Best referee ever ???

Jersey Joe Walcott. Only a true great referee can make themselves the third star in the show.

 

Ruby Goldstein is up there, if not the Emile Griffith and Benny Paret incident I'd say he's number 1, that's quite a blunder though.

 

Then he almost repeated it in the first Patterson v Johansson fight.
The fight should have been stopped after the first knockdown when Floyd got up and walked away with his back to Johansson not knowing where he was.
He then allowed Ingemar to come from behind land a huge left hook on the side of Floyd’s head then a right hand on the back of his head on the way down, a disgrace.
Not a good referee to me.

 

Arthur Mercante Sr.
Dick Young
Harry Gibbs
Mills Lane

These guys always impressed me.

 

Steele

 

Yes, a superb ref.


Lane blew his biggest fight when he did not throw out Tyson for the first ear bite, and it literally took Iron Mike to take out a chunk of ear and then for Lane to spend time debating it before the DQ. Lane let situation control him, he lost personal control, he choked when it ultimately mattered.


A great ref, is in control and chucks Tyson out for the first bite.


The biggest knock on Steele is that people with money on a Taylor win were fuming because Steele stopped the fight when Taylor was unresponsive; not looking at Steele while being questioned; had a broken eye socket and an internal cut, that Duva himself estimated had led to Taylor swallowing a pint of his own blood.

 

I've got Smoger. He was my favorite anyways.

 

Steele timed his stoppages perfectly. Eubank-Benn I for instance.

 

Lane is great. I like Frank Cappuccino too. Theres some good refs from the late 70's early 80's who let the fighters fight and stayed out of the picture. I just cant place any names right now. Not too many I like currently a couple is about it there all in the picture too much and either make no calls or ridiculous calls for the most part. The Molony travesty last week involved 3 current incompetent refs. Disgraceful

 

I'll add my vote for Mills Lane. Did the man ever blow a call?