BoxRec

Cortez it seems has done another bad job in the ring. Are our refs more fair and firm? Who do you think is currently the best. Personally I like Howard Foster who I think does a great job but who would be your choice.

richie davies for me.

Ian John Lewis (sp?)
Always fair, even when he reffed Hatton-Phillips

They are all so good, its tough to pick.

Micky Vann has the best teeth and comes from leeds so I think I'll choose him. IJL is good though yeh never seen a fighter badly hurt with him in the ring but find it hard to think of an early stoppage he made

hitman_hatton1 wrote:richie davies for me.

I'd disagree with that. I'm not saying he's not a good referee - he is, but at times I remember him getting too involved and saying too much in the middle of the action. Its hard enough fighting an opponent without having to listen to everything a ref says - the only thing a ref should say in the middle of action is "stop boxing", "break" and "time". I seem to remember him going on and on in certain fights whilst the fighters are trying to fight. The best ref is one who you don't notice is there until he's really needed. Ian John Lewis is a good shout.

Ian John Lewis for me.

Good shout with Davies also

Phil Edwards is quite good, didn't make a good impression on one of his early British title fights (might have been his first) scoring the Simpson vs Dazzo Williams bout to Williams.

Don't have so much time for John Keane or Dave Parris these days.

josh fg wrote:Micky Vann has the best teeth and comes from leeds so I think I'll choose him. IJL is good though yeh never seen a fighter badly hurt with him in the ring but find it hard to think of an early stoppage he made

Didn't he do the Docherty vs Jabir fight (Commonwealth title defence)... well appologies if he didn't, but sorry that fight should have been stopped - that was a terrible cut Docherty had.

Iain John Lewis is excellent, Terry Connor is good too.
I always thought Lee Cook was a good ref, used to hate Mark Green but think he has developed into something decent.
Worst ones? The Irish one Barney Rubble is a joke and I think John Keane is awful, esp when you consider he refs a lot of top fights

Vann. He's gonna be missed.

Ian John Lewis for me.

Davies.

Not keen on O'Conner, very eager to stop fights. If he gets Williams v McDermott he may shake his head at John when they touch gloves.

stujones wrote:

josh fg wrote:Micky Vann has the best teeth and comes from leeds so I think I'll choose him. IJL is good though yeh never seen a fighter badly hurt with him in the ring but find it hard to think of an early stoppage he made

Didn't he do the Docherty vs Jabir fight (Commonwealth title defence)... well appologies if he didn't, but sorry that fight should have been stopped - that was a terrible cut Docherty had.

It was a terrible cut, but great refereeing to acknowledge that it was bad, keep a very close eye on it and let the fight continue, Docherty powered on with the cut, won a comfortable decsion and retained his title. I thought it was a good bit of work.

Vann, for comedy purposes when he does that little backward dance...

Probably Richie Davies, he gets control of situations well, lets the boxers know what he wants.
But i wouldn't call any of the british refs poor, some i prefer more than others, but for me we do have some of the best in the world.

I like Michael Alexander.
He's one of the young brigade and has experience in the ring, so knows what he looking for in there.
Not the best of records - but he did take Witter and Rhodes the distnce !

All the top refs are very good in Britain.

Howard Foster gets my vote. It was a very brave decision when he threw Matthew Hatton out (rightly) against Bosworth very late in the contest when Hatton was miles ahead. Not many would have had the minerals.

Foster is a good shout, but for me it's Lewis.

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:All the top refs are very good in Britain.

Howard Foster gets my vote. It was a very brave decision when he threw Matthew Hatton out (rightly) against Bosworth very late in the contest when Hatton was miles ahead. Not many would have had the minerals.

I think he was way off on the Elcock fight.

Dirk Kelly wrote:

stujones wrote:

josh fg wrote:Micky Vann has the best teeth and comes from leeds so I think I'll choose him. IJL is good though yeh never seen a fighter badly hurt with him in the ring but find it hard to think of an early stoppage he made

Didn't he do the Docherty vs Jabir fight (Commonwealth title defence)... well appologies if he didn't, but sorry that fight should have been stopped - that was a terrible cut Docherty had.

It was a terrible cut, but great refereeing to acknowledge that it was bad, keep a very close eye on it and let the fight continue, Docherty powered on with the cut, won a comfortable decsion and retained his title. I thought it was a good bit of work.

Although when the fighter admitted that he couldn't see out of that eye and himself worried/expecting the fight to be stopped - well maybe it should have.

Okay he won, but you've got to think about the lads future - and I think the same of the Hatton/Thaxton fight. That fight should have been stopped.

Ashley Mc Doodle Pants

Mickey Vann. I cant stand Dave Parris he stops fights way too early imo

Can't remember his name, I think he's scottish, black hair. Has a vague similarity to Jaws in the Bond films.

Only been around for a couple of years or so and I find they often deal with and score the undercard 4,6 and 8 rounders best. Ian John-Lewis used to fit the bill but he's since gone off the boil.

Surprised Howard Foster got a single mention, far too nervous (NOT cautious) and regularly jumps in too quickly. Each to their own i suppose !

Don't like Vann myself, quite surprised so many do. Mainly due to all the Hatton wrestling matches he reffed. I like a ref to call a break when it gets messy, not shout "let 'im go Ricky" and then do nothing when his instruction is completely ignored, fight after fight after fight (back to back lol)

MARK GREEN AND IAN JOHN LEWIS ......NOT MICKEY VANN