Before I get started, I’m really glad you’re here to read my column. It’s going to be chaotic, funny, but mainly 100 percent real. I’ll be sharing lots of anecdotes and experiences from the world of boxing, but also giving you some exciting insights into my everyday madness. And now it’s time to clear the ring!
In the end, there are always two boxers in the ring. Between them stands a man who becomes invisible at this moment: The referee.
The job of the main referee is complex and thankless. He is supposed to protect a fight without destroying it. He ensures fairness in the ring, which is governed by clear rules, but he has to make the relevant decisions alone. He has no replay in slow motion and no video evidence. He has to decide within seconds whether a fighter’s health is at stake – while thousands are shouting all around, trainers are gesticulating and all the spectators believe they have a better overview of the situation. He has the power to end the fight. A fight that may be watched by millions of people around the world who disagree with him.
After fights like Verhoeven vs. Usyk, the shitstorm that a referee’s decision can trigger becomes particularly clear. At such moments, there is not only discussion about whether a decision was right or wrong, but also judgment. About competence, intent, character or even cheating. A ring decision becomes a public trial.
Referee and guardian angel
Of course you can criticize judges. Anyone with responsibility in professional sport has to put up with these questions. Stopping too early can rob a boxer of the chance to make history. Stopping too late can endanger his health. But those who judge should not forget: The referee is in the middle of the situation. He doesn’t see it from the outside or from a second perspective. He only has his eyes, his experience and a moment that will not come back.
That’s where the pressure lies. The referee has to be both referee and guardian angel in the ring. He has to recognize whether a boxer is injured or just holding on tactically, whether his eyes are still clear or blank. These differences are often tiny, but decide whether a fight continues or ends. The audience often only sees the moment of intervention. Things that seem inconspicuous from the outside can be alarming close up.
So sometimes a little humility would be appropriate. Not every controversial decision is a scandal. Sometimes it is simply the result of a job where there is no perfect solution. Subjectively speaking, you don’t have to agree with every decision made by a referee. And some scandals are also understandable from the point of view of the boxers, trainers and fans. Nevertheless, this task deserves respect, because the decisions have to be made in seconds, while everyone else has to wait until afterwards to make a calm judgment.