We (myself included) are only too quick to dump on a ref when he screws up. But how about Gino Rodriguez last night? I thought he did a remarkable job. I thought the point he deducted from Wlad in Round 7 was dead on. Wlad WAS pulling Haye down behind the head, and Gino had warned Wlad on repeated occasions. But THEN.... when it became obvious that it was more Haye's flopping than Wlad's pulling, Gino turned his attention on HIM.

Here again, he warned Haye on numerous occasions. "Quit doing that!" And to everyone's surprise (including Merchant and company), and my delight..... he counted a flop in Round 11 as a knockdown!! Genius. Some Haye fans may have said, "That was a questionable knockdown". Hell.... it wasn't even a knockdown. But if you're going to throw yourself on the ground like that, then take the 8-count. That made Haye fight more than anything Wlad did.

So props to the ref on this one.