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Cutting to the chase

August 3, 2009 11:36 AM | Posted by   Chris Iorfida  

No one knows how a boxer will react when his own blood flows, but it is usually prudent to just fight on.

While UFC types herald the ability for a fighter to "tap out", that kind of thinking is absolute anathema in boxing. The mantra in boxing is to "go out on your shield".

Just last month, Victor Ortiz went from being ahead in a tough fight to having one eye swollen and another cut within a span of two minutes. He was soon defenceless for Marcos Maidana's right hand.

Ortiz didn't outright quit - and his corner should have stopped the fight in the corner - but it is true he found a soft place to fall after a Maidana barrage early in the sixth. Ortiz was excoriated by many fans for his decision and for essentially stating in his postfight interview that he wanted to still have some brain cells left in his dotage.

The past weekend saw the third fairly high-profile incident in California in the last year of a fight ending when a boxer claimed he could not see due to a cut and didn't want to go on.

It was a fight has also led some to question why instant replay can't be used in boxing to make sure the correct calls are being made on cuts and knockdowns. I agree, and I don't mind one bit if the odd rest period goes past one minute.

It's not like unintentional delays haven't happened in the sport before, and more importantly, increasing the odds of getting it right is more important than stubbornly adhering to a snap judgement that is plainly incorrect (see the horrible call from Joe Cortez, supported by the Nevada commission, to DQ Humberto Soto for a phantom punch against Francisco Lorenzo).

Nate Campbell indicated that he couldn't continue after the third round of Saturday's 140-pound bout with Timothy Bradley and the ringside physician didn't doubt him. It was pretty apparent upon review that the cut was caused by an unintentional head butt, but referee David Mendoza was indecisive in the ring, and Bradley was declared a TKO winner.

By the book the fight should have been ruled a no-decision, and the result could still be overturned by the California Athletic Commission.

The commission did just that last year, changing James Toney's TKO win over Hasim Rahman to a no-decision. Earlier this year, Robert Guerrero's defence against Daud Yordan was ruled a no-decision on the spot.

Fighter safety is paramount, but a boxer has to be pretty darned careful when deciding he can't continue in such circumstances.

Rahman's decision in a rematch with Toney didn't endear him to fans even though he previously had shown his stones by battling through an unsightly hematoma against Evander Holyfield and Fox Sports, was no doubt none too pleased about Rahman's inability to continue, and there was no call for a third fight with Toney.

Guerrero also took a hit in the court of Internet boxing opinion (which isn't worth much), but he was able to get away with his decision in terms of his career because he's recently been a titleist and the fact he was fighting an unheralded guy.

Guerrero's still young, and will have more chances to prove his ability to handle adversity and/or definitively beat Yordan in a rematch.

Campbell is another matter. He's in his mid-30's and he didn't win a single minute of the nine he fought against Bradley.

Fans have been socialized from years of seeing the likes of Bobby Chacon and Arturo Gatti battle through the blood to earn victories.

Vitali Klitschko in an instant shed his quitter reputation (based on forfeiting on his stool against Chris Byrd) by vehemently protesting his stoppage loss to Lennox Lewis, even though he had multiple and deep cuts around his left eye.

Miguel Cotto just in June suffered a gash and gutted out a decision win against Joshua Clottey.

You can argue the contents of the judges' scorecards (for the record, I thought Cotto won a close but clear decision) but Cotto's now headed for a lucrative November superfight against Manny Pacquiao. It's at least debatable whether the date with Pacman occurs if Cotto had told the ref in the Clottey fight he couldn't go on.

What's in a name?

Largely unheralded junior welterweight Victor Cayo of the Dominican Republic on the weekend seemed to herald the end of Julio Diaz's days as a serious contender, winning a unanimous decision.

Cayo is apparently called Mermelada, or Marmalade. It's certainly not as bad as Henry (Sugar Poo) Buchanan, but it's interesting. Of course, Cuban-born Mexican legend Jose Napoles was as smooth as Mantequilla (butter), and there have been a number of Sugar fighter through the decades.

Boxing has the market cornered on the best nicknames. Some personal favourites in recent years outside of the obvious ones (i.e. Real Deal, Iron Mike, The Executioner) are The Black Mamba (sorry Kobe, Roger Mayweather had this nickname 25 years ago), The Incredible Growing Man (Guillermo Jones), The Drunken Master (Emanuel Augustus), The Hispanic Causing Panic (Juan Lazcano), A Touch of Sleep (DaVarryl Williamson), James (Lights Out) Toney, Michael (Second To) Nunn, and The Body Snatcher (Mike McCallum).

Feel free to share your favourite boxing nicknames from recent years or days long past (Manassa Mauler? Two Ton Galento?).

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