So, I spend a lot of time watching fights. Like, a lot. You start to notice things beyond just the fighters, you know? You notice the cornermen, the crowd, and yeah, the referees. It’s gotta be one hell of a job, making split-second calls with guys punching each other.
But sometimes, you see things that just stick with you, not in a good way. That got me going down a rabbit hole watching old fights, specifically ones with Kim Winslow as the ref. It wasn’t just one fight, it became a bit of a pattern I started tracking.
My Observations
Watching her work, especially back in the day, sometimes made me genuinely uncomfortable. It felt like things went on too long sometimes. I’d be sitting there, yelling at the screen, like “Stop it! It’s over!”
Here’s what I kept noticing:
- Late stoppages: This was the big one for me. Seemed like fighters were taking extra shots they didn’t need to. I remember watching some of those women’s fights, and man, it just felt rough seeing someone defenseless and the fight still going.
- Inconsistency: Sometimes it felt like the timing was just… off. Maybe quick on one thing, slow on another. Hard to know what to expect.
- Fighter Safety Concerns: At the end of the day, that’s the ref’s main job, right? Protect the fighters. And watching some of those bouts, I seriously questioned if that was always the top priority in the moment. Felt like someone could get seriously hurt waiting for the call.
Digging Into It
It wasn’t like I just watched one clip and made up my mind. I went back, re-watched several fights she officiated over the years. Tried to see it from different angles, give the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the view was blocked? Maybe something I didn’t see? But the pattern seemed pretty clear to me, at least from my couch.
You see enough fights where someone is clearly done, taking unanswered shots, and the action continues… it just leaves a bad taste. It changes how you watch the fight, you start worrying more than enjoying the sport.
Final Thoughts
Look, I’m not trying to pile on anyone personally. Being a referee is incredibly difficult, high pressure, and you’re making judgments faster than most of us could blink. Respect for anyone who steps in there. But when you see repeated instances that raise red flags about fighter safety, you gotta call it like you see it. It’s not about being perfect, nobody is. But those moments, those late calls, they definitely shaped how I viewed some fights and the importance of consistent, safety-first officiating. It’s something I still think about when I see refs making tough calls today.
