BLACK REFEREES
RICHARD STEELE
HALL OF FAME REFEREE
An American retired boxing referee, former boxer, USMC, and fight promoter. A former member of the United States Marine Corps, Steele was a teammate of world heavyweight champion Ken Norton.
Richard Steele has been inducted into several Boxing Hall of Fames across the nation, and his biggest controversial decision fight was between Julio Cesar Chaves and Meldrick Taylor. Steele has made a name for himself as a community conscious person, opening a gym, the Richard Steele Boxing Club in Las Vegas, and helping with the Salvation Army Charities.
ROBERT BYRD
HALL OF FAME REFEREE
A Hall of Fame American boxing Referee. He is best known for refereeing the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor, the money fight. Robert also refereed Andre Ward’s first win over Miguel Cotto. A licensed boxing referee in Las Vegas Nevada since 2002 and before that he refereed in California.
Prior to his boxing referee career, Robert was a California Highway Patrol Officer. Conducting boxing seminars for the IPRO, the State of California and in Africa for new boxing officials in Tanzania and Kenya. His wife is also a boxing referee and has judged multiple high profile MMA fights since 2006, including UFC 196 when Nate Diaz defeated Conor McGregor and UFC 202 when McGregor defeated Diaz.
ROBERT HOYLE
HALL OF FAME REFEREE
Robert Hoyle served 21 years on the Air Force, then forged a second career in boxing. He became the first licensed Black judge in the history of Nevada Athletic Commission. In fact, he’s the first person, period, to be licensed as both a judge and ref in the state, the boxing capitol of the world.
For more than 10 years, across 500-plus bouts, Hoyle has monitored light weights, welterweights and heavyweights, standing up close to contenders and unknowns as they swing away and absorb blows. He has traveled to every continent except Antarctica, separating fighters and penalizing their transgressions everywhere from Tasmania to Thailand to Tokyo. All of which is to say that Hoyle, in all 52 years, believed he had seen everything that a person boxing could see, in a sport where the bar for absurdity could not be higher.
KENNY BAYLESS
HALL OF FAME REFEREE
An American boxing referee from Nevada. he is best known for having refereed many of the sports most well-known fights. Bayless’s catchphrase, when giving his instructions to fighters before the opening bell, is
“What I say you must obey.”
Notable fights from 2004 to present: Tarver vs Jones Jr, Hopkins vs Del La Hoya, Pacquiao vs Morales II, Cotto vs Margarito Jr., Mayweather Jr vs Mosley, Khan vs Garcia, Pacquiao vs Marques IV, Mayweather Jr vs Alvarez, Paquiao vs Bradley II, Mayweather vs Maidana II, Lee vs Korobov, Mayweather vs Paquiao 2015, Mayweather vs Berto, Alvarez vs Khan, Pacquiao vs Vargas, Alvarez vs Golovkin, Usyk vs Briedis, Paquiao vs Matthysse, Paquiao vs Thurman, Fury vs Schwarz, Wilder vs Ortiz II, Wilder vs Fury II, Taylor vs Ramirez.
TONY WEEKS
HALL OF FAME REFEREE
Who is the boxing referee guarding the Castillo vs Corrales fight? Tony Weeks is the American boxing referee who has been officiating fights since 1994. He looks after official boxing matches. Known for his excellent reflexes and adaptation to the surroundings as well as a brilliant judgement of skills. Weeks is one of the most respected officials in the industry. Besides boxing matches, he has also reported to have officiated some UFC matches.
He started refereeing when he was still working as a recreational supervisor at a federal prison. He introduced the sport among the inmates and took the role of a referee. As a boxing fan since childhood, inspired by the great Muhammad Ali, Tony eventually began his journey as an official. He first officiated an official match in 1996 before landing his first major boxing television broadcast in 2000. Since then, he has stood in the middle of the rings hundreds of times and has done brilliant work.
