Timely citation for Padilla

A long overdue recognition will be given to international boxing referee Carlos (Sonny) Padilla when he receives the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) annual “Oscar” event honoring the country’s sports heroes at the Manila Hotel tomorrow night.

Padilla, 76, was thrust into the boxing limelight when he was picked to work the “Thrilla In Manila” heavyweight bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975. He gained the admiration of the global boxing community for holding his own in keeping the fight fair and square, refusing to tolerate holding, delaying and roughhousing tactics. For standing up to Ali and Frazier and refusing to be intimidated by a worldwide audience, Padilla was hailed as one of the fight game’s most respected referees.

Padilla’s work in the “Thrilla” opened doors for the Bulacan native. He migrated to Las Vegas in 1977 and was tapped to work about 100 world title fights in a long career. It wasn’t just his no-nonsense officiating that lined up big assignments for Padilla. It was also his charisma and personality.

Before Padilla got involved in sports, he was exposed to show business. He appeared in his first movie as a child actor in 1947 and performed in over 100 films, including the 1971 blockbuster “Currimao.” He is married to Esperanza Perez and one of their six children is Zsa Zsa Padilla, a popular actress and singer. Their other children are Catherine, Clarita, Rodolfo, Carmel and Perigrene. A granddaughter is the singer Karylle who sang the National Anthem in the ring before the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya match in Las Vegas in 2008. Karylle will sing at the PSA event tonight.

Padilla’s last fight as a referee involved Pacquiao in 2000. Pacquiao stopped Nedal Hussein of Australia in the 10th round at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

“Manny was knocked down in the fourth round,” recalled Padilla. “I deducted a point from Hussein for intentionally pushing down Manny after the knockdown and that gave Manny a little time to recover. There was a cut over Hussein’s eye and I motioned that a punch did it. Later, I asked the doctor to stop it and Hussein’s manager Jeff Fenech got really angry. The win was important for Manny because it eventually led to his title shot at (Lehlo) Ledwaba (for the IBF superbantamweight championship) a year later.”

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In Las Vegas, Padilla did a lot of odd jobs for a living outside the ring. He worked as a blackjack dealer, bartender and chief busboy at the Union Plaza Hotel and Casino. Padilla was also a driver at the Harmon Medical and Rehabilitation Center.

Once asked what fight established his reputation as a top-class referee, Padilla said it was the WBC superfeatherweight title bout between Ghana’s Azumah Nelson and Mexico’s Mario Martinez in Las Vegas in 1989. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the “Thrilla In Manila.”

Let’s recall the final moments of the Nelson-Martinez fight. Early in the 12th and last round, Nelson landed a vicious left hook that caught Martinez flush on the jaw. The Mexican challenger took two shaky steps back on wobbly legs then collapsed in a heap. Midway the mandatory eight-count, Martinez got up. He raised his arms, indicating he was ready to continue. In a flash, Nelson moved in for the kill. A barrage of six unanswered blows sent Martinez reeling. As the Mexican was about to fall, Padilla grabbed his arm and waved it off. If not for Padilla’s timely intervention, Martinez would have crashed to the canvas in a free fall. Hall of Famer Joe Koizumi, who was at ringside, said it was the best refereeing job he had ever seen. The fans in the arena thought so, too, as they warmly applauded Padilla after the fight. Padilla never buckled under pressure on the job. He refused to play lapdog to anyone. Not even the WBC could influence what he did in the ring. Padilla was known in boxing circles as an outspoken firebrand, a rebel with a cause.

In 1991, Padilla made headlines in working the Hector (Macho) Camacho-Greg Haugen fight. Before the start of the 12th and last round, Padilla called the fighters to the center of the ring for the traditional “touch gloves.” Haugen refused to do it. Padilla warned Haugen and as he spoke, Camacho threw three punches, none of which connected. Immediately, Padilla slapped a point deduction on Camacho for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty gave Haugen the cushion to eke out a split decision and deal Camacho his first loss ever. Without the deduction, Camacho would’ve escaped with a draw. It took guts for Padilla to do what he did and ringsiders applauded his decisiveness.

What distinguished Padilla from other big-time referees was his philosophy of giving a fighter every opportunity to win without prejudice to anyone’s well-being. “My motto was to let the fighters loose in the ring so long as they followed the rules,” Padilla once said. “I put myself in their place. In a title fight, I would think twice before stopping it because I realized fighting for a world championship was often a once in a lifetime thing. But I never hesitated to stop a fight if a fighter was defenseless and could get seriously hurt.”

In 1979, Padilla stepped in to halt the WBC welterweight title bout between Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez at 2:54 of the 15th and final round. Only six seconds were left in the bout but Padilla called it off to prevent Benitez from absorbing more punishment. His fairness was unquestioned when at the Araneta Coliseum in 1976, he stopped the WBA flyweight bout in the 15th and last round to give Panamanian Alfonso Lopez the victory over hometowner Erbito Salavarria.

Padilla distinguished himself as the third man in the ring with legends like Alexis Arguello, Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Julio Cesar Chavez, Mike Tyson, Mike Weaver, Larry Holmes, Mike Spinks, Greg Page, Salvador Sanchez, Wilfredo Gomez and many more. In 1984, Padilla worked a Las Vegas bout where Freddie Roach, now Pacquiao’s trainer, halted Joe Ruelas in the fourth round. 

Padilla deserves due recognition for the honor he brought to the country as an international boxing referee. Tomorrow night, the PSA will bestow on Padilla that recognition.