What a disappointing ending from every angle.
Disappointing for Dirrell, because he was putting together the best performance of his career, and he deserved to win the fight in a way other than lying on his back unconscious.
Disappointing for Abraham, who was showing signs of coming on and would have had a legit chance at a dramatic come-from-behind KO down the stretch.
And most of all, disappointing for the tournament as a whole. This was by far the best and most dramatic fight of the tournament so far. It had a chance to start the 2nd stage on a high note, instead its just adding some more controversy on top of what has already happened (Taylor dropping out, Froch/Dirrell decision, Ward-Green delay, etc.). Let's just hope Dirrell is able to rebound without any major ill effects.
As Naehring11 alluded to, while Abraham's foul was certainly disqualification-worthy, it's hard to label it blatantly dirty. When these guys are in an intense fight, it's awful hard to expect them to automatically flip the switch and realize someone is on the ground defenseless. It may look clear on TV that the opponent is on his knees and that a punch shouldn't be thrown, but in the heat of battle I'm sure it's tougher to immediately restrain yourself from throwing a punch. Abraham is definitely a whiner, but not necessarily dirty.
Anyone else notice that Laurence Cole kept calling Andre by his brother's name instead, "Anthony"? Is it too much to ask for the ref to know the names of the guys who are fighting? I've always thought Cole was one of the worst refs out there, that did nothing to change my mind. At least he got the DQ right.
And what was the ring doctor doing when Cole asked him to look at Abraham's cut? That was the longest cut examination I've ever seen. You're supposed to just take a quick look and say "Yes" or "No" for whether he can continue.
