Who's your favorite referee

[Tant01]

I was thinking about Mills Lane today.

He did his own vioce in Celeberty Death Match. I like his phrase "I'll allow it!"

Big John borrowed his catch phrase for the start of a fight "Lets get it on!"

He had a stroke in 2002 but his impact on the sport world is alive and well.

Who's your favorite?

Thanks all.

~R

[Hardball]

Richard Steele, because he had a chance to apologize for stopping the Talyor vs Chavez fight with 10 or so seconds left in the 15th round but he stuck to his guns and said he didn't regret stopping the fight. Mildred Taylor was ahead on points and Steele stopped the fight saying that Taylor had taken too much punishment after Taylor had been dropped with a vicious combination from Chavez.

[Tom Yum]

Gotta agree with Tant on Mills Lane.

[7r14ngL3Ch0k3]

Herb Dean by far

[Tant01]

Okay, I've come to my decision. Mills Lne is by far the best ref for personality, but I think in terms of who was the best ref in terms of quality of work and portfolio, I have to go with Arthur Mercante Sr. The guy called so many big fights, it's ridiculous, and he almost never had any real controversial calls. He let the guys do what they came to do, and didn't get involved unless he had to. That's a fighter's favorite ref.

Oh, and since the thread happens to be in the MMA forum, let's hear some noise for Big John McCarthy! The original MMA third man in the ring!

'Big" John retired recently if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure somebody here will correct me?

I like Mills Lane because he was educated (in law) served as a deputy sheriff, a lawyer and a prosecutor. He knew what his job was in the ring. He refereed over 100 championship fights including the infamous "bite fight" when he DQ'd Mike Tyson...

Oh and did I mention Celeberty Death Match... That's funny!

He was quite a character before his stroke...

[bigboywasim]

UFC Referee"Big"John McCarthy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCarthy_(referee)

LA cop, certified self-defense specialist, BJJ Blackbelt under Rorion Gracie

Has own acadamy

http://www.bjmuta.com/

[Hardball]

One more punch and Taylor may have died in that ring.

[Guest]

Pier Luigi Collina

[Tant01]

Pier Luigi Collina

PierLuigi Colline...No doubt he one of the best officals. (Ever)

http://www.dedeporte.es/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/pierluigi_collina.jpg

[Tant01]

PierLuigi Collina

[treelizard]

I have a crush on Herb Dean.

He's also refereed for Fatal Femmes Fighting, which is awesome.

[Dog Pit]

I would like to see Richard Steele dunked into a large vat of pirranahs followed by a hot bath of acid. I think he's a world class bastard. He was notorious for a lot of years in his reputation for early stoppages, and while I agree that the fight with Chavez ruined Taylor, I think he deserved that last 3 seconds (it wasn't ten seconds, but very literally 3!!). And it's universally agreed that Taylor would have beaten Chavez on all cards in that fight. As a result of Steele's call, Taylor ended up a loser without a belt and without his mental faculties instead of ending up without his mental faculties that could look back on the hardest won championship win ever fought. Here's the end of the fight. Listen to Lampley's very accurate commentary as you watch.

I can appreciate Steele sticking ot his guns, but I think he was wrong. The idea that he had legal grounds to stop it? Sure, that's 100% correct. The idea that Taylor was finished? Probably. He was loopy as hell and didn't have his legs. But I doubt Chavez even could have made it across the ring in the amount of time left, let alone land something solid.

As a fighter, I think Taylor should have at least been given the dignity of finishing on his feet as the winner.

Richard Steele was not wrong for stopping that fight. It was simply a matter of this: Steele asked Taylor twice, "Are you OK?", and Taylor didn't respond. Therefore Richard Steele stopped the fight.

It doesn't matter if there were 2 seconds or 20 seconds left, the fighter didn't respond and Steele was obligated to stop the fight. What you are saying is the referee should have disregarded the rules because there were only 2 seconds left. The referee is paid to enforce the rules impartially, not to break them if he thinks this will make one of the fighters a winner. By allowing the fight to continue, even though the beaten Taylor was unable to respond, Richard Steele would have been basically breaking the very rules he is paid to enforce.

That is the thing about boxing ... you can be a mile ahead the whole way, but lose to a punch in the end. In this case, Taylor was ahead on points but Chavez was a mile ahead on punishment delivered, to the extent he had to be hospitalized for over a week afterward. It wasn't just "a" punch here, it was an accumulation of punishment, punctuated by a 5-punch combo in the end.

[Hardball]

Richard Steele was not wrong for stopping that fight. It was simply a matter of this: Steele asked Taylor twice, "Are you OK?", and Taylor didn't respond. Therefore Richard Steele stopped the fight.

It doesn't matter if there were 2 seconds or 20 seconds left, the fighter didn't respond and Steele was obligated to stop the fight. What you are saying is the referee should have disregarded the rules because there were only 2 seconds left. The referee is paid to enforce the rules impartially, not to break them if he thinks this will make one of the fighters a winner. By allowing the fight to continue, even though the beaten Taylor was unable to respond, Richard Steele would have been basically breaking the very rules he is paid to enforce.

That is the thing about boxing ... you can be a mile ahead the whole way, but lose to a punch in the end. In this case, Taylor was ahead on points but Chavez was a mile ahead on punishment delivered, to the extent he had to be hospitalized for over a week afterward. It wasn't just "a" punch here, it was an accumulation of punishment, punctuated by a 5-punch combo in the end.

Thanks for the assist. You articulated what happened that night as well as Steele did himself. The key being, Taylor did not answer Steele when asked, "Are you all right"

[Caveman]

Steve Mazzagattiiiiiiiiiiiii!

http://mmamania.com/2007/03/06/men-in-black-exclusive-interview-with-ufc-referee-steve-mazzagatti/

[treelizard]

I'm trying to remember the name of that really annoying boxing ref that kept separating these two guys over and over again and drawing a blank.