The sixth-round finish looked routine in real time. A more in-depth look told a special story. As Ramirez absorbed a final burst, Benavidez’s right arm got here through with a motion that appeared separate from his punches, catching Ramirez and contributing to the stoppage.
The moment split opinion on the InsidetheRing broadcast.
Teofimo Lopez said, “They are saying that he hit with the elbow at the top. But I even then, though I feel that it wasn’t intentional,” said Teo.
Max Kellerman took the other view, describing the motion as consistent with inside-fighting habits, where fighters turn short shots into elbows at close range.
The replay has turn out to be the main target since the motion didn’t read as an easy follow-through. The elbow appeared to return by itself path, not because the natural end of a punch. That distinction is usually the difference between a missed call and a foul.
Unlike an incidental elbow that happens when a punch overshoots its goal, this motion seemed to be the first offensive motion. The arm didn’t extend right into a punch but stayed crooked, leading with the joint.
Benavidez was statistically dominant, rendering the foul theoretically “unnecessary” for the win. Ramirez landed 89 total punches in comparison with Benavidez’s 151. On the time of the stoppage, Benavidez was ahead 50-44 on the scorecards. It was a clean sweep.
Ramirez, who had never been stopped in 50 skilled fights, went down immediately once the impact landed on his eye. This has led to arguments that the stoppage was a direct results of an illegal blow reasonably than the buildup of the “machine gun” mixtures Benavidez had landed throughout the fight.
Inside exchanges often include forearms and shoulders as fighters work for position. Referees rarely stop the motion unless the motion is clear. On this case, the speed of the finish and the damage already done made it easy to wave off within the moment.
The replay has modified how the ending is being viewed. The finish that looked clean at first glance now carries an issue that wasn’t there live.
