British Referees are the best officiators in the world right now...

[Derranged]

especially about the part where Manfredo's family sends the ref flowers, saving him from Calzaghe's Windmill Of Death..

I haven't got time to go through them all, so I've selected the current top three of great refs from the UK:


1. Phil "Fair Shake" Edwards

Strengths: As his nickname suggests, Phil is known for giving boxers a fair chance, and gives them every opportunity to beat the standing three count.

Weaknesses: Phil finds his home life troubled, as no matter how many times he tries to boil an egg, it always comes out runny.

I just rewatched the Scott-Chisora stoppage after another thread on it.

Now, there's issues with it, like him starting the count before The Chisel is even in a neutral corner, and seeming to count fast.

But two things I noticed this time around:

1. Check the clock - Scott is on the deck for more than ten seconds. I hadn't realised this before.

2. I thought the ref was up to about 7 when Scott got up... he isn't. Check his fingers. He's just said "nine" when Scott starts to rise. Scott DOESN'T beat the ten count.


It felt like I was watching a different fight, as on broadcast it seemed like Scott was up at eight. He isn't. He wasn't hurt, but he was up at about 9.5.

[Jewish-Reptile]

Who's the ref that can't count up to 10?

Edwards,the same guy who was judging on Froch Groves and 1 of the 2 who ONLY had Groves 1 point ahead at the time of the stoppage !

And Froch wants Ward to travel to the UK !

[BattlingNelson]

Brilliant!

[-MAKAVELLI-]

standing 3 count

[IronDanHamza]

I haven't got time to go through them all, so I've selected the current top three of great refs from the UK:


1. Phil "Fair Shake" Edwards

Strengths: As his nickname suggests, Phil is known for giving boxers a fair chance, and gives them every opportunity to beat the standing three count.

Weaknesses: Phil finds his home life troubled, as no matter how many times he tries to boil an egg, it always comes out runny.



2. Howard John "Safety First" Foster

Strengths: Howard will always have a fighter's well being at heart, and whether it's allowing Froch to continue after he was nearly KTFO, or stepping in when George Groves took one punch, he's another top officiator who has the interests of all fighters at heart.

Weaknesses: Guilt. Howard repeatedly blamed himself for letting Groves take two glancing blows, which could have been fatal to his health.



3. Terry "Life Saver" O'Connor


Strengths: A caring man, Terry has come in for some criticism, but has been known for his kind actions, like carrying Nathan Cleverly to his stool, or saving Manfredo Jr. from a savage battering against Calzaghe, with some of the hardest punches ever thrown in a ring. To this day the Manfredo family send flowers to O'Connor, thanking him for saving their son's life.

Weaknesses: False accusations of bias. Whether it's letting the British Amir Khan go on when he was completely KTFO, or stopping the American Manfredo Jr., O'Connor can't do right for doing wrong in some fan's eyes. The phrase "damned if you do, damned if you don't" was invented for poor old Terry, and he'll doubtlessly get criticised for every British fighter he helps out and every foreign fighter he pulls out over the next few years - the poor guy can't win.



Just bubbling under the top three: Ian John Lewis.A man whose catchphrase is "I am the referee", just in case the two boxers wonder why a man in a bowtie is giving them instructions in the centre of the ring Lewis is constantly helpful throughout his life like this, and tells his wife when he's on the job "I am your husband, and I am sticking my penis inside your vagina."

Ian is by far the worst.

[deanrw]

Yeah the Brits got it good. I mean here in Canada, we do have Marlon B Wright, who reminds me a lot like Terry, but not nearly as consistent.

We also have Steve St. Jermaine, who is in a class of his own. He is a special referee who has no problem guiding foreign opponents for a candid walk to near death. He makes the other Steve (Smoger) look like Terry.