LOS ANGELES – The California State Athletic Commission has assigned perhaps its most respected referee to officiate what could become a very physical welterweight title fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter.
BoxingScene.com has learned that veteran referee Jack Reiss will officiate Spence-Porter on Saturday night at Staples Center. Reiss, of Oxnard, California, is commonly considered one of boxing’s best referees, known for stern warnings, maintaining order and affording fighters reasonable chances to continue if they’ve been hurt or even knocked down.
Reiss’ presence could become a significant factor during this battle because the rugged Porter figures to make their 12-round, 147-pound title unification fight as rough as possible on Spence. The unbeaten Spence again called Porter “a dirty fighter” during a televised press conference Wednesday at the Intercontinental Hotel.
In his most recent high-profile, pay-per-view fight, Reiss was praised for not stopping the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury fight after Wilder knocked down Fury with a devastating right-left combination in the 12th round. Fury fell to the canvas as if he were unconscious, yet somehow beat Reiss’ count and finished that fight on his feet December 1 at Staples Center.
Reiss’ decision enabled Fury to fight Wilder to a controversial split draw and helped set up a lucrative rematch that could take place February 22.
Three months later, Reiss was the referee for Porter’s split-decision victory over Yordenis Ugas at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
BoxingScene.com also has been informed that three American judges – Rey Danesco, Larry Hazzard Jr. and Steve Weisfeld – have been assigned to score this bout between Spence (25-0, 21 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, and Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs), a Las Vegas resident raised in Akron, Ohio.
Weisfeld, of River Vale, New Jersey, is commonly considered one of boxing’s best judges.
Hazzard, the son of New Jersey boxing commissioner Larry Hazzard, drew widespread criticism late last year for the scorecard he submitted after the Jermall Charlo-Matt Korobov middleweight title fight December 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The younger Hazzard strangely scored that competitive bout for Charlo by a huge margin (119-108). Weisfeld and Max De Luca each scored that fight 116-112 for Charlo, then the WBC interim middleweight champion.
In his most recent title fight, San Francisco’s Danesco scored the Jose Ramirez-Jose Zepeda bout a draw (114-114). That February 10 championship match in Fresno, California, resulted in a 12-round, majority-decision victory for Ramirez, who successfully defended his WBC 140-pound title.
The two other judges – Chris Tellez (116-112) and Glenn Trowbridge (115-113) – scored that fight for the unbeaten Ramirez.
Spence is a 10-1 favorite over Porter ahead of their fight for Spence’s IBF and Porter’s WBC welterweight titles. Their bout will headline a four-fight FOX Sports Pay-Per-View event scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT ($74.95 in HD).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.