Report/Photos: Boxing Bob Newman

The final day of the 52nd NABF convention in Las Vegas got underway at 9:00 a.m. in the Versailles Ballroom in the Paris Hotel.

First up was NABF treasurer and world class referee Laurence Cole. He presented the new NABF website (https://nabfnews.com/), administrated by Cleto Reyes boxing equipment.

Retired DEA agent Rocky Herron, now WBC Drug Prevention Ambassador, delivered a hard hitting lecture on the drug epidemic in America and specifically the Fentanyl problem. Herron has traveled North & South America, working with young people to prevent their potential foray into the world of drugs and alcohol. Herron even went so far as to discuss the addiction to social media / smart phones and their effect of anxiety and depression on young people. Ironically, with the legalization of marijuana throughout the U.S., Herron pointed out that the marijuana of 1980 contained 4% THC, while today’s marijuana contains 25%, with a much more profound and negative effect on the human brain.

After a short break, a dressing room instruction scenario was enacted with Kenny Bayless portraying the referee, Duane Ford was the supervisor, Jay Nady was the fighter and Gaby Mancini the trainer. Bayless was chosen due to his reputation for being animated and vocal in his dressing room instructions. Nady, in his predictable fashion, posed several annoying questions for the ref, in the event that the opponent commits fouls, etc.

Nady, himself an instructor for the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions), then delivered a lecture on the unified rules. He honed in on fouls committed by one fighter, calling timeout, the taking of points, calling in the doctor and communicating with the commission and the judges.

After a lunch break, judges David Sutherland and Tim Cheatham delivered a talk on scoring criteria. Both men are members of the WBC judges committee. There have been many changes in the scoring criteria as far as the WBC is concerned. Defense is no longer part of the scoring criteria. Scoring Punching, Ring Control / Generalship and Effective Aggression are still important criteria. The term “Clean punching” has now been replaced with “scoring punching.” “Clean punching” is regarded as more of an amateur term. The “Mental Meter” was then discussed. Close, Moderate, Decisive and Extreme Decisive rounds are something the WBC and NABF have been supporting for several years now. In Extreme Decisive, the score can be 10-8 without scoring a knockdown- where a fighter has been dominated and likely hurt in a round, yet not scoring effectively themselves. As is the norm, several rounds were shown on video, giving the attendees the chance to render their scores, close, moderate, decisive or extreme decisive.

Testing for ring officials was administered at 2:45.

Tonight will see the “Personality Improvement” cocktail hour, followed by the annual awards banquet which will officially bring to a close the 52nd Annual NABF Convention.

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