Boxing: Criticism, VAR & the ‘best seat in the house’ – inside the life of a boxing referee
One of the many things directed at referees in sports is criticism. Don’t punish fouling or let fights go on too long, especially if they stop the match early.
Given that how they score a contest is subjective, judges are open to further abuse.
It must be remembered that some criticism is deserved and the media and stakeholders in the sport have an obligation to question and interrogate to ensure standards are being met, but sometimes this goes too far, especially online.
But referees must make decisions in high-pressure situations, often with the fighters’ health in mind.
“There are situations where you get criticism and things are considered ‘controversial,’ if you will,” Edwards said.
“You get it [made] I am aware of the criticism, but I have always adopted the perspective brought by the region.
“And if you don’t want to be in that situation, you shouldn’t do it.
“Of course, there may be situations when you do something and think, ‘I’m going to learn from this,’ because we’re all constantly learning and you can never say you’ve stopped learning.”
But social media means negative reviews are quite public.
“Personally, I don’t look at social media or anything like that,” Edwards said.
“Some of them are. I just think I’m there to do a job. I do it the best I can and keep going.”
The risks of boxing are, of course, well known. Unfortunately, death can occur.
Boxers’ corners know their fighters best, but they are invested in their success, so they can sometimes miss the time to take a fighter out.
No one can be closer than the referee.
“You always have to be ready to notice if there’s a change in a boxer, if he’s starting to get tired, if he’s starting to get outclassed,” Edwards said.
“You develop that skill and it’s almost like a sixth sense to see what changes can happen. Corners know exactly what their boxer can do and see the signs because of course the corner knows the boxer so well.
“But you [the referee] You have the best seat in the house to see what’s going on, if you want.
“I would also like more people to be aware that sometimes if a stoppage is made, there is a danger involved and they need to be aware that the referee is best placed to decide when to stop the contest.
“Sometimes when I hear people say it was premature and things like that, I often wonder what would have happened if it hadn’t been stopped?”
