Here is the final minute and a half of Friday’s Bute-Andrade fight in Montreal. Notice that when Bute collapses to the canvas, the referree doesn’t even start counting. He wastes time by watching Andrade, who was doing nothing, and then looking at the timekeeper, rather than Bute. After about twenty five seconds, when he finally finishes his 10-count, he doesn’t even have Bute take a step towards him, as is customary after brutal knockdowns. Had Bute been asked to step forward, I think he would have fallen on his face.

The more I look at it, the more Friday’s fight ranks as one of the most incompetent and/or corrupt things I’ve ever seen in boxing. The Andrade camp is rightfully protesting. As long as Bute holds his title without defeating Andrade in a rematch (in someplace other than Montreal, thank you very much), his championship should be regarded as illegitimate.