Best/Worst Refs?

[BigStereotype]

Who are some of the best and worst refs out there today? To me, a good ref is unnoticeable, somebody like Kenny Bayless, who I only ever remember is in the ring because he's got a funny voice and looks like the pants on the ground guy. A bad ref is like Joe Cortez, who also has a funny voice, but likes to butt in and make himself heard. But the worst ref, the one who bothers me the most, is Mercante, Jr. Now, I liked what he did with Foreman-Cotto, giving Foreman a chance to go out on his shield. But he's got a huge ego. He obviously loves being heard. He makes sure to yell when he gives his instructions and he makes it a point to make his own refereeing prominent in the fight. The most egregious thing he does, in my opinion, is saying "suck it up" to fighters. I've heard him say it on two occasions - in the Foreman-Cotto fight and in the Cotto-Clottey fight, when Cotto took a butt and got a bad cut over his left eye. He's got a lot of nerve saying that, he should shut up and do his job.

Make that three times. He says it when Clottey gets thrown, too. Guy is an asshole.
Who are some of your favorite/least favorite refs?

[Phantasm]

Funnt..I just read an online article on Yahoo (or Ring) ranking the top 3 worst refs and Cortez is one of them (not sure what basis he's going into the Hall for). I agree with Cortez, Mercante jr. and Laurence Cole as being the worst, with Cole topping that list. For my money, the best out there is Steve Smoger, who is more deserving of the Hall than Cortez. You can run down the list of memorable and Fight of the Year contests he has managed to be a part of.

[BigStereotype]

Smoger is good. He lets fights run and get violent, which really is a boon for us fans.

[Barn]

I like Arthur Mercante Sr and Mills Lane the best.
Joe Cortez and is really bad and it's disgusting he is going into the HoF, Richard Steele is another I do not like.

[BigStereotype]

I like Arthur Mercante Sr and Mills Lane the best.
Joe Cortez and is really bad and it's disgusting he is going into the HoF, Richard Steele is another I do not like.

Do you not like Steele because of Chavez-Taylor?

[Phantasm]

I like Arthur Mercante Sr and Mills Lane the best.
Joe Cortez and is really bad and it's disgusting he is going into the HoF, Richard Steele is another I do not like.

Ironic how the Mercante name has both extremes of the spectrum. Jr is horrible and Sr is debatably the GOAT (in the argument with Art Donovan). Mills was great (though I think he did not do to well in the middle of the Tyson-Holyfield fiasco). Kenny Bayless has been slipping a bit, imo. Tony Weeks is another great current ref. Steele slipped much late in his career but not as much as Cortez, imo.

[Barn]

Do you not like Steele because of Chavez-Taylor?

I'm not so bad with that one, it's the little things like Hagler vs Hearns he seemed to favour Hearns breaking up any inside fighting that took place.

[!! AI-Holmes!!]

I think Jay Nady and Laurence Cole are the worst.

[mickey malone]

Imo Mills Lane is the God of refereeing, and the worst ref i've ever seen is the baffoon who officiated the Sven Ottke Robin Reed fight in Germany.. That guy should have been arrested and dragged off to the cells as soon as the score cards were being announced..

[katsidis]

Kenny Bayliss is good, I also like Robert Byrd. It's a shame he doesn't get many big fights.

As for turtle shell Cortez, I can understand putting a referee into the HOF, but Joe Cortez? Seriously? Couldn't they find anyone better?!