Ratner Defends Steele’s Decision

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada state athletic commission, is still separating the troublemakers from the peacemakers, fact from fiction, rumors from rampage.

But 24 hours after Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Zab Judah welterweight title fight at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Arena nearly turned from regulated boxing match into an all-comers brawl in the 10th round, Ratner remained sure of one thing: His referee, Richard Steele, did the right thing in deciding not to disqualify Mayweather, the subsequent winner by unanimous decision, when his uncle/trainer, Roger Mayweather, jumped into the ring after Floyd was on the receiving end of a low blow.

“As soon as the low blow was thrown,” Ratner said Sunday, “Richard Steele called a timeout. There was no question Roger jumped into the ring after time was called. The rule is that a referee may disqualify a fighter if someone from his corner enters the ring during a fight, but it is not automatic. It is at the referee’s discretion.

“Richard Steele acted appropriately. If there had been no timeout and the same thing would have happened, there would have been a disqualification.”

Roger Mayweather was immediately ordered to leave the arena and has been suspended by the commission pending a Thursday hearing. In addition, the purses of both fighters are being held.

After watching a tape of the fight, Ratner has now confirmed that a second illegal blow was landed by Judah on Floyd, a blow Ratner didn’t initially see ringside because he was screened. After Judah landed the low blow, a punch he claims was a poorly aimed body shot, he hit Mayweather in the back of the head as Mayweather staggered forward in agony.

“I think the second punch is what drove Roger crazy,” Ratner said. “But that certainly doesn’t excuse what he did. He should never have been in the ring.”

Judah, defending his International Boxing Federation title, had the early lead in the fight. It appeared he had knocked down Mayweather in the second round with a right hand, although Steele ruled it a slip.

By the 10th round, however, with blood coming from his nose and mouth and his options reduced to an occasional effective punch and a constant stream of harmless trash talk, Judah appeared to be a beaten man.

That’s when he delivered the two illegal blows. After Roger Mayweather leaped into the ring, so too did Yoel Judah, Zab’s father.

Zab has claimed Roger choked him.

“All I have seen so far is a still picture of that incident,” Ratner said. “From that, I can’t tell if Roger is choking Zab or restraining him.”

Zab also said Floyd hit him while he was on the ground in the melee. Ratner said he has seen no evidence of that.

“What I keep thinking about is what I went through with Leavander Johnson and Martin Sanchez,” said Ratner, referring to two fighters who died from blows in the ring last year. “Those were real tragedies. This is nowhere near that. We’ll have the hearing, and both fighters will go forward and fight another day.”