Officiating a professional boxing match can be a thankless job. When a
match goes well, no one focuses on the referee. But when a controversy
arises, everyone remembers the man who made the call. Third Man in the
Ring explores the lives of thirty-three officials as they discuss what
goes on inside the ropes and recount the disputes and clashes that have
occurred when they worked at home and abroad. The referees share stories
from the high-profile fights they worked, with such superstars as Oscar
De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muhammad Ali, Mike
Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, and Julio César Chávez. Readers
will hear from Rudy Battle, the first ref to officiate a title fight in
an Eastern bloc country, and Mills Lane, the third man during the
infamous Mike Tyson/Evander Holyfield ear-biting match. Several
officials reveal memorable moments such as arbitrating contests in
nations experiencing civil unrest. One referee admits fearing for his
life after disqualifying a hometown hero in front of a packed stadium,
while another recalls his experience officiating in communist North
Korea. Referees describe from experience the differences between
officiating a boxing contest in a traditional ring versus the
increasingly popular mixed martial arts events held in an octagon.
Readers will also hear stories from refs who have "gone Hollywood,"
consulting on film sets alongside such legends as Sylvester Stallone. An
old boxing adage states, "The best referees are the ones no one knows
are there." Third Man in the Ring sheds much-needed light on these
hardworking officials and their stories.
