Best referees

Agreed. Halpern was excellent in his short time reffing big fights. I just revisted DLH-Quartey and how he was supremely focused in that pivotal 12th. DLH explodes out of the gate and lands a bomb of a left hook to drop Ike. Then he sends him reeling back to the ropes, badly hurt...and goes to work in him. Halpern had the presence of mind to see Ike throwing back...and I think rightfully he allowed that to play out where another ref might have stopped it.

It’s gotta be an incredibly difficult thing to do to call a fight at that perfect moment...or not make that call. On any given night, your judgement potentially responsible for the life of some tough kid trying to hang in there...or some battered journeyman earning a couple more paychecks. The boxing junkie in me wants to see fighters fight til one is utterly broken like the old days.

Rare now, but Frank Cappuccino one in recent times that still refs that way and lets a fight play out. If he’s not working that night, we probably don’t get to see the end of round 9 in Gatti-Ward I. Who knows about the next 20 rounds they’d eventually fight.

Off the top of my head Mills Lane was consistently good. Mercante as well. Kenny Bayless is regularly very good...but I’ve seen him have an off night once or twice. Then there’s often criticized guys like Richard Steel, with his checkered past. But I thought he did a great job in most fights...and I genuinely believe he thought he was doing the right thing at the end of Chavez-Taylor. Again, these are tough, tough calls that they make in a split second.

Then there’s Stanley Christodoulou who, in my hazy memory, stands out as having a couple pretty indefensible scorecards as a judge. But as a ref, I always thought he was solid.

Think about some of the history the guy’s been ringside for over the years. He’s judged dozens of major fights...everyone from young Holyfield and prime Tito Trinidad to, more recently, a Pacquiao fight or two. And he’s still working as a judge. Not to mention he was actually in the ring with Pryor and Argüello when they made history in their first fight...for my money, probably the greatest fight I’ve seen or may ever see. He was only a few feet away from Hearns when he detonated that famous straight right on Pipino Cuevas. And to my knowledge, he’s gotta be one of only a handful of real boxing people, maybe the only one who can give you a first hand account of the legendary, almost mythical war where Arnold Taylor KO’d Romeo Anaya in South Africa.

Pretty cool stuff. Can you imagine?

 

Mills Lane to me was overrated. Anyone who let someone get away with a bite (without an instant dq), was struggling for credibility.

Mercante Snr has to be up there and I know he is loathed by many, but Richard Steele was superb.

And of my homeland refs, I would pick Sid Nathan, small and quiet, he did not make a fuss, what a referee should be.

 

Nathan was a fine third man.

 

Carlos Padilla seems to get overlooked but I thought he was a great ref during the 70s and 80s. Has been in many high profile fights such as Thrilla in Manila, Sanchez vs Gomez, Muhammad vs Qawi, SRL vs Duran, etc.

 

He admitted the Thrilla was a struggle for him (first huge fight and Heavyweights too boot; which Filipino refs did not deal with too often). But yes, he did do very well after this and may have been the best for a period in the early 80s.

 

I always thought Arthur Mercante Sr. brought a touch of class to his fights. None of these mandatory 20 counts with him. Just do the count, wipe the gloves, and crook the finger to the guy in the neutral corner to continue

 

No love for Davey Pearl?

 

Richard Steele was one of the best, I don't care what people say about Meldrick's fight. I think that proves he was one of the best. He didn't care about the timekeeper, he knew what his job was. That fight there did a mental thing to him, where he was too aware of when to stop fights after that after the criticism.

 

He was great. He stopped Hearns vs. Leonard at the right time. He did Ali/Spinks and Holmes vs. Shavers. I think he even did Hearns vs. Weston in 1979. He refed all the greats as far as I remember. I am not sure did Duran.. He might have done Duran vs. Minchillo, but I am not sure.

 

I can't remember all his fights either. I think he had around 70 title fights and he used to manage Liston from what I remember. But from reading some articles, he was a straight shooter and respected from his colleagues. And agreed outstanding job in stopping the Leonard Hearns fight at the appropriate time.

 

I agree. I thought he was one of the best. Hagler didn't like him against Hearns, yet he was saying to Hearns all the time no holding, so I never understood Hagler's dispute. He won the fight. I think Steele with Rudduck did what a lot of refs do after they are questioned, they have some sort of block when another big decision comes up and the critique affects that moment. That Ruddock ending created another Tyson/Ruddock 2.. I think they fought 3 times but I could be wrong. It has been so many years now. I remember that fight Chavez vs. Taylor very well as we all do. and the interesting thing is my friend was at that fight and said Chavez was working Taylor over the whole fight working the body, yet when he went home and saw HBO, they were acting like Chavez was in control, yet Meldrick's face was swollen and a mess, and he later swallowed a lot of blood and had this orbital bone broken. So, I think the stoppage was good.

 

Absolutely. In my mind he saved Hearns career. At that point Hearns was not knocked down or damaged much, he was still fighting but getting hurt and Davey stopped it before it could affect Hearns mentally. And Hearns went on to have a long career and a bit of an excuse that the fight could go on, but Ray would have hurt him badly in the next minute or so. I remember Leonard saying later how Hearns was tougher mentally than he thought he was earlier. That the losses to he and Hagler didn't really stop him from winning, but I think Pearl made a good decision. He has passed away by now I would think. One guy I wonder about is Mills Lane. I never hear about him anymore. I know he had a stroke many years ago.

 

I liked Mills Lane too .." Let's get it on!" … I think he is in his 80's now

 

I've never had a problem with Steele's action in that fight. He was there to protect the fighters not time keep.