Art Lurie, whose career as a referee and judge spanned from Sugar Ray Robinson to Sugar Shane Mosley, has retired as a judge with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Lurie, 85, became a referee in Nevada in 1953, though he never officiated a world title fight. He became a judge after quitting as a referee in 1956 and remained so till announcing his retirement last Friday.
He judged nearly 200 championship fights, including fights involving the likes of Robinson, Hagler, Ali, Liston, Patterson, Tyson and Holmes.
Lurie's most notorious fight was the February 1978 world heavyweight title shocker between Leon Spinks and an aging Muhammad Ali. Spinks, in just his eighth professional fight, won a split decision, with judges Harold Buck and Lou Tabat scoring for him.
The pro-Spinks crowd at the Las Vegas Hilton ridiculed Lurie for his score of 145-144 for Ali. But Lurie said he had no regrets about that score.
"The first five rounds, we all saw everything the same way and all three judges had Spinks ahead," Lurie said. "But in the middle rounds, Ali started laying on the ropes and coming off and landing some good, hard shots. The crowd was all for Spinks, but Ali was fighting for about a minute-and-a-half in those rounds and landing some clean shots and he wasn't getting hit. Spinks was throwing, but the punches were landing on the arms and the shoulders, which aren't scoring punches.
"I never felt bad about that score, because I feel to this day I had the right score. The other guys saw it differently and maybe they were influenced by the crowd pulling for Spinks. But I have no problem with the way I scored that fight.
"Whenever I was judging a fight, I worried about getting the round correct. I didn't care if it was a big name and a no name, I wanted to score it the way it was. And I feel that after all these years, I did that. I don't have any I'd like to take back. And that's why this is as good a time as any to get out."
The judge who voted against Leon Spinks retires
Crickey, I did know that Spinks vs Ali 1 was an official SD, but I am surprised that the judge didn't get fired for it.
Spinks won by a mile.
As the US commentator famously said in the dying seconds "tremendous right hand by the champion, where has he been for the previous 14 rounds"
Winning according to this guy. Rediculous, that was one of the worse score cards ever.
Spinks won by a mile.
As the US commentator famously said in the dying seconds "tremendous right hand by the champion, where has he been for the previous 14 rounds"
Winning according to this guy. Rediculous, that was one of the worse score cards ever.