Ref says it could be 'Fight of the Year'

MANILA, Philippines - Kenny Bayless, the veteran referee assigned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to work the WBO welterweight title bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, said the other day he expects “maybe, the fight of the year” to unfold on Nov. 14.

Bayless, 58, was designated the third man in the ring while Adalaide Byrd, Duane Ford, 71, and Dave Moretti, 65, were appointed judges.

It will be Bayless’ fourth Pacquiao assignment after the rematches against Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez and the second round demolition of Ricky Hatton last May. He will work his third Cotto fight after the Puerto Rican’s 10-round win over John Brown in 2002 and his 11th round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito in July last year.

Byrd, whose husband Robert is a Hall of Fame referee, and Moretti were judges in Pacquiao’s eighth round disposal of Oscar de la Hoya last December. They both saw it 80-71, a shutout, for the Filipino icon when the fight was stopped. Moretti was a judge when Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision to Morales in 2005. He had it 115-113 for the Mexican. Pacquiao has since won 10 in a row.

Ford was a judge in Pacquiao’s rematch with Marquez. He scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao who won via a split decision.

In an e-mail from Las Vegas, Bayless said he will treat the fight like any other but “again, that depends on the fighters.”

Bayless, who worked 19 years as an amateur boxing referee before joining the pro ranks in 1991, has been involved in several marquee bouts, among which were Hopkins vs De la Hoya, Roy Jones vs Antonio Tarver, Mosley vs Vargas and the Barrera-Morales rubber match.

But the most exciting fight he has ever worked was the Pacquiao-Hatton bout which ended in the second round.

“That had to be one of the 10 most exciting fights I’ve worked,” said Bayless, adding that it was on top of the list. “I anticipated it would be tough to officiate because of the differences in style – Ricky is an aggressive fighter, always moving forward to attack, whereas Pacquiao is more tactical, a straight-up fighter who meets his opponent where he is.”

For the coming fight, Bayless said he won’t give extraordinary instructions in the dressing room.

“I will tell both fighters to obey my commands at all times and keep the fight clean at all times,” he said. “I’ll cover the rules as stated by the NSAC and give both camps and fighters the chance to express their own personal concerns.”

Bayless said he won’t hesitate to stop a fight if a fighter is defenseless.

“I would stop a fight at any time if I felt that the fighter was taking too much punishment,” he continued. “I would take the advice of the fight doctor if a fighter is badly cut if to stop the contest or not.”

Bayless said he doesn’t anticipate a difficult fight to work.

“No, I don’t think that this fight will be difficult to referee,” he went on. “But it depends on the style and the pace of the fight that could make it difficult.”

Asked if a referee has to adjust in working fights in higher or lower weight divisions, Bayless replied that “there is a difference between smaller and bigger fighters to me.” He added, “the bigger fighters don’t move as quick and fast as the smaller fighters – bigger fighters also tend to tire a bit faster than smaller fighters.”

On being distracted by a loud crowd, Bayless dismissed the notion, saying, “my focus is on the two fighters – the sound of the crowd will always be there.”

As for the pre-fight inspection of handwraps, Bayless said he’s not involved.

“I’m not a part of the hand-wrapping,” he said. “The chief inspector is in charge of the handwrapping. He assigns inspectors to both dressing rooms and they will witness the wrapping of the fighters.”

A survivor of prostate cancer, Bayless said he owes his victory over the disease to his faith in God, his wife Lynora, their three sons and a vegan lifestyle.

“During the last five years, I’ve been living a dream,” said Bayless who underwent cancer surgery in 2004. “The caliber of the bouts I’ve been assigned has fulfilled my desire to rise to the top of my profession. I am grateful to God, Keith Kizer (NSAC executive director) and the Commission. I will stay in the ring as long as I’m able to continue to do excellent work. Getting paid to do something you love enough to do for free is a gift.”