Will referee be ‘firm but fair?’

Referee Joe Cortez is no stranger to Manny Pacquiao. The New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent worked Pacquiao’s fight against Lehlo Ledwaba at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas three years ago.

On Sunday morning (Manila time), Cortez will be back in the ring with Pacquiao at the same venue. This time, Pacquiao is up against World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

Although Cortez is Hispanic like Marquez, the ethnic angle shouldn’t worry Pacquiao.

Cortez, 60, is known for his no-nonsense work. He has refereed at least 3,000 fights and over 160 world title bouts in more than 25 years on the job. Cortez’ signature self-described slogan is "fair but firm" which is what he calls his school for boxing referees in his personal website. He offers a course of five weekly sessions to teach the finer points of refereeing a boxing match in both the pro and amateur levels.

Aside from boxing, Cortez is involved in raising funds for stem cell research as his daughter Judy is a quadriplegic from a car accident. He has met US Presidents Carter, Clinton and Bush in promoting the advocacy.

When Cortez turned 59 last year, President Bush sent him a letter of greetings. He is a close friend of Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, the US surgeon general.

So Cortez is careful not to taint his reputation for fairness.

Cortez was cited by Ken Kolasinski in International Boxing Digest magazine as one of the top three referees in demand all over the world. "He has quietly established himself as one of the best with little to no controversy surrounding bouts in which he’s worked," wrote Kolasinski.

Cortez was assigned his first world championship fight in 1982 when Aaron Pryor defeated Miguel Montilla in a WBA junior welterweight match. He has officiated in Korea, Canada, Indonesia, Italy, England, Australia, Spain, France, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the major US cities.

Cortez has worked five title bouts involving Filipinos. The first was when Bobby Berna stopped Seung In Suh for the IBF junior featherweight crown in Korea in 1983. He also worked Ricardo Lopez’ wins over Pretty Boy Lucas in 1992 and Manny Melchor in 1993. Cortez was the third man in the ring when Marco Antonio Barrera halted Jesus Salud in 2000 and when Pacquiao dethroned Ledwaba a year later.

In the Las Vegas Review Journal, Cortez listed the five most memorable fights he has worked:

1. Oscar de la Hoya KO4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Las Vegas, 1996. "It was a fight so many people had wanted to see and really matched two great champions."

2. George Foreman KO10 Michael Moorer, Las Vegas, 1994. "Foreman won the title when nobody gave him a chance and it was exciting to be a part of it."

3. Paulie Ayala W12 Johnny Tapia, Las Vegas, 1999. "It was the best fight of the year and one of the best fights of any year."

4. Roberto Duran W12 Iran Barkley, New Jersey, 1989. "Duran was 38 at the time and gave one of his best performances to win the middleweight title."

5. Julio Cesar Chavez KO5 Greg Haugen, Mexico City, 1993. "The fight is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest crowd with 136,000 people (in a bull ring) so it was fun to be a part of that."

Despite his reputation for fairness, Cortez has figured in a few controversies. Last year, he ruled a knockdown when Jorge Arce appeared to have lost his balance and touched the canvas with his glove in the third round of a World Boxing Council lightflyweight title fight against Melchor Cob Castro. He came under fire for apparently protecting heavyweight John Riuz, a Puerto Rican, in his WBA heavyweight title defense against Kirk Johnson in 2002. Cortez called a knockdown on Johnson even as it looked like Ruiz pushed him in the ninth round. He didn’t appear to see Ruiz land a flagrant headbutt in the fourth round but deducted two points on Johnson for hitting below the belt. Then, in the 10th round, Cortez disqualified Johnson.

Cortez isn’t afraid to assert himself in a fight. Two years ago, he slapped a point deduction on Joel Casamayor for hitting Acelino Freitas at the break and ruled a questionable knockdown against the Cuban in the third round of a unification superfeatherweight title fight. Freitas won on points and benefited from Cortez’ two crucial calls.

The judges in the Pacquiao-Marquez fight are Clark Sammartino, 67, of Rhode Island, Guy Jutras, 71, of Montreal and Bart Clements.

Sammartino was a judge when Freitas outpointed Artur Grigorian in Connecticut early this year. He was also assigned to the Corrie Sanders versus Wladimir Klitschko heavyweight fight in Germany last year.

Jutras was a judge in Freitas’ win by decision over Daniel Attah in Phoenix and Eric Morel’s knockout victory over Denkaosin Kaovichit in Anaheim two years ago.

Clements was a judge in Fernando Montiel’s sixth round stoppage of Pedro Alcazar (who died two days later) in Las Vegas last year. He was on the panel in Rafael Marquez’ eight round disposal of Tim Austin for the IBF bantamweight crown last year. Pacquiao’s opponent Juan Manuel and Rafael Marquez are brothers.

Pacquiao said he will not allow Cortez or the judges to decide the outcome of his duel with Marquez. He promised to knock out the Mexican within three rounds.