Yes a man that age really shouldnt be seen fit to control the action between two top fighters of any size, let alone big men. Ive thought that there must be plenty of decent active journeymen or recently retired HWs etc who would be perfectly good refs and happy to do it, beats the hell out of getting beat up as a sparring partner or something, and its not as if they shouldnt know exactly how to read the action already.

Then again I think back in the day they did have a couple of ex HW champions who were shoddy as refs in some major fights. I want to say Jersey joe Walcott, and maybe Joe louis?