have, Bute would have had more than enough time to get his feet under him and weather out the last 7 seconds of the fight without getting knocked out.
As it was, it would have been controversial no matter what. As I counted it, even without the delay, Bute was back on his feet at 9, but he was clearly not in shape to fight any longer. If he calls it a KO, the Bute camp has a good argument that he was on his feet and the ref already knew that the final bell had rung, and therefore it shouldn’t have been a KO. If he doesn’t call it a KO, the Andrade camp has an argument because it would have been called a KO at any other point in the fight and you can’t be saved by the bell.
Obviously, the ref’s handling of the situation was atrocious, but I guess I’m saying that it probably didn’t affect the outcome. Had he handled it properly, there’s a 99% chance it would have been a Bute victory. Had he even just handled the count properly, then he still has a controversial ending.
I can see this one ending up with a mandatory rematch, which is unfortunate. Bute clearly outclassed Andrade for 11 rounds. The only suspense is whether Andrade can press Bute to knock him down again, and I have to imagine that Bute would be more safety-first in a rematch (especially since he’s usually more of a safety-first fighter anyway). However, Andrade seems to be developing a reputation as the ultimate chinchecker. If he can learn to be a little more fluid, he still has an outside shot at having a career similar to Glen Johnson.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
See the time keeper is at fault here
The ref did a real crappy job, but as you said Bute hit the mat at about 2:58, so the 2 seconds later the bell should have rung. At that point all Bute needs to do is get to his feet, since there is no fighting left in the fight.
Doesnt he have to walk forward and put his gloves in the Refs hands....
I know for a fact that if they would have made him walk on a proper count he would have face planted it. He was still stumbling after the 30 count, he was knocked out.
Put Kendry Morales at 1B, and move Sean Rodriguez to 3B......NOW LETS GO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The IBF rules say...
“The bell will not save a boxer in any round of the bout. If a boxer is "downed” just
before the 3-minute bell in any round, the referee’s count shall continue and the bell will
not ring until the boxer rises and his hands clear the floor."
So once the fighter gets up, fights over, he doesn’t need to be capable of defending himself, the fight is over.
This
If the round is over, the fighter doesn’t need to be able to defend himself, he just needs to be standing, and regardless of whether the count was slow, he was still standing by what would have been the count of 9. No matter what happened, it would have been controversial, but I wouldn’t say that Andrade was “robbed” of a KO win.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
Oh and BTW
Check my fanshot for a link to Kessler-Haussler
Hopefully Kessler-Bute is on the horizon. It’s the fight that makes the most sense for both, although I suspect that Palle will press to fight Taylor instead.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
According to BoxRec
Dunno if it was mentioned already, but this is the fifth Bute fight in a row that Ref. Wright has worked for. Just a little fodder for all you conspiracy theorists out there.
Finding a link
Will try to find a link somewhere to see the end of the fight, as it sounds like something you really need to see. Hopefully something will get done if there’s enough of an outrage over it, as boxers train too hard to have fights end like that.
Just watched the video posted above
UNREAL
Fire Ted Cottrell! Promote Ron Rivera!
by Sam (sdsuaztec4) on Oct 25, 2008 4:57 PM EDT reply actions
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