NOT EVEN HIS DAD COULD SPIN THIS ONE!
San Francisco, CA– Having watched veteran referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stop and then restart a fight this past Saturday, something that confused the spit out of me, I can’t help but think that “my son Arthur,” as his iconic father Arthur Mercante Sr. used to refer to him, got drunk with power in a quest to be God.
EVER SEEN A THREE-LEGGED RACEHORSE?
As the referee, Arthur could stop and restart a fight, especially if he didn’t know exactly where that “towel of surrender” that was heaved into the ring in round eight, this as defending champion Yuri Foreman had the balance of a three legged horse for most of eight plus rounds against Miguel Cotto. For the record, Miguel took the WBA 154 lb. diadem from Yuri with a body shot TKO shortly into round nine.
REF PROTECTS THE FIGHTER AT ALL TIMES!
Mercante kept coaxing Yuri to continue, NOT even allowing him a noble way to bow out if he desired. “You’re a brave kid,” and “I’m not going to let you go out this way,” or something to that effect. Unable to mount any significant pressure on his right leg, which had a brace on it already, Foreman had the footwork of a gored bull. This went on for at least three rounds. Which leads me to ask, WTF were you thinking Arthur?
50+ YEAR REFEREE & A JUDGE GETS POWER DRUNK
In 1983, a Peruvian light heavyweight that was now living in San Francisco, Oscar Rivadeneyra was 18-0, 14 KOs. Because of his South American connections he was ranked #1 at light heavyweight (175 lbs) by the WBA, or the World of Bunco & Anarchy, as I refer to the Venezuelan sanctioning group.
CIRCLE STAR THEATER VENUE WAS “IN THE ROUND”
Tonight, Oscar was facing James Williams, (22-24 at the time, eventually 24-46, 8 KOs) a Portland, OR based “spoiler” who could make you look real bad. Although he had fought in the US eight times, seven in California, and three in the now razed Circle Star Theater, site of the final concerts of Richard Pryor and Nat King Cole, Oscar was not a significant draw.
OSCAR’S #1 RANKING NOT BASED ON HIS FOES!
’s rise to be the mandatory challenger for champion Michael Spinks was, shall we say “greased’ seeing he hadn’t beaten anything. With the Spinks fight signed, Williams is making Oscar look bad, which brought about some belt line body shots from Rivadeneyra. That’s when Vern Bybee, a California referee with more tenure than anybody I can remember, starting admonishing Oscar for going to the body.
BYBEE WAS THE “GODFATHER” OF CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS
In the eighth round, Bybee disqualifies Oscar for naught and Williams had his hand raised. Eventually, I guess it was “no harm-no foul” as the California Athletic Commission nullified the result by declaring the bout a No Contest. Bybee was wrong in that instance, as was Mercante Jr. the other night.
TONS OF PRESSURE ON MERCANTE SON OVER THE YEARS
As for Arthur Jr., his father was a tough act to follow seeing he was the king of boxing referees for decades. That being said, Jr. simply doesn’t compare to Sr. If memory serves me right, Bybee, then on the other side of 70 was benched as a referee after this. Fast-forward three months to November 1983 and Oscar would get his shot at Michael Spinks (then 23-0) in November 1983, losing via TKO 10 in British Colombia. Oscar is now living and training fighters in the SF Bay Area.
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Pedro Fernandez