Selflessly my favorite referee, as he’d let guys fight it out and sometimes go a wee bit long, but he always had command of the ring and you trusted that he would get it right.
The kiss on the cheek from Smoger was acknowledgment of respect to the losing fighter that he gave it his all, and likely not an insignificant consolation.
Class guy and great referee… he made my favorite sport better.
I had the privilege of meeting him once and he was amazing to speak to. He was very kind. He gave me his business card and even signed it for me. I was a little awestruck at meeting someone I had watched referee so many great fights, but he was very cordial and generous with his time. RIP SS!!
I liked Steve as a referee and he was brilliant during his main career, although tbh he did start to allow some fights to go on a wee bit too long, and didn't stop others when they should have been stopped, late in his career eg: Jones vs Lebedev.
However, I suppose that can happen when you're trying to give the current losing fighter a chance to stay in the fight. IMO that's what characterised Steve's way of refereeing and fans really appreciated him for it. Above all, Steve was a really nice guy and clearly loved boxing - RIP Steve.
Great piece Dan. I was in Canastota in 2015 when he was inducted, and I remember enjoying his speech. He seemed like a genuine, no-nonsense guy - exactly what you want in a referee, and he also seemed like a warm, caring person. He will be missed.
Sometimes with all the complaining about boxing and talking about myself here, I can miss how great the fight game can be due to the people who inhabit the game. When reading Dan's recollection of fights it was like going into a time machine of boxing. All those fights all those nights all those days of waiting for the fights to finally happen. Good stuff, good read. There are a lot of people like Smoger who helped to keep the sport alive and real and with integrity. And many more behind the scenes that may not get mentioned but have been in some of these writtings lately. Hope that his family is well as can be and that these simple facts of boxing do not get left forgotten.
Rest in Peace you did more then enough for those in the fight game in the ring, and those looking from a distance.....
fight freaks their is a great channel on Youtube called “Rummy’s Corner” where he does great breaks downs of the sweet science vintage and present🙏🏻Happy Holidays to all🥊
Selflessly my favorite referee, as he’d let guys fight it out and sometimes go a wee bit long, but he always had command of the ring and you trusted that he would get it right.
The kiss on the cheek from Smoger was acknowledgment of respect to the losing fighter that he gave it his all, and likely not an insignificant consolation.
Class guy and great referee… he made my favorite sport better.
I had the privilege of meeting him once and he was amazing to speak to. He was very kind. He gave me his business card and even signed it for me. I was a little awestruck at meeting someone I had watched referee so many great fights, but he was very cordial and generous with his time. RIP SS!!
I liked Steve as a referee and he was brilliant during his main career, although tbh he did start to allow some fights to go on a wee bit too long, and didn't stop others when they should have been stopped, late in his career eg: Jones vs Lebedev.
However, I suppose that can happen when you're trying to give the current losing fighter a chance to stay in the fight. IMO that's what characterised Steve's way of refereeing and fans really appreciated him for it. Above all, Steve was a really nice guy and clearly loved boxing - RIP Steve.
Great piece Dan. I was in Canastota in 2015 when he was inducted, and I remember enjoying his speech. He seemed like a genuine, no-nonsense guy - exactly what you want in a referee, and he also seemed like a warm, caring person. He will be missed.
Sometimes with all the complaining about boxing and talking about myself here, I can miss how great the fight game can be due to the people who inhabit the game. When reading Dan's recollection of fights it was like going into a time machine of boxing. All those fights all those nights all those days of waiting for the fights to finally happen. Good stuff, good read. There are a lot of people like Smoger who helped to keep the sport alive and real and with integrity. And many more behind the scenes that may not get mentioned but have been in some of these writtings lately. Hope that his family is well as can be and that these simple facts of boxing do not get left forgotten.
Rest in Peace you did more then enough for those in the fight game in the ring, and those looking from a distance.....
fight freaks their is a great channel on Youtube called “Rummy’s Corner” where he does great breaks downs of the sweet science vintage and present🙏🏻Happy Holidays to all🥊