It’s Happened Before at Yankee Stadium
Written by Daniel Turner, Tuesday June 08 2010
Many fans were stunned on Saturday night when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. ignored the towel tossed into the ring by the corner of Yuri Foreman and ordered his fight with Miguel Cotto to continue. A decision made all the more galling to Foreman fans when news was released yesterday that the former champ will undergo knee surgery. While the move is mystifying, it is not the first time it happened in a bout in Yankee Stadium.
On June 22, 1938 Joe Lewis battled Max Schmeling in the House That Ruth Built and annihilated him in the first round. After being dropped three times in the opening minutes, Schmeling’s corner threw in the towel, but Arthur Donovan overlooked the linen and allowed the fight to continue for several seconds before finally halting the proceedings. Since it was in the first round maybe he wanted the fans to get their money’s worth.
Along with the controversy regarding the towel many are questioning the fight itself. Following a thrashing by Manny Pacquiao few believed Cotto worthy of a title fight. Now, he is the champion and the fallen champ is bound for the operating room after slipping on slick canvas.
If Cotto is simply holding a title for Pacquiao he will eventually have to face Foreman again as well. When Mercante tossed the towel aside he also asked Foreman if he wanted to continue and got an affirmative answer. The disabled knee that rendered Foreman immobile may have been the only thing that allowed Cotto to deliver the devastating body shot that ended the fight in the ninth.
When Donovan ignored the towel in 1938 the winner was unquestioned. This fight has a much controversy as when Jeffrey Maier made his appearance at Yankee Stadium.
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