Saturday, October 26, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Royce Feour

Ex-patrolman makes good cop in ring

Robert Byrd had retired after 34 years with the California Highway Patrol last year about the same time veteran Richard Steele retired as a referee from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Byrd saw the possibility of an opening for a referee and pursued a position with commission executive director Marc Ratner. The amount of high-profile referees in Nevada had been seriously reduced in recent years with the retirements of Mills Lane and Steele and the death of Mitch Halpern.

Byrd moved to Las Vegas last year and, after working a few fights as a judge, became a referee and has given the commission solid depth in its pool.

"For me, if you are involved in boxing, Las Vegas is the Mecca," Byrd said. "If you believe you are one of the best in the business -- and I do -- then this is where you want to be."

Byrd has worked 52 world championship fights, including a 12-round decision by Acelino Freitas over Joel Casamayor in a super featherweight unification fight at Cox Pavilion on Jan. 12.

"In California, he was one of the top officials as a referee and a judge," Ratner said. "We first started using him as a judge. Our philosophy is not to have the same person referee and judge. He judged a few fights, but my goal was always to have him as a referee. He has been one of our referees and has done very well. I like the way he carries himself in the ring. He uses a lot of voice commands and has the respect of the fighters. I am very delighted to have him as one of the referees."

Byrd, 60, also has impressed commission chairman Luther Mack.

"Being an ex-highway patrolman certainly gives rise to how he controls situations when it comes to people," Mack said. "He handles people and is a disciplined person. His attitude is conducive to what the commission is all about. He is a very professional person and handles himself that way. He was also in the Marine Corps, so he has a lot of background that the commission can use."

Byrd was listed seventh on a ranking of the 10 best referees in the world this year by Ring Magazine. The complete list: 1. Steve Smoger, New Jersey; 2. Joe Cortez, Nevada; 3. Kenny Bayless, Nevada; 4. Rudy Battle, New Jersey; 5. Stanley Christodolou, South Africa; 6. Frank Garza, Michigan; 7. Byrd; 8. Lou Moret, California; 9. Tony Weeks, Nevada; 10. Eddie Cotton, New Jersey.

Byrd said his integrity is one of his strengths as a referee.

"I am honest," he said. "I don't overreact. I let the fighters fight. I do what I should do. There are times in a fight where you see something and I will make the tough decisions."

Byrd said if it comes to it, he would disqualify a fighter in a championship bout.

"That can be an unpopular decision," he said. "You have to have the intestinal fortitude."

Byrd has given seminars on refereeing for several boxing organizations. He said conditioning, a knowledge of the rules, being fair and having good mechanics are the keys to making a good referee.

Byrd said his long tenure as a commander for the California Highway Patrol was managerial experience that can be applied to refereeing.

"I was a police administrator," he said. "I look upon refereeing pretty much the same. A referee is pretty much a manager. He has to pull together the whole official team -- the judges, timekeeper, the doctors and sometimes the inspectors. He has to manage the audience. You can manage the crowd by your mechanics."

Royce Feour's boxing column is published Saturday. He can be reached by phone at 383-0354, fax at 383-4676 or e-mail at rfeour@reviewjournal.com.