Quote Originally Posted by generalbulldog View Post
TBH I really don't see too many people complainig about the stoppage, well on other forums that is.

Because let's be honest, someone will always have something to complain. If it gets stopped too late, people complain, if it's too soon they still complain.

And Kirkland I'm pretty sure doesn't have the boxing IQ of JMM to turn fights around when he's on his back. Just a gut feeling.
You don't hold a fighter to the ground when he is obviously trying to get up. He was losing the round horribly, but quite in control of his senses. Maybe it would have made no difference. But just as he probably wouldn't have put on a Marquez masterclass, he might very well have cleared his head between rounds and gone on to knockout the profoundly civilised person that was very clearly Japanese.

I ALWAYS disagree with premature stoppages. You only stop a fight if the legs have turned to jelly or you are cut down to the skull. Anything else is the ref trying to take centre stage and Cortez is the king of that.