Veteran referees disagree with Cole

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran international boxing referees Bruce McTavish, Silvestre Abainza and Ferdinand Estrella yesterday voiced their disagreement with Laurence Cole’s decision allowing the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight to go the 12-round distance at the risk of serious injury to the battered Mexican.

McTavish, a New Zealander who has lived in Angeles City for over 40 years, said Cole should’ve stopped it in the 10th round.

“The life of a fighter is the primary concern of a referee,” said McTavish, considered one of the sport’s top arbiters with over 150 world championship bouts in his resume. “God gives a referee three minutes to look after two fighters in every round. It’s a grave responsibility. A referee is put in a serious position because it’s in his hands to protect two lives.”

McTavish, 70, said there was no point to prolonging Margarito’s agony when it was clear he had nothing left. “I thought it could’ve been stopped as early as the ninth,” he continued. “Margarito had no power left. He was way behind on points. Cole let it go on. For what? Even Manny wondered why Cole wouldn’t step in. Manny carried Margarito in the last round and didn’t want to punish him anymore. I’m proud of Manny. That showed his maturity. In his younger days as a fighter, he’d never do that.”

McTavish said watching on TV, he overheard trainer Robert Garcia asking Margarito if he wanted to quit in between the 10th and 11th rounds. “It was Margarito’s call, not Garcia’s,” said McTavish. “I found it odd that Cole repeatedly held up his fingers to check on Margarito’s vision. It’s like asking a fighter if he’s okay after getting up from a knockdown. I guess he’d be okay because if not, he wouldn’t get up. Asking Margarito to count fingers made little sense.”

McTavish recalled Cole’s blunders in the first Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera fight in 2003 and his indiscretion in advising Juan Manuel Marquez he was ahead on points during a ringside physician’s examination of a cut from a butt by Jimrex Jaca in 2006.

“I thought Cole was suspended a year for what he did in the Marquez fight but after a few months, he was assigned to work a world title bout overseas,” said McTavish.

Cole reportedly has strong connections with the WBC as his insurance agency handles all policies related to fights sanctioned by the governing body. His father Dickie is the boxing administrator of the Texas State Athletic Commission which issued a license to Margarito despite his denial by California and Nevada.

McTavish pointed out that during the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, Cole was occasionally out of position in the ring.

“Cole was sometimes behind one of the fighters and had an obstructed view of the action,” said McTavish. “If you’re in the right V-angle formation, you don’t move twice as much and you can keep a close watch on what’s going on.”

Abainza, 58, said he would’ve halted it in the 11th round. “A referee’s No. 1 priority is to protect the fighters,” he said. “Margarito was badly injured and there was risk of permanent damage to his eye. He’s a good, strong fighter. I think he can be a world champion again. Cole should’ve thought about that. Maybe, he didn’t want to stop it because (WBC president) Jose Sulaiman was at ringside and there were lots of Mexican fans. When Cole checked on Margarito’s cut for the first time, it was okay to let it go. But not the second time. Margarito would’ve complained if Cole stopped it. (Miguel) Cotto complained when (Kenny) Bayless stopped his fight against Manny in the 12th round. A referee shouldn’t worry about complaints. He should just do his job.”

Abainza, who has worked over 60 world title fights since 1985, said he wasn’t surprised by Pacquiao’s show of compassion.

“Before every fight, Manny prays to God to protect him and his opponent,” said Abainza. “He’s not a sadist. He could’ve easily beaten up Margarito in the 12th round. But he took pity. That’s rare for a fighter.”

Estrella, 58, rated Cole’s performance a 5.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. “I hate to call him biased,” he said. “But I remember what he did to Manny in the first Barrera fight. He didn’t want to stop it even as Barrera was helpless and it took Barrera’s brother to end the fight by climbing up the ring apron. Margarito took too much punishment and I would’ve stopped it in the 10th round.”

Estrella, who has worked as a referee or judge in nearly 20 world title fights since 1989, said Cole unnecessarily exposed Margarito to permanent injury.

“Even before Manny looked at Cole as if to ask him to stop it in the 11th round, I thought it was over for Margarito,” said Estrella. “He had no chance to win. I couldn’t understand why Cole let it continue. Manny could’ve knocked him out. Mexicans are warriors and they don’t quit. But there’s a limit to what a referee can tolerate.”

Another Filipino referee Danrex Tapdasan declined to speculate on Cole’s motives.

“As a colleague, I respect Cole,” said the 32-year-old Tapdasan who made his referee’s debut in October last year and has so far worked three World Professional Boxing Federation title fights. “Cole is more experienced than me. He was closest to the fighters so he might have seen something I didn’t, watching from TV. It was his call and responsibility.”

Tapdasan said a referee should never compromise the safety of a fighter. “Maybe, it should’ve been stopped because Margarito was badly beaten up and Manny’s lead was too big to overcome,” he added. “I’ve seen a referee step in under less serious conditions like when Juan Diaz beat Randy Suico. I recall Randy took a series of blows near the ropes and the referee (Joe Cortez) stopped it in the ninth round. I think Margarito’s condition was worse than Randy’s.”