Russ Anber, the cutman supporting Oleksandr Usyk, disagrees with referee Mark Nelson’s call to stop the fight in the ninth round and administer a standing eight count to a hurt Tyson Fury in Riyadh last Saturday.
Anber points out that Fury seemed to be using the ropes strategically to stay on his feet and prevent a knockout, bouncing off them multiple times in the ninth round. He questions why the final instance differed from previous occasions that didn’t lead to a standing eight count.
According to Anber, Usyk should have been given the chance to finish Fury off after landing 20 unanswered shots in the ninth round, with Fury visibly distressed. Anber contests the referee’s reasoning for issuing the standing eight count, arguing that Fury was using the ropes for defense rather than being propped up by them.
Anber criticizes the referee’s interference, accusing him of preventing Usyk from potentially securing a knockout victory when Fury was vulnerable. He suggests the referee should have either allowed the fight to continue or halted it altogether, following the pre-fight instructions.
Additionally, Anber defends Fury’s tactics of using the ropes strategically after being hurt, claiming it was a deliberate move. He asserts that Fury didn’t merit a standing eight count and the referee should have either let the fight proceed or declared Usyk the winner by knockout.
Anber concludes by stressing that if a fighter is defenseless, the bout should be stopped without resorting to a standing eight count. He maintains that giving Fury the standing eight count was unjustified in this scenario.
