Referee s that are associated With Certain Fighters /Fights?

Fights where the Ref became a big part of the story, rather than just fading into the background, as they often do?

I'd say Jay Nady in the Tszyu-Judah fight

Walcott for Ali-Liston 2

 

Barney Felix associated with Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston I on Feb 25 1964, Arthur Mercante associated with Ingemar Johansson vs Floyd Patterson II on June 20 1960 and Fight Of The Century, Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier I on March 8 1971.

 

I don't think that Barney Felix refereed any other big matches, I could be wrong.

 

I remember the HBO crew trying to make ref Jose Guadalupe Garcia the story when house fighter Lennox Lewis was stopped by Oliver McCall in their first fight. To pretty much sum up what Lampley/Merchant/Clancy were saying: The WBC's referee, who they'd never heard of, made one on the strangest stoppages they'd ever seen.

Not sure if their efforts to make that ref the story in that fight stuck or not in the minds of most fans. For me, not sure I'd call it a great stoppage, but I've seen FAR worse. Lewis was very wobbly when that fight was waved off.

Richard Steele in Tyson/Ruddock 1 is another notable one.

 

Carlos Padilla rose to fame with the Thrilla in Manila, I’m pretty sure, and rode that to being a high-profile ref for major fights including Leonard-Duran I.

 

Barney Felix refereed absolute top-notch talent from 1941 until 1974. What I don’t see on his record though, is much in the way of title fights. In fact, the only other one I saw was the 1950 heavyweight title fight between Ezzard Charles and Freddie Beshore.

 

For Richard Steele I was sure you were going to say Chavez v Taylor

 

Wyatt Earp for the Tom Sharkey vs Bob Fitz fight

 

Jack Dougherty refereed two of Jack Dempsey's title fights, Miske and Gibbons. Former roommates, Dougherty let Jack get away with some nasty business in both bouts.

 

@Fergy already mentioned it, so I was left with the scraps...

 

Al Rothenberg seemed to be Pernell Whittaker’s traveling companion/personal referee