By Boxing Bob Newman
The final official seminar of the WBA Centennial convention was the referee seminar. The main focal points were knockdowns- was it or wasn’t it a knockdown? Raul Caiz, Jr. helmed the lecture, at the outset, paying homage to his many mentors in the sport. The remaining panel was the same as the judges seminar (Raul Caiz, Sr., Luis Pabon, Gustavo Padilla, Octavio Rodriguez & Jose Torres).
Caiz, Jr. invoked and paraphrased the famous Vince Lombardi quote, saying, “Boxing is a game of inches.” A referee could be an inch too far to the right or left, missing critical moments or action that can determine the outcome of the fight. Not only distance- measured in inches, but time- measured in seconds, make the difference in the outcome of a fight.
The first video clip was not from a fight, but a scene from the movie, “Any Given Sunday,” where Al Pacino’s character gave a stirring motivational locker room speech during halftime.
The lecture then proceeded with 24 video clips showing instances in which it was to be determined whether or not there was a knockdown. Did the ropes hold a fighter up? Did any part of the fighter’s body other than the soles of his feet, touch the canvas? Did the fighter grab the rope to stay upright? Did the feet of the fighters get tangled, causing a trip? Was there water on, or a wrinkle in, the canvas?
After debating the knockdowns on the videos, various versions of rules were shown- ABC rules, New York rules, WBA rules.
The concept of “Speed of Play” was broached. As the level of competition increases, the speed of play increases. From high school, to college to the pros, speed, power, and skill level increase among athletes. So too must the skill level of the referee.
The speed of the count during a knockdown was also addressed. It must be at an even pace and be 10 seconds, not 7 or 13. Caiz, Jr. recommended practicing with a stop watch.
A video was shown from the gyms in Panama with greetings and congratulations from former champs such as Rafael Pedroza, Roberto Vazquez, Roberto Duran and more.
With that, president Mendoza summarized the convention in his own words, elaborated on the future of the WBA, showed a digested video of the Convention and officially closed the event.
