BoxRec

Des Bloyd was a respected world championship judge in the 1990’s but I knew him in the 1970’s when he was a wild man at hotels in MtDruitt and StMarys
I remember the first time I seen him at the Cedars Tavern hotel when he had offered to go outside with some of the local larrikins to sort things out in the car park . I asked one of the patrons - who is that guy- he said “ They call him the Ace” All he wants to do is drink piss and fight” We became sparring partners and good mates for many years
What a character.

Des also worked on RSL club doors at Five Dock and in Sydney. We had a problem one night when some
larrikins were on the street fighting outside the club and I went to pull them off the road because they were in danger of being hit by cars. While I was on the road Des was standing behind me when a guy I earlier put out of the club came out of the shadows and ran at Des from behind stabbing him in the back. Des didn’t realise he had been stabbed but there was blood pouring out of his back. We grabbed Des and took him to Prince Alfred hospital
The doctor said if the knife had not gone through his belt first it could have killed him. The guy who did it was caught. He was a South American

Des started his career in boxing as a cornerman at Ray Wheatley’s gym. Four years later he decided to become a boxing judge . In 1990 he travelled to New Orleans with Ray Wheatley and became a judge with the IBF and worked as world title official following year. He later joined the WBU working world title bouts in Europe. Des worked until 2013 and sadly passed same year

Des would encourage his son inlaw Anthony Shipley to become referee and judge and he would become one of the countries best referee’s
I think he has retired but he did some of the biggest fights without making a mistake. For a big man he moved well. Anthony is married to Kelly the eldest daughter of Des

Talking about referee’s - I pick Les Fear as the best third man in the ring “Down Under” in 2020

Phil Austin has gone backwards