Arthur Mercante, RIP

[Smallpotatoes]

http://www.fightnews.com/?p=42374

He was 90 and was still reffing into his 80's. Worked the first Ali/Frazier fight.

 

[Huggy]

Probably the best ref I ever saw. An absolute master at controlling a fight - without anyone noticing him - and brilliant at knowing when a round was about to end (before they started banging on the apron when there were 10 seconds left) so he could move in a break things up so the guys weren't swinging at each other after the bell.

His son was a pretty good ref too.

RIP

 

[Football_Bat]

Lots of boxing people are still around at an extended age and are keeping a very rich institutional memory alive. Boxing today above the middle weights is a joke.