BOXING OFFICIALS

[ddzubia]

CURIOUS....HOW DOES ONE BECOMING A BOXING OFFICIAL??

[Memphis]

Dont you mean "How do I get into fights for free?"

Basically you would start at amateur level officiating kids on a voluntary basis. You progress through the ranks taking in clinics and rules tests until one day when your all growed up you apply for a proffesional officials license at a governing body.

Apparently officiating is quite difficult to get into, well in England anyway, I heard on a TV programme that there are an awfull lot of people wanting to be officials.

[Canvasback]

If you live in the US, got to the USA Boxing website. There are regions for all parts of the country. I live in the Northeast and the guy I spoke with said they were desperate for officials for amateur fights. The membership is about $40 and they run seminars for judges, referees, etc. The local region will then have you judge some taped fights to see how you'd score them. Once you have been approved you can start working amateur bouts. You don't get paid, but it's a place to start.

[Memphis]

Nice one

[Andre]

The professional circuit in the states (escpecially New York) is rife with hand me down positions .
Unfortunatley the referees position should be the most guarded and the more proven regarding qualification.
Instead we get normal men who are taught how the commision wishes them to think and so we get weak assed directors in the ring pointing and shoving instead of taking real control making real man desicions.

Some refs shouldnt even be in there, one in paticular has had a death in the ring that he could of stopped occuring.

There are others (with Ref licences) who are more suited to control Proffesional fighters who are proven 1st class refs who are ex fighters smart strong men with a consiouss but they are now being passed over every time and the big fights are handed to a friend of an official or a son etc etc who end up people who have never fought themselves and cannot gain much respect or control of two guys out to kill each other!

[Canvasback]

Unfortunately it's the same in the state I live in (Massachusetts). Most of the commission positions go to friends or relatives who don't know much about boxing. I just went to a pro fight and saw someone I know judging at the fights. His background is former state trooper and current lawyer (YUK). He knew the commissioner and got the job. He has no boxing background or experience. I'm not saying I could do a better job, but I think the commissions should stick with people with boxing experience.