Highway Robbery
by ShadowMask on May 1, 2010 3:08 AM EDT
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Since Show Box is crapping out I figured I'd start a new post about the seed of my boxing fandom. From what my brain tells me, this was the first boxing match I saw from beginning to end, probably the first ever.
I vividly remember sitting on the uncomfortable, stiff, brown, leather couch at my cousin's house in Scarsdale, NY on a Saturday in March, being bored from hours of playing Excite Bike and Ninja Kid. Thanks to his father, a loud, rich, gambling Irishman who would spit on the TV when his team was losing, we soon were watching the introduction to a historic bout. The fight that came on was a battle I'll never forget. It not only exposed me to the wonders of the bloody ballet, but how venal some of it's characters can be at times.
The fight I'm referring to is Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor.
I'll never forget rooting for Taylor the whole fight, not even knowing who he was, cheering, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins, only to see referee Richard Steele crush his efforts in the final 2 seconds. I felt personally slighted, pissed off, and wished personal harm on the balding bastard who stole my smile. Even though I was only 9 years old something seemed so wrong about a guy giving it his all against a legend, about to be the first to defeat him, only to be denied the last inch by some douche with a bow tie.
I'd like to know what fights you've seen where the blacktop was nabbed, regardless of who the culprit was. Feel free to include the creative plots of vengeance that brewed in your brains as well.
Image © Tony Zuvela
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Dave Tiberi v James Toney
If you add every mile of US Interstate, every km of Australia’s Hwy 1, every inch of UK motorway, every cm of Autobahn and every bloody sputnik of Trans-Siberian Hwy you’d have the sum total of blacktop snatched from under Dave Tiberi’s nose.
Tiberi pounded seven shades of shit out of Toney all afternoon; outclassed and outfought the undefeated, current ‘91 Fighter of the Year only to see the MW belt strapped back around James’ then svelt (?) waist. 115-111, 115-111, 111-117 SD.
And to rub salt into Dave’s freshly stabbed back, the fight took place in Atlantic City; Tiberi’s hometown. The two judges that awarded Toney victory were not licensed in the state of NJ! Tiberi, in the prime of his career, took what was left of the high road and never fought again.
Vengeance….? I’ve had Tiberi in secret training for 18 years, he’s now 230 lbs of mass destruction. Once that cage door slams shut… Dave will be lowered into the Octogon. Lights out Toney.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
One of the all time God awful robberies. Just utterly indefensible.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Sounds Gruesome
I’m going to have to hit up youtube now. In cases like this, do you think it’s having inexperienced humps scoring the bout, or tactical planned cheating; placing two bribed slimes on the side knowing that Tony didn’t stand a chance?
A promise is comfort to a fool.
The IBF- early 90's.
Bill Lee – Corruption City.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
Correction
Robert Lee.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
One of the worst decisions ever Goaty
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Sure was JC.
Tiberi was one of Bernard’s chief sparring partners for 5 years
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
Worse one in boxing history
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
BTW Shadow
Chavez/Taylor….helluva intro.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
What can I say,
I’m an artist :) Thanks for noticing. It really did happen that way, though. It’s one of those times in life when the brain just retains the details.
A promise is comfort to a fool.
Robin Reid vs. Sven Ottke
Another one of those fights where the guy was robbed twice in the same fight. Reid suffered p[robably the worst point deduction I’ve ever seen as well. He was docked a point because he had the temerity to actually PUNCH Ottke, plus the time off for the deduction gave Ottke time to recover while he was hurt.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Coggi-Gonzales. Gonzales knocked out Coggi TWICE and the ref still didn’t stop the fight.
On a similar note, if anyone’s interested, a while back I did a piece on questionably refereed fights. Of those, I think three were robberies and three weren’t. Williams-Airich wasn’t a robbery only because Williams was eventually able to get the KO. I actually thought the ref made the right call in Chavez-Taylor, although it’s a sad one. I really wish Taylor had shown SOMETHING because it would have been his crowning achievement. I also think Bute-Andrade I had the right result, even though Marlon Wright botched the count.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Roger Tillerman ugh
I watched that fight last week on you tube Brick . I’ve never seen anything like it . In the second or third round when Reid smacked Ottke in the mouth with a right hand and Sven turned around and complained to the ref LMAO WTF ? Ottke should have been disqualified for impersonating a prizefighter. The list of fighters with reason to complain after fighting Ottke in Germany is a long one.
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Sweet P
Pernell Whitaker vs julio cesar chavez. That fight cost me lots of money, everybody had their money on Chavez. Sweet P whooped his ass. Pernell Whitaker vs Jose Luis Ramirez, and last but not least Pernell Whitaker vs Oscar Delahoya. Can you tell , I was a big Whitaker fan.
Chavez was gifted in four seperate robberies in my opinion
Laporte beat him while the Pea decision was diabolical . Frankie Randall was dudded twice against the Mexican as well.
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. " Hunter S Thompson.
Put away the childlike outrage. Taylor was not robbed. He spent weeks in the hospital after that bout, with gruesome facial injuries and brain damage that wouldn’t fully surface for years. Steele might have saved his life that night. One more punch might have killed him. Also, when a referee looks you in the eyes and asks you if you are alright and you answer “What?” that is simply the end of your night, whether there is one second left or a hundred. Finito.
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
Childlike outrage... yes, when I was 9.
If you read it again I wasn’t writing this in the present tense but retelling a story from my childhood and how I felt then. It was the emotion I was emphasizing when you feel someone was robbed. In 2 seconds I’m not sure Chavez could have made it 20 feet to hit him anyway. Regardless of that, I agree with what you said, viewing it 20 years later as an adult, that when a guy is in critical condition you end it for his safety.
I also was exaggerating the point with editorial. It’s just my style. It’s not like I’m kept up nights from something that happened 20 years ago or wish the ref dead. I just like to have fun with words.
Why don’t you just mention a fight where you felt a fighter was robbed of a victory?
A promise is comfort to a fool.
I hadn’t watched the Chavez-Taylor “Legendary Nights” in years. This morning, for some reason, I did. I choked up again when they got to Meldrick in 2002. God, is that hard to take.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
He was one of the worst cases of PD I’ve ever seen. it’s not just the motor stuff, either, Mel believes very strange things now. The irony of these Cassandras who still run around claiming Steele wronged Taylor is that in reality Steele probably stopped the fight a few punches too late (though, he had no way of knowing that).
But I don’t blame Steele or even Chavez for that. I sort of blame Benton and Duva, who should have known giving him a look in the gym or at least in his comeback fights. They had him running for his life from Davis, and he really did not look right at all when he fought Glenwood Brown. He wasn’t fried or anything, but there was something clearly off about his balance and I remember all of us watching talking about that at that time. PD isn’t something that happens right away it creeps up on you. Taylor’s injuries from Chavez x 2 and Norton didn’t show up for years and when they did everyone acted shocked but Meldrick took some heavy shots. in those three fights.
"My God, kids today think that the laces are for tying up the gloves."
-- Fritzie Zivic
wrong.
he was up and alert after the knock down. saying he was not and was near death is beyond ridiculous. he was also distracted by lou duva acting like a maniac in the corner.
meldricks problems all are part of him staying much too long and commissions who were still sanctioning him when he was showing signs around 1996.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
.
by sonofapsycho on May 3, 2010 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
DLH sure has been in a bunch of “controversial” decisions. they fault him for the sturm fight, yet no one gives him credit for when he was on the opposite end of the “controversy” (trinidad, mosley I & II)
Texans 19-0 in 2010-2011 season PERIOD
by battle axe of doom on May 2, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
then there’s the Sweet Pea fight, which I think he won (albeit slightly). I think he lost the first Mosley bout, but on the second we are in agreement
forgot about the Sweat Pea controversy. Dude was in a shit load of controversial fights
Texans 19-0 in 2010-2011 season PERIOD
by battle axe of doom on May 2, 2010 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions
He got screwed in the Tito fight but likely deserved it for running like a rabbit
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
many fighters run, but not all of them lose
Texans 19-0 in 2010-2011 season PERIOD
by battle axe of doom on May 6, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Lewis Holyfield 1
Even the American press were pretty outraged by all accounts. Holyfield hadn’t the grace to admit it and Don King counted the lolly.
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
that was another one that was pure, unadulterated horseshit
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
That is a great quote.
I might just steal that, since it made me laugh…. :D
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
chavez/taylor, chavez/randall 2, chavez/ m.a. gonzalez, chavez/laporte and chavez/whitaker were all bullshit.
dlh/quartey and dlh/sterm. id also say dlh vs john john molina was as well.
mercer vs. lewis
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
.
Mercer/Lewis????
Are you serious?
I’m genuinely not sure if you’re joking here.
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
mercer very clearly got the best of him.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
.
by sonofapsycho on May 10, 2010 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
another post reminded me of witherspoon vs. holmes.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
.
Holmes vs Harris-Harris got stiffed.
Holmes vs Spink. Holmes got stiffed.
HHmmm, one goes around comes around maybe.
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Santa Cruz-Cassamayor was hideous
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 9:59 AM EDT reply actions
Briggs-Foreman. Pleazse pass the puke bucket.
This has been the most life-affirming thing for me, to know you're valued and then show your resolve to not just curl up and die,
--Nick Charles
by The Midnight Rambler on May 4, 2010 10:03 AM EDT reply actions
Hagler vs Antuofermo 1
Don't tell me I play bum notes - I KNOW!
by Randy Loathsome on May 5, 2010 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Sven Ottke vs (*please insert opponent's name here)
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
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