By Jake Donovan
The officials have been named for the May 2 showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Veteran referee Kenny Bayless has been tasked with keeping things in order for what many are referring to as “The Super Bowl of Boxing,” which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Assigned to score the bout from ringside will be: Burt Clements, Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman. Each will earn $20,000 for the assignment, while Bayless will earn $25,000 as third man in the ring.
The event will mark the fifth time Bayless will officiate a bout involving Mayweather and the eighth with Pacquiao. The Las Vegas-based referee was the in-ring authority for each of their last starts. Normally he would be welcomed with open arms, but it was in fact his performance in Mayweather’s last fight that has raised concern over his appointment here.
Mayweather was pushed to the brink in his first fight with Marcos Maidana last May, with the Argentine’s aggression—at time pushing the limits of the rules—referenced by Mayweather and his camp prior to their rematch last September.
Whether or not such feedback was a direct result of the veteran official’s performance, Bayless was derided by fans and media for what many considered overofficiating in the rematch. The two fighters were ordered to break the moment the threat of a clinch seemed imminent, rather than traditionally allowing fighters to punch their way out.
Mayweather walked away with a unanimous decision in the rematch, after settling for a majority decision win in their first fight.
Bayless was the referee for each of Pacquiao’s last two trips to Vegas. His last fight was easily the far more memorable of the two, avenging a controversial split decision loss to Tim Bradley with a convincing 12-round win last April.
The bout came 16 months after his last trip to the boxing capital of the world, one that nearly put his career in ruins when he was knocked out cold in six rounds by Juan Manuel Marquez. The unforgettable war was the fourth entry of their longtime rivalry, with Marquez overcoming a knockdown to score two of his own, the second putting Pacquiao face first to produce the end of what resulted in 2012 Fight of the Year.
Also in consideration to referee the May 2 bout were Robert Byrd and Tony Weeks, the latter whom will serve as third man for a lightweight showdown between Raymundo Beltran and Takahiro Ao. Their bout will take place on May 1 in Las Vegas.
The full slate of officials suggested for the May 2 were read during the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s monthly agenda hearing Tuesday morning in Las Vegas. Of the field, there was mention of concern over “two officials” raised by matchmaker Bruce Trampler, who was present at the hearing on behalf of Pacquiao and Top Rank. Trampler declined the opportunity to mention the officials by name, stating that such a discussion had already taken place behind closed doors with NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett.
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe did not object to any of the officials named. He instead mentioned that any such concerns were already discussed with Bennett, and that he had the highest level of respect for the pool of judges and referees considered for May 2.
The May 2 Pay-Per-View event is targeted to become the most lucrative event in boxing history, although there remains legitimate concerns about the official launching of ticket sales—which has yet to happen just 11 days away—and confirmation of closed circuit viewing in local establishments.
Mayweather is guaranteed $120 million, while Pacquiao is good for an $80 million payday. Financial upsides will result in their final take home pay dramatically increasing.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox