Just got done watching the first 2 Chavez/Randall fights on youtube.


The ending of the second fight seemed odd to me.

Towards the end of the 8th round an accidental headbutt occurred. The result was a big cut on Chavez' brow. The doctor stopped the fight. Mills Lane ordered a point deduction because of the headbutt and then ordered the fight to the scorecards because the fight had progressed beyond the third. Now here are my concerns:-

1) Why did the WBC rules state that, in the event of an accidental headbutt, a point shall be deducted from the fighter who 'initiated the butt'? This seems harsh, since by it's definition an accidental headbutt means that no party was blatantly at fault. Certainly this butt occurred due to Randall leaning in attempting to throw an uppercut, but it was certainly not worthy of a point deduction.

2) Ringside physician Flip Homansky stated that Chavez indicated he did not want to continue and so, as the cut was bad, he instructed Lane to stop the fight. Under questioning he admitted that if Chavez had expressed a desire continue, he would have let him. To my knowledge, the role of the ringside doctor is to simply examine the wound and decide if, as a result of that wound, the fighter is endangered because of it - not to respond to the negative body language of a tiring and beaten fighter.

3) If the point deduction rule had not been in effect, Randall would have retained his title by majority decision.

4) At the post fight interview, Don King virtually assures a third meeting between the two - it never eventuated until 2004 when Randall was a name trial horse looking for any payday.

5) Chavez went on to big money fights with Meldrick Taylor, ODLH and Kostya Tszyu while Randall toiled for the rest of his career in relative obscurity.


I know boxing isn't always fair - but it seems 'The Surgeon' really got shafted here...