Standing eight count count is different than a mandatory eight count. A mandatory eight count is only assessed once a fighter is knocked down. Standing eight count A standing eight count, also known as a protection count, is a boxing judgment call made by a referee during a bout. When invoked, the referee stops the action and counts to eight. Typically, a boxer can take 3 standing eight counts in a round. During that time the referee will determine if the boxer can continue. When the count reaches eight, the referee often moves back two steps and instructs the boxer to walk towards
Muscle Outlaw'z own personal referee. He allowed the MO'z members to break the rules and he used fast counts when they pinned their opponents, and he also refused to count pinfalls done to MO'z members and would sometimes even attack opponents. The group became the refuge for any heel wrestler visiting Dragon Gate, their membership list including Pentagon Black, Kevin Steen, Muscle Gang, and Arik Cannon. This has caused their membership to become the highest in Dragon Gate history. Kishiwada would become more of a part-time member, spending increasing amounts of time away from Dragon Gate, and Naoki Tanisaki would eventually leave