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In Praise of Referees

Being a third man in the ring is a difficult and oftentimes thankless job, but like airline pilots and doctors, referees must strive to avoid off days. Too much depends on their being consistently fit and ready and at the top of their game. Nonetheless, they are the object of criticism more often than not.
In this connection, one thing that is becoming pretty obvious points to the same referees being used over and over again from what would appear to be limited and localized pools. This can be both good and badâgood because we are getting skilled and experienced people; bad because new ones are not being groomed. This is especially true in Las Vegas, New York City, and California. Plum assignments go to too few and this has resulted in visible disgruntlement among other referees, particularly on the West Coast.
During the past few years Michael Griffin, an excellent Canadian referee has received many assignments (including world title matches) in the state of New York. In fact, he handled the Joshua-Ruiz fight at Madison Square Garden in June 2019. This raises the question: were there no local referees capable of handling these well-paying jobs?
âIt is sad that we have so many state commissions that are the appointees of governors and donât hold the necessary credentials to be put in charge of a very difficult sport to manageâ — the late Elmo Adolph
As for the caliber of refereeing, the controversies of the past have abated during the last couple of years. 2019 was especially free of poor or obtrusive officiating by third men who insisted on becoming too much a part of the show.
Of course, thereâs no such thing as a perfect referee. The late and esteemed Elmo Adolph and the beloved Wayne Kelly came pretty close. Ring 10 in New York (which helps boxers in need) now has an annual award named in honor of Wayne. This yearâs winner was New Yorkâs Steve Willis. Experienced and consistent New York area referee Ron Lipton previously won Ring 10âs Jose Torres Renaissance Man award.
âWayne was a take-charge, no-nonsense referee. He let the fighters fight, and he was always in the gym working sparring sessions to stay sharp.â- Randy Gordon, former head of the New York State Athletic Commission.
It is nice and rewarding that I was responsible for the development of many officials along the way and that many refer to me as their mentor. â Elmo Adolph
In 2011, longtime Italian boxing judge and globetrotting referee Massimo Barrovecchio (pictured) worked the Klitschko-Adamek fight in Poland and did an extraordinary job. For the first time, global fans saw him on TV move about the ring with light-footed grace and remain virtually invisible until he appeared at just the right time to end the beat down the Pole was receiving.
Panamaâs Hector Afu, who worked the Saul Ălvarez vs. Kermit Cintron fight in Mexico, is another who does extremely fine work marked by his âtake-chargeâ propensity. He recently won the âWBC Referee of the Year Awardâ for the second time, having previously won it ten years ago. He last worked the Usyk-Witherspoon bout in Chicago.
In the big âClash on the Dunesâ in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 7, 2019, fans were treated to another great referee in Puerto Ricoâs Luis Pabon who refereed the main event between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz. (The sometimes unfairly criticized Pabon was invisible and was just about perfect in the 2014 fight in Macau between Vasyl Lomachenko and Thai Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo.)
On February 21, 2015, a prime Gennady Golovkin was mauling and mugging former British middleweight champion Martin Murray. Finally, at 2:10 of round 11, Pabon did what Murrayâs corner should have done when he jumped in and stopped the Brit from taking further punishment. The solid stoppage came after a game Murray caught a GGG crunching right cross to the face and then dangerously dropped his hands. He was done. Murray, like many brave fighters, is one who just wonât give up. Thatâs why fighters depend on referees and corners to step in when necessary. Murrayâs corner failed miserably in this regard. Pabon did not. Boxing needs more referees like Luis Pabon.

Jack Reiss
Jack Reissâs decision to let Tyson Fury continue after he seemingly had been knocked cold by Deontay Wilder in 2018 was as good as good can possibly get. Reiss asked Tyson if he was âOK,â made him raise his hands and walk towards him, and then let him fight. Fury then came back with a fury, showing that he was more than ready to continue.
The Brooklyn-born Reiss lives and works as a realtor in Oxnard, California, and refs almost exclusively in California, but that might be changing due to his growing reputation for being one of the very best referees in the U.S. In fact, he recently worked the âTankâ Davis vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa fight in Atlanta and his stoppage was textbook perfect.
Back to the Dunes
In another fight on the Saudi Arabia card — actually the one that stole the show — big Dillian Whyte met an even bigger Mariusz Wach in a grueling 10-round match.
The referee in this one was invisible and, with all due respect to Bo Derek, delivered a âPerfect Ten.â His technique and ring demeanor allowed him to control without being obtrusive while concurrently allowing him to make timely calls that protected the safety of the boxers. He was none other than the aforementioned Massimo Barrovecchio displaying his consistently fine work whether it be in Rome, Ukraine, Germany, Moscow, Dubai, the UK, Norway, Denmark, Monaco, Ireland, or even in front of Saudi Princes.
Perhaps referees like Barrovecchio, Pabon and Afu can be part of an international seminar. Maybe a webinar could be held out of New York City for new and/or aspiring amateur referees and Jack Reiss (and possibly Mark Nelson out of Minnesota) could be the two moderators. At any rate, state boxing commissions should consider analyzing their present referee pools to determine what, if anything, could be improved,
Corporations use a âBest in Classâ approach. Boxing should do the same.
Ted Sares can be reached at tedsares@roadrunner.com
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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryanâs WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in womenâs boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlantaâs Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Ricoâs Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevasâs eyes and didnât like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxingâs youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce âShu Shuâ Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadnât previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonioâs Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, Californiaâs Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. Â However, he wasnât afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree â he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder âFerociousâ Fernando Vargas â is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel âMannyâ Chance, one of Top Rankâs newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Calâs Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighterâs attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmerâs escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his cornerâs appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepedaâs body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
âI knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,â said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
âBut I dominated the last rounds,â said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
âIâm glad we both put on a great show,â said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Ricaâs Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? Thatâs the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexicoâs Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighterâs fifth consecutive title defense.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.
Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.
Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.
âIt’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,â Mayer told the BBC.
If you follow Mayerâs career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.
For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.
Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.
No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.
Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.
The fight breakdown
Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.
Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.
That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.
More drama.
During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
New York City got its moneyâs worth.
Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.
Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?
âI wanted the rematch straight away,â said Ryan on social media. âIâve come to America again.â
Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.
That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?
Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. Itâs not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. Itâs something that canât be taught.
Can she draw enough of that fire out again?
âI didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,â said Mayer to BBC. âThat’s not the fighter I am though.â
Co-Main in Las Vegas
The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Ricoâs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.
Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.
Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.
Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce âShu Shuâ Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.
Golden Boy in Cancun
A rematch between undefeated William âCamaronâ Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.
In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepedaâs tornado style.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.
Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.
Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. Itâs a toss-up fight.
Fights to Watch
Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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