The controversial ending to Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven has brought one of boxing’s most infamous stoppages back into the conversation: Julio César Chávez vs. Meldrick Taylor.
Veteran boxing figure Steve Tannenbaum believes the Usyk-Verhoeven controversy is real, but not on the same level as Chávez-Taylor. Taylor was ahead on two scorecards in 1990 before being dropped late by Chávez and stopped by referee Richard Steele with only seconds remaining. “Taylor rose to his feet but referee Richard Steele stopped the contest with just two seconds left,” Tannenbaum said. “Chávez would not even have had time to tag Taylor again had the fight continued.”
Tannenbaum later worked with Taylor and said he personally asked Steele why he stopped such a major title fight with almost no time left. Steele’s answer was simple: “I never look at the clock.” That quote has followed the fight for decades and resurfaced again after Usyk-Verhoeven ended in similarly dramatic fashion.
Still, Tannenbaum also pointed out that Lyson may have helped Verhoeven earlier in the 11th. After Verhoeven was dropped and lost his mouthpiece, Lyson gave him time to recover before the fight resumed. “Had Mark Lyson not given Rico time to recover and get his mouthpiece after being dropped in the eleventh, Usyk most likely would have finished him then and there,” Tannenbaum said. “In fact, one can argue Lyson saved Rico and gave him a real gift.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports