Hazzard emphasizes proper use of replays at New Jersey fights
The Press of Atlantic City
Hazzard emphasizes proper use of replays at New Jersey fights
By DAVID WEINBERG Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, January 20, 2007
ATLANTIC CITY - Ken Owens insisted he wasn't too hurt to keep fighting Friday night, even while blood dripped from his lower lip and he wobbled ever so slightly inside the chain-link fence at Cage Fury Fighting Championships' opening bout.
Minutes after referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the bout and awarded North Bergen's Shawn McCann a first-round TKO victory at Tropicana Casino and Resort, Owens even tried to execute a backflip in protest.
Larry Hazzard, commissioner of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, was not convinced. He did not even bother looking at the flat-screen monitor at his ringside seat. He did not need instant replay to uphold the verdict.
"One of the things we will never question is a referee's decision to stop a fight," Hazzard said. "That will never be subject to change. We're not going to waste our time with obvious calls like that."
The nine-fight mixed-martial arts card, which was staged before a sellout crowd of 2,000 at Tropicana Ballroom, marked the first time that instant-replay challenges were available in a professional combative sports since the Control Board approved its use for boxing and martial arts events on Jan. 3.
No replay challenges were made during any of the event's nine bouts.
Instant replay will be available at the discretion of event promoters, since the Control Board's budget does not include funds for it. Felix Martinez, president of CFFC, paid an extra $5,000 to have the system installed Friday by Egg Harbor Township's Dan Brown, of D. Benjamin Brown Productions.
"I was hoping to show replays of the fights on the big screens (located in each corner of the Ballroom), but when they told me I could be the first to use it (in an official capacity), I was more than happy to do it," Martinez said. "I'm definitely in favor of instant replay. I think it's a great thing for the sport because it will make us more popular and safer."
It's no surprise that New Jersey is the first state in the nation to approve instant-replay challenges for boxing and martial arts. The Control Board, the state's governing body for combative sports, also was responsible for establishing the rules and regulations currently used by mixed-martial arts sanctioning bodies such as CFFC and UFC.
A tentative set of rules was used at the first Atlantic City show on Sept. 30, 2000 at the Trop. In April, 2001, Hazzard met with various promoters, fighters, managers and other MMA experts and came away with the unified regulations. Outrageous practices such as biting, eye gouging and mouth tugging were outlawed.
"This sport is going through the roof in terms of popularity," Hazzard said. "It's taking the country by storm, especially with the 18 to 35 age group. We wanted to do everything we could to prevent things that could bastardize the sport. This is not professional wrestling. There's nothing fake about it."
In terms of MMA, the replay system is ideally supposed to prevent fake tap-outs. One way a victory is earned is by executing a legal submission hold that causes an opponent to tap his thigh or the mat as a signal that he wants the fight to end.
Given the grueling nature of the sport - bouts generally last three or five minutes per round with a one-minute rest period in between - fighters could try to buy themselves some extra time by faking a tap-out. With instant-replay challenges, Hazzard can take up to three minutes to review a protest before issuing a ruling.
It was not needed Friday. All of the bouts ended without controversy. Rich Ashkar won by tap-out over Doug Gordon, but there was no mistaking Gordon's actions after getting caught in an arm bar in the second round.
Hazzard said he anticipated the replay system to be used more frequently for boxing, where low blows, questionable knockdowns and other fouls are more commonplace.
"You know it's going to get used in boxing a lot because those guys will try to get away with all kinds of (stuff)," Hazzard said with a laugh. "But it's about time boxing got into the 21st century with other sports. If you can use it with pro football, why not boxing? It's all about getting the call right."
The Control Board hopes that instant replay will soon catch on in other states, particularly major venues such as Nevada and Florida.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer wished it would have been implemented earlier. If it had, he might have one less loss on his record. Mercer (34-6-1, 25 KOs) suffered a seventh-round knockout against current WBO champ Shannon Briggs in Hollywood, Fla. on Aug. 26, 2005. At the time, Mercer claimed that he was the victim of an illegal punch.
"He pushed me through the ropes, then hit me in the back of the head with a rabbit punch and nothing was done about it," Mercer said Friday. "I wish they would have had instant replay for that one."
PUNCHLINES: Vineland's Alexis Aquino (3-0) gained a three-round decision over Nissim Levy in one of the night's best fights Friday... Millville's Carlos Nieves (3-5) lost his CFFC 170-pound title with a second-round TKO defeat to Boston's Mike Varner (4-3).... Mercer is living at Tropicana and training at the Pleasantville Recreation Center
in preparation for a Feb. 22 bout against ex-champ Hasim Rahman in West Virginia.
The above Press Release has been furnished to FFI by NIck Lembo/New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Date: January 3, 2007
Subject: Use of Instant Replay for Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, and Kickboxing Matches
As some of you already know, New Jersey allows a combative sports contestant to appeal a decision made by the referee during the course of a bout. This appeals process, which is free, consists of a Commissioner's review and if requested, a full Board Members hearing. Obviously, this process does not start until the bout has concluded and the outcome ( i.e. decision) of the bout has been rendered and announced.
The use of instant replay would allow the Commissioner's review to commence in a more timely fashion, namely, on the night of the bout itself.
The use of instant replay would allow the Commissioner to review a controversial decision or a missed call and apply the proper and just ruling for the benefit of the contestants, fans, promoter and all involved or interested parties.
It seems very logical to embrace this technology given the amount of money and prestige that is at stake during contests. Furthermore, available technology should be utilized if it helps to render a more fair and equitable outcome.
In fact, instant replay is often already provided to the spectators when replays are shown in between rounds on screens at the arena and also during the television or web broadcast. Instant replay is already in place for several other types of professional sports.
We are very proud of the outstanding referees that we utilize in our State, however, no referee can be expected to always make the right call with absolute accuracy. A simple mistake or oversight that can be corrected, should be corrected.
We will be notifying all promoters, by copy of this release, that instant replay can be utilized during combative sporting contests to review a referee's call or lack of a call. To be clear, instant replay will be utilized at the discretion of the lead promoter. This agency will not force a promoter to utilize instant replay, but we will not deny the promoter the opportunity to do so. This agency does not have the technology readily available, so it will be up to the promoter to provide the necessary equipment.
The use of such technology would allow the Commissioner to review issues such as :
knockdowns versus slips,
accidental versus intentional fouls,
if a cut was the result of legal strike,
if a fighter beat the count,
low blows, and
whether or not a strike landed before the bell rang.
The Commissioner, if approached during a round by the contestant's chief second, would review the issue at the end of the round. The bout would be temporarily stopped during the rest period and the Commissioner would have a maximum of three minutes to render a decision or choose to reserve his judgment because further review is needed. Upon the Commissioner's ruling, the bout would then be restarted and would continue.
This policy will immediately go into effect for all regulated professional boxing, mixed martial arts and kick boxing contests held here.
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