The Best of Referee Tony Perez

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There are prize-fights where one man may get a real boxing lesson, a technical showcase of scientific boxing...and then there are vicious beatings.

While recently rewatching Merciless Ray Mercer savagely taking out Tommy Morrison in rd 5, (a fight in which Morrison dominated the first 4 rds), I thought about the other notorious, savage KO's I've ever seen and realized referee Tony Perez was the third-man-in-the-ring for 3 of them. Seems kind of unusual.

1. Tommy Morrison vs Ray Mercer
2. Gerry Cooney vs Ken Norton
3. David Tua vs John Ruiz (my personal favorite John Ruiz fight but that's beside the point...)

A fighter does what he's trained to do.
Referees ought to do the same.

In addition, Tony Perez was also the official when Roy Jones struck Montell Griffin twice in succession while Griffin was already down, knocking him out.

At Ali/Frazier II, referee Tony Perez allowed Muhammad Ali to clinch and hold onto Joe Frazier 147 different times during the 12 rd distance without taking any points.
Ali's glove was on the back of Joe's head for literally half the fight, about 13 or 14 clinches each rd by Ali. No action taken by Perez. Ali clutched and held more than John Ruiz that night.
Another mistake by Tony Perez that night was in rd 2 when Ali staggered Frazier upon which time Perez thought he heard the bell and stopped the action prematurely.

These are just the most high-profile displays of referee Tony Perez' outstanding officiating.
I thought they ought to be commemorated.


First ballot shoo-in for the Boxing Hall-of-Shame !!!

There's plenty of others to join Perez though: Neumann, Nady, Cole, both Mercantes, Cortez, Steele, and old-schoolers like Daggert, Donovan, and Pecord.

BOO !!! HISS !!!

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interesting. I have always thought Mercer - Morrison and Cooney - Norton really sucked the big one in terms of undue punishment, but I did not know it ws Perez for both.

An extra pont: I know according to the rules it's the referee's job to determine when a fight should be stopped, and the fighter should just keep on punching until told otherwise, but a fighter gets props from me if he shows enough awareness to know that his opponent is done. Take Benitez-Hope for example, Benitez could have thrown more punches, but he knew after the big blow that he didn't need to. Compare that to Cooney Norton. While techically not to blame, surely Cooney knows Norton is done. I kind of wonder how long he would keep on hitting Norton while Norton is propped up by the ropes with his hands down? I know people wil disagree with me on this point, but I don't care.

Yeah Tony has blown some big ones over the years....What amazes me is he was allowed to referee so many fights...I mean it is not as if he only let one or two fights go too far,,,

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Originally Posted by DaxxKahn

Yeah Tony has blown some big ones over the years....What amazes me is he was allowed to referee so many fights...I mean it is not as if he only let one or two fights go too far,,,

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What did you think about Arguello/Mancini?What late round whipping,but Mancini hung tough.Arguello was pin point brutal.

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Originally Posted by Spicoli surfs 'Nawlins

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Originally Posted by DaxxKahn

Yeah Tony has blown some big ones over the years....What amazes me is he was allowed to referee so many fights...I mean it is not as if he only let one or two fights go too far,,,

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What did you think about Arguello/Mancini?What late round whipping,but Mancini hung tough.Arguello was pin point brutal.

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Was that Perez? I've watched that one a few times, great fight, definitely one of Arguello's biggest wins. I thought the reffing was OK there, I never thought he let it go on to long, though as I recall it was Mancini's corner that threw in the towel, I think.

On a side note, I think referee's have done pretty well of late stopping the fight at the right time.. There is probably a few examples of course, but I all of the stoppage's I can recall seeing for the past couple of years have been done well by the referee... I certainly couldn't say referee's have been generally poor in this area... But there certainly are some fuck-ups no doubt

I don't think he ref's any more. But I never considered him to be a bad ref. He's ref I think over 300 fights. Those are just 5 that are being pointed at. Even thought I personally don't a problem with watching Ruiz or Morrison get there ass beat like that. And how he's being blamed for Jones hitting Griffin while down is beyond me. Jones should of known better. I know he reffed Salvador Sanchez-Azumah Nelson. I think he did fine. Didn't have a problem with him in Wayne Mccullogh-Daniel Zaragoza either.

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Originally Posted by CGM

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Originally Posted by Spicoli surfs 'Nawlins

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Originally Posted by DaxxKahn

Yeah Tony has blown some big ones over the years....What amazes me is he was allowed to referee so many fights...I mean it is not as if he only let one or two fights go too far,,,

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What did you think about Arguello/Mancini?What late round whipping,but Mancini hung tough.Arguello was pin point brutal.

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Was that Perez? I've watched that one a few times, great fight, definitely one of Arguello's biggest wins. I thought the reffing was OK there, I never thought he let it go on to long, though as I recall it was Mancini's corner that threw in the towel, I think.

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Agreed,Mancini went toes up that night and Arguello was at his best,he landed a hellacious right cross to end the 12th and left Mancini zombie walking back to his corner.He looked to be setting Ray up for perfect the KO shot.... Perez got it right with stoppage.I think his corner hopped up in the 13th waving the towel but let in go.Top notch fight.Really...,every ref with that time logged can be scrutinized at the end of the day.

He reffed the Benn-Gavono rematch and let the italian hold all night.

One of the wores big fight refs I have watched.