edsel77x Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 After Devon Alexander became the 4th consecutive, and 6th known championship opponent overall, to be cut by a Timothy Bradley headbutt, we got to revisit an old, ugly question. Is not preventing a foul, just as bad as intentionally causing it? Famous foulers like Eusebio Pedroza, Terry Norris, and Joel Casamayor were not known for this particular foul. In fact, while Casamayor was the king of foul subtlety… elbowing, and hitting slightly low, Norris was the king of flagrancy… hitting while down, after the bell, etc. The only correlation to what we are dealing with in Bradley is Evander Holyfield. Holyfield, particularly in his later career, was known for using his elbows, and particularly his head as a weapon. It was this infraction that Tyson blamed for both of his losses to Holyfield. The allegations eventually came from all of Holyfield’s later opponents, such as Ruiz and Rahman, the latter of which sported one of the ugliest forehead swellings in boxing history. Unlike Holyfield, however, Bradley is entering his prime. He is not a big puncher, and wins his fights with aggressiveness. It seems hardly likely that he could adjust his style, even if he was coming out of these head clashes the worse for wear. The fact that he never does, however, is what is causing eyebrows to rise. In every occurrence, Bradley walks away from head clashes injury free. Ditto Holyfield. While experts mocked Shane Mosley’s assertion that Vernon Forrest had studied how to headbutt Mosley, our judgment came from the fact that it wasn’t chronic. The headbutt that dizzied Mosley in the first match with Forrest, appeared to be a single incident in Forrest’s career. Even Vernon stepped back and held his head after that 2nd round clash that turned the tide of their 2002 match. Not so with Bradley, who even joked about his baby’s ultrasound in the pre-fight films on HBO, stating that it was “a Bradley head”. Certainly Bradley knows, as Holyfield did, that there is a good and bad place to be during a head clash, and he is always on the right side of it. I am a big Bradley fan, and believe his relentlessness, conditioning, talent, and ring generalship are mostly responsible for his victories. However, where do you draw the line? In different commissions, with different referees, no one ever penalized Bradley (or Holyfield for that matter) for the use of his head. At some point, a referee needs to do just that. Some warnings are necessary, even if it’s a warning to both fighters. Perhaps giving opponents time to recover, or calling it a “no contest” instead of a technical decision. These mvoes would be appropriate if the clashes have been repetitive, and clearly turning the tide of a fight. Opponents are being discombobulated by something that is not within the rules. Accidental or not, if it’s changing the result, it must be stopped. http://www.ropeadoperadio.com/content/chronic-headbutts%E2%80%8F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Bradley, blatant headbutter, Holyfield, expert headbutter, both expert cheats, even lennox butted vitali........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 and its not accidental... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamasadlittleboy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 It's the 6th consecutive cut by a clash of heads in a Bradley fight dating back to the Cherry fight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 well that should tell the officials something, in the words of Alexanders corner.... watch his fucking head Ref Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamasadlittleboy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 You'd have assumed so, problem is people defend it too much lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 im sure that it is being turned a blind eye to, its blatant alot of the time, you only have to watch some of these guys training and they butt the bag, hopkins even tried to stick the head into cortez during the calzaghe fight, and i think it was a reflex action of seeing a head near his.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamasadlittleboy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Cortez getting nutted would have made my day. Thing is knowing Cortez he'd have deducted a point from Calzaghe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 you are right, but i still dont buy into the theory that hatton wouldve done any better against the pretty boy had there been a different ref.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamasadlittleboy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hatton would have been stopped earlier I reckon. But Cortez is bent, look at other fights (Lorenzo v Soto I, Salido v Gamboa).... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 i agree, Hatton wouldve been stopped earlier, floyd toyed with him... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapevine241 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 IMO, bradley isnt intentionally headbutting anybody... but he doesnt make any attempt not to headbutt, nor should he. if his head is in the way, its the other fighter's problem not his. PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironjab Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 if his head is in the way? for fucks sake............ he doesnt make any attempt NOT to headbutt, i think MMA is more your thing my old china............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapevine241 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 if his head is in the way? for F**** sake............ he doesnt make any attempt NOT to headbutt, i think MMA is more your thing my old china............ so bradley should pull his head back because it bothers his opponent? think about it... boxing3// Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faulks Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I think there'd plenty of evidence to certainly entertain the fact the incidents are related. That being said if it was 'cheating' then the refs would act on it. I think it's dirty but he's dam good at it. Isn't the first won't be the last. Devon was like a big girls blouse at the end and I think his reaction was worse than anything Bradley did that night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skav Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 In my view, it's not intentional. Like Holyfield, he comes in with his head because of the way he fights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBride Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I always laugh at the cry baby Tyson whinging about Holy's head. If anyone ever followed up punches with elbows and shoulders it was that cheating tosser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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