Richard Steele

[BIG H]

There was no way Taylor should have been stopped. Steele knew there was only a few seconds left in the fight and that Taylor was easily able to finish it. After the fight when he was asked about it by a British promoter he said something like "I have to live in this town". It may have been another controversial decision he said that about, memory fails, but the Taylor decision was a commercial decision as were others.

1.) So he should've helped Taylor by virtue of time A fighter can win at any point of any round, else what's the point of having the last 10 seconds

2.) Taylor did not respond when Steel asked him he was able to continue, so that's it, fight over - time has no relevance

3.) Not that it has any relevance, but Steele did not know how long was left in the round as he didn't have a watch and the crown was too loud for anybody to hear the 10 second indicator

Check this thread out, me and VD debating the stoppage

Page 4 onwards http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...rucelee-4.html

[HattonTheHammer]

the best refs are the ones you never recognise and steele falls into that category.

[Spicoli]

Was looking for a Steele thread lastnight.Dont know why but watched Mount Whitaker w.DQ 1 over Big bust of a heavyweight Dave Dixon.Sloppy Dixon but Mount hit him in the nuts also...Dixon hit him low in return,warned and DQ'd.Seemed to be in a hurry on Dixon.

Ive never faulted him for the Taylor stoppage.Initially we all telled because Tayor was sooooo close to a great win but in hindsight Steeles not standing there with a stop watch and was looking directly into Taylors eyes.I think Duva getting on the ring apron didnt help him answer either.Assuming he knew & If he had let it go to the bell only because of their being 2 seconds left,thats playing with fire.Where do ya draw the line.

[No Contest]

the best refs are the ones you never recognise and steele falls into that category.

You don't recognize Richard Steele? You must not have watched much boxing in the 80's.

[No Contest]

BTW worst stoppage in the history of boxing. Don't get me started....

[BIG H]

I just can't understand people who think that the time is of any relevance. If your reason for thinking he should've been able to continue is because there were only 3 seconds left then you are effectively saying the ref should've helped the fighter, it's no different to saying he should've helped to his feet and held him up

Taylor was fooked, and with hindsight we know how fooked he was, byt the way he was never the same again. Dr. Flip Homansky, who examined Taylor following the fight and immediately sent him to the hospital, summarized his injuries by saying "Meldrick suffered a facial fracture, he was urinating pure blood, his face was grotesquely swollen... this was a kid who was truly beaten up to the face, the body, and the brain"

If that stoppage was at 1 minute of round 8 and Taylor was already loisng badly, nobody would question the stoppage and that's the whole point, because you cannot use time as an argument, this is why ref's do not have watches.

[Greig]

Check out the McGuigan fight 15th round. Unfortunately this has no sound but the incident is almost identical - referee trying to give a count and Barry is looking at his corner. It happens TWICE and Steele lets it go on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIIypE44ESg

[Master]

Steelie did make the right decision he has not got a stop watch up his ass, he does not want the fighter to die on his guard.

[CGM]

I just can't understand people who think that the time is of any relevance. If your reason for thinking he should've been able to continue is because there were only 3 seconds left then you are effectively saying the ref should've helped the fighter, it's no different to saying he should've helped to his feet and held him up

Taylor was fooked, and with hindsight we know how fooked he was, byt the way he was never the same again. Dr. Flip Homansky, who examined Taylor following the fight and immediately sent him to the hospital, summarized his injuries by saying "Meldrick suffered a facial fracture, he was urinating pure blood, his face was grotesquely swollen... this was a kid who was truly beaten up to the face, the body, and the brain"

If that stoppage was at 1 minute of round 8 and Taylor was already loisng badly, nobody would question the stoppage and that's the whole point, because you cannot use time as an argument, this is why ref's do not have watches.

Yeah yeah, we know about that argument, we've hear it many times, but it's not the most relevant argument with respect to time. Take a look at the vid again and ask your self how much time Steele took to make up his mind. If Steele had no intention of waiting for an answer, he shouldn't have been in his face barking questions at him.

[BIG H]

I just can't understand people who think that the time is of any relevance. If your reason for thinking he should've been able to continue is because there were only 3 seconds left then you are effectively saying the ref should've helped the fighter, it's no different to saying he should've helped to his feet and held him up

Taylor was fooked, and with hindsight we know how fooked he was, byt the way he was never the same again. Dr. Flip Homansky, who examined Taylor following the fight and immediately sent him to the hospital, summarized his injuries by saying "Meldrick suffered a facial fracture, he was urinating pure blood, his face was grotesquely swollen... this was a kid who was truly beaten up to the face, the body, and the brain"

If that stoppage was at 1 minute of round 8 and Taylor was already loisng badly, nobody would question the stoppage and that's the whole point, because you cannot use time as an argument, this is why ref's do not have watches.

Yeah yeah, we know about that argument, we've hear it many times, but it's not the most relevant argument with respect to time. Take a look at the vid again and ask your self how much time Steele took to make up his mind. If Steele had no intention of waiting for an answer, he shouldn't have been in his face barking questions at him.

You should watch it again mate, coz Taylor hit the deck with 17 seconds left and Steele didn't manage to count to eight until there were 6sconds left, he looked very closely at Taylor and asked him if he was O.K Taylor was gone, couldn't even respond to the question

[the wiz]

This is an old subject. First of all I'll have to dig up that McGuigan-Cruz fight. One of my favorite fights of all time.

But to the Taylor-Chavez topic. All Meldrick had to do was look at Steele and say he was ok. But that was probably hard with that fat ass Lou Duva up on the apron doing god knows what.

[johnsebastianmiran]

I was watching that fight at a local watering hole when I watched Julio Chavez beat Taylor's body and opened up his mouth. Taylor was swallowing blood for a good while and still being the matador to the Chavez bull. I am not going to attempt to pass judgment because the one and only time I saw this fight I drank enough beer to fill Lake Michigan and I knew Taylor was hurt and I applauded the stoppage but like I said, a couple of cases were consumed and I had no idea there was a light indicating ten seconds but everyone swears Steele saw it. Well reverend or no reverend if he did and I'm not saying he did, the right people should go over it again or just let Taylor live with the L next to that fight. Taylor was never the same caliber fighter after that fight so you be the judge.

[BoomBoom]

I just can't understand people who think that the time is of any relevance. If your reason for thinking he should've been able to continue is because there were only 3 seconds left then you are effectively saying the ref should've helped the fighter, it's no different to saying he should've helped to his feet and held him up

Taylor was fooked, and with hindsight we know how fooked he was, byt the way he was never the same again. Dr. Flip Homansky, who examined Taylor following the fight and immediately sent him to the hospital, summarized his injuries by saying "Meldrick suffered a facial fracture, he was urinating pure blood, his face was grotesquely swollen... this was a kid who was truly beaten up to the face, the body, and the brain"

If that stoppage was at 1 minute of round 8 and Taylor was already loisng badly, nobody would question the stoppage and that's the whole point, because you cannot use time as an argument, this is why ref's do not have watches.

Well said. People that blame Steel because he stopped it with 3 seconds left fail to realize that that is a moot point. If there were 10 seconds left, would it be unfair too? How about a minute left? Many people ask where do you draw the line? The answer is you dont. There is no line to draw, and the clock is irrelevant. The timekeeper is responsible for the time, the ref is responsible for the fighters safety. Both did their jobs accordingly.

[CGM]

I just can't understand people who think that the time is of any relevance. If your reason for thinking he should've been able to continue is because there were only 3 seconds left then you are effectively saying the ref should've helped the fighter, it's no different to saying he should've helped to his feet and held him up

Taylor was fooked, and with hindsight we know how fooked he was, byt the way he was never the same again. Dr. Flip Homansky, who examined Taylor following the fight and immediately sent him to the hospital, summarized his injuries by saying "Meldrick suffered a facial fracture, he was urinating pure blood, his face was grotesquely swollen... this was a kid who was truly beaten up to the face, the body, and the brain"

If that stoppage was at 1 minute of round 8 and Taylor was already loisng badly, nobody would question the stoppage and that's the whole point, because you cannot use time as an argument, this is why ref's do not have watches.

Well said. People that blame Steel because he stopped it with 3 seconds left fail to realize that that is a moot point. If there were 10 seconds left, would it be unfair too? How about a minute left? Many people ask where do you draw the line? The answer is you dont. There is no line to draw, and the clock is irrelevant. The timekeeper is responsible for the time, the ref is responsible for the fighters safety. Both did their jobs accordingly.

You know, I agree with this. But that's not the issue that people are complaining about. At least it's not what the previous three people who posted against Steele in this thread are complaining about.

[ICB]

BTW worst stoppage in the history of boxing. Don't get me started....

Agreed i've had this debate many times especially with BIG H, and my opinion still hasn't changed Meldrick Taylor was robbed.