Boston Garden 1953, world lightweight champion Jimmy Carter defends the title against Tommy Collins.
Boxrec: The fight which was screened live on TV was an appalling mismatch which did serious damage to boxing’s image. The challenger, too brave for his own good, was permitted to absorb one of the worst beatings in title history, while the referee, his own cornermen, commission officials and ringside doctor looked on. Collins was floored seven times in a brutal 3rd round, and the fight should have been stopped after the 3rd knockdown as Collins, his left eye closed, clearly had no idea what was going on.
Collins should never been allowed out for the 4th round, and Carter was obviously unhappy about it. He was reluctant to hit him again and kept looking at the referee Tommy Rawson in the hope that he would call a halt. When he did nothing he knocked the youngster down three more times. Even that was not enough for Rawson who was preparing to order them to box on when Collin’s manager and second at last jumped into the ring to signal their man’s surrender.
TV stations and newspaper sports departments everywhere were deluged with calls of protest.
"The worst exhibition of boxing officiating I have seen in 50 years," declared National Boxing Association president George Barton. "If (Rawson) was a referee in Minnesota [Barton's home state], I'd take away his license."
In The Ring ****zine editor Nat Fleischer wrote, "Battered down seven times in the third round ... poor (Collins) had to submit to additional punishment that placed his life in danger. And all because Tommy Rawson, an old-time fighter, saw more fit to exhibit his skill in counting from one to eight – a baby's job – than the use of common sense, efficiency, and a human heart."
Robert Christenberry, chairman of the New York state boxing commission, lamented that "millions of people witnessed this black eye to boxing, and it will take boxing a long time to make up for it."
(Source: OnMilwaukee.com)
Boxrec: The fight which was screened live on TV was an appalling mismatch which did serious damage to boxing’s image. The challenger, too brave for his own good, was permitted to absorb one of the worst beatings in title history, while the referee, his own cornermen, commission officials and ringside doctor looked on. Collins was floored seven times in a brutal 3rd round, and the fight should have been stopped after the 3rd knockdown as Collins, his left eye closed, clearly had no idea what was going on.
Collins should never been allowed out for the 4th round, and Carter was obviously unhappy about it. He was reluctant to hit him again and kept looking at the referee Tommy Rawson in the hope that he would call a halt. When he did nothing he knocked the youngster down three more times. Even that was not enough for Rawson who was preparing to order them to box on when Collin’s manager and second at last jumped into the ring to signal their man’s surrender.
TV stations and newspaper sports departments everywhere were deluged with calls of protest.
"The worst exhibition of boxing officiating I have seen in 50 years," declared National Boxing Association president George Barton. "If (Rawson) was a referee in Minnesota [Barton's home state], I'd take away his license."
In The Ring ****zine editor Nat Fleischer wrote, "Battered down seven times in the third round ... poor (Collins) had to submit to additional punishment that placed his life in danger. And all because Tommy Rawson, an old-time fighter, saw more fit to exhibit his skill in counting from one to eight – a baby's job – than the use of common sense, efficiency, and a human heart."
Robert Christenberry, chairman of the New York state boxing commission, lamented that "millions of people witnessed this black eye to boxing, and it will take boxing a long time to make up for it."
(Source: OnMilwaukee.com)
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