A referee does many important things during a bout. Firstly, he delivers the in-ring pre-fight instructions. He then also determines when to begin the 10-count in the event of a knock-down (hint: it is not ten seconds from tasting canvas) he then stops it with similar discretion. Along the way, the ref too, of course, enforces the rules he relates at the onset--up to warnings and even fight stoppages, typically this more-so involves points being awarded or stripped. Most importantly, he or she is charged with protecting the fighters up to stopping the fight if one is unable to sensibly defend ones-self.
That last bit is of such importance because boxers are often too brave and corners are often too let's say 'hopeful.' A single additional punch to a defenseless and already shaken head could well walk that fighter over the line to the point of no return crossing. Far be it from me to engage in a tangent, but this is one reason why MMA/UFC is such a hard watch for me--the officials there seem all too willing for a slept combatant to receive a hammer punch or three to the cranium mid-dreaming. But I digress.
The build-up to Oct. 15th's prizefight between former super-middleweight champion Caleb Plant and Anthony Dirrell, himself a two-time middleweight champ was full of venomous verbosity and menacing motioning on the part of both parties. Including a t-shirt worn by "The Dog" Dirrell that read 'Plant Flowers,' which "Sweet Hands" Plant took no small exception to. This behavior continued through the match itself. Then, with time running out in the ninth stanza, a Plant left hook caught Dirrell blind on the button and a knock-out of the year candidate stepped forward as Dirrell collapsed straight backward.
It was far from immediately clear that Dirrell was okay. While medical staff and officials worked on the fallen pugilist, covering from view all but his slowly-awkwardly thrashing legs, Plant pantomimed shoveling dirt onto him. A referee's paramount responsibility, as said, is to protect a fighter's safety. Particularly when a fighter is too brave for his own good--and predominantly, these are too brave men. It was then, Harvey Dock, a ref since 2004 protected also Plant's soul and face when he, on a second attempt--ended the unseemly grave-digging display.
I am not trashing Caleb Plant, at least not so much as I am extolling Dock. You see, from where I sit typing this with my mini dachshund Ruby Vondella tucked at my side, fighters tend to be too let's say 'spirited.' as well as too fearless. A professional bout, particularly one of some importance such as this one, is a prolonged affair of peak let's say 'exuberance.' This is why I hate to see a microphone stuck in the face of a boxer in-ring post-fight. He is invariably a human at the zenith of his game as a combatant or riding the high of having had been (plus having been punched about the head) but often too at his nadir of humaneness and humility.
Succinctly, there is more than one thing to note when protecting a fighter. Kudos to Mr. Harvey Dock for recognizing this and quitting that crap. Now I wonder if he could be retained to follow say Wilder and AJ through to the end of a fight night? How about occupying a spare room at Fury's house for a spell?
::: very :::