Boxing: 'The man wasn't there'

Vegas verdicts

When he started walking away I thought it was a joke at first. I thought he was trying to fool me so he could sucker-punch me. But when I realised he wasn't, I picked up the pace. He's not got enough skill and could not cope with my jab, so basically he gave up. Lennox Lewis

The referee did very well stopping him because when Lennox Lewis started unloading on him, I would have said much more of that and Oliver McCall could have been killed. Maloney

We saw someone having a nervous breakdown in the ring. He was physically fit to fight, he had all the tests and reports and was in shape. We will be holding an investigation into the fight because the people of the world deserve an explanation. Jose Sulaiman, WBC President

He was talking incoherently in the corner but he had been doing it all week. The man wasn't there. George Benton, McCall's trainer.

My sympathy goes out to McCall, but he should never have been allowed into the fight because he was not physically ready for it. Dino Duva, joint promoter

If a kid's in rehab, you must not let him into a major fight. This should not happen again. Bob Arum, leading American promoter.

I have never seen anything like it in my boxing life, any fight. I have refereed 36 world title fights and I never thought I would see anything like this. In that fourth round I simply did not know what to do. I'd never seen anything like that before. British judge Larry O'Connell

This was one of Lennox's best fights but it will be tarnished because of McCall's behaviour. Jim Watt

Lennox Lewis was physically afraid of Oliver. He hit him with everything, and it still didn't mean a thing. Don King, McCall's promoter

People like Don King shouldn't be allowed to be in boxing. He's a disgrace to the human race. Maloney

I hate the way people are knocking [Oliver McCall] now. He's just a fine person. When I was with him I knew he was crying out for love. That's all he wants. He's a guy who wanted people to spend time with him. People didn't have that time. Emanuel Steward, Lewis's trainer, and former aide to McCall.