Armstrong was incredulous at the idea of not being given a chance to finish, but Cavanaugh insistently directed his attention to the canvas, "Look at the ring, it’s full of blood!" Cavanaugh pointed out that Armstrong could fight anywhere, but he could only referee in the state of New York. He didn’t want to risk his future standing with the commission by taking any unnecessary chances, but agreed to let the fighter continue, with the warning, "If you spit anymore blood onto the floor, I’m going to stop this fight."