The referee that oversaw last Saturday’s Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury’s thrilling WBC Heavyweight fight in LA has been explained how he managed a key moment in the bout in the manner that he did.
Jack Reiss has been criticised in some corners for the way in which he handled the moment in the last round of the contest when Fury was hit with a vicious two-punch combination from the reigning champion Wilder and hit the canvass hard.
Fury looked to be finished then but miraculously got back to his feet to beat the count, with Reiss giving him every opportunity to recover in time within the restrictions of the rules.
“If there was earlier, heavier damage and (Fury) had been hurt. Then he fell like that and hit his head, I would have waived it off. But the fight was so close. The magnitude of the fight, I’ve always been taught to count a champion out,” the respected official told Sirius XM Boxing Radio.
“I wanted to give him every opportunity, so I took my time. Not that I stalled the count like these knuckleheads are saying.
“I was patient and I went down to make sure what I was doing was correct. I want to do what’s best for boxing and I always want to do what’s best for boxing,” he added.
Fury managed to not only get back to his feet but win the round in most people’s books with some fine work late on as the final bell approached in what would turn out to be a drawn encounter.
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