Instant Replay Needs Review
By William Trillo
Last night in “The Bubble” in Las Vegas during the main event of the Top Rank Show, Mikkel LesPierre dropped Jose Pedraza in round five. Truthfully the knockdown was questionable as the fighters feet locked up, but Pedraza did go down from a punch.
After the round, and more importantly after the sixty second break, officials decided they needed to go to the instant reply to verify if the knockdown was legitimate. Some two minutes later they decided it was not a knockdown.
As I stated, it could have gone either way and I have no problem with their decision. But I do have a huge problem with their instant replay rule in it’s current format and I have a few questions and a suggestion.
Can the official in charge of the instant replay look at the replay in the minute in between rounds and make a decision?
Do you really think it’s wise to have the fighters who have been engaged in heated battle just stand there for almost another round while a decision is being made?
How long do you think it will be before this same scenario plays out in a crucial high profile fight changing the flow, the course and the outcome of the fight and having everyone and their brother screaming FIX?
I have no problem if the replay rule is instituted in boxing but it has to be a lot more well thought out than the current “disaster waiting to happen” format we saw last night.
I have a simple and easy solution that you can use, free of charge, take it with my blessings….please!
If during a round a questionable knockdown occurs the knockdown will be under review in between rounds. If the official sitting ringside can’t make a decision after viewing the replay during the sixty seconds in between rounds and come to a conclusion one way or the other then the call inside the ring during that round will stand and can not be over-ruled.
Pretty simple huh?
You can thank me later for the amount of grief you save yourselves once you implement my rule.
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