LETTER OF THE WEEK
A LOT has been said over the years – and especially recently after the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch in Las Vegas – about throwing the towel into the ring. It is important to note that throwing the towel into the ring is not something that is recognised by the world governing bodies. The procedure is that, at the rules meeting, the chief second is identified and he/she is the only one of the corner team that is permitted to use the towel to signal that they want their fighter to be pulled out. To do this, the chief second is required to stand on the ring apron in their corner and hold the towel above their head to attract the referee’s attention. The referee then makes a decision as to whether to stop the contest or not, although it is usually the case that the referee will stop the fight. This procedure prevents anybody who is not authorised to stop the contest from doing so. Any ringside observer could bring a towel into the arena. Maybe he/she has placed a wager on when the fight will finish, and at that given point he/she could throw the towel into the ring and the referee, in his wisdom or lack thereof, could stop the fight there and then. This is why the chief second, and only the chief second, is required to stand on the ring apron in their corner and hold the towel above their head to attract the referee’s attention.
Mickey Vann