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Philippines, 22 Nov 2024 |
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LARRY HAZZARD, SR JOINS THE IBF TEAM PhilBoxing.com Fri, 12 Sep 2008 Larry Hazzard, Sr., former New Jersey State Athletic Commissioner, became a member of the staff of the International Boxing Federation/United States Boxing Association this past Monday, September 8, 2008. He joins the organization in the role of Chairman of Officials Development, Education and Supervision, and Personal Assistant to the President, Marian W. Muhammad. ?I feel absolutely wonderful about this,? stated Mr. Hazzard. In point of fact he holds the organization in high regard noting, ?The IBF, under Marian Muhammad?s leadership, is the best sanctioning organization in boxing and I?ve always wanted to be a part of it. Now that I?m here, I feel like I should have left the commission years ago.? According to Ms. Muhammad, the IBF has been approving fights in regions where there are no professional officials, thus making it the responsibility of the promoter to bring in all the officials required for a fight to take place. ?Larry Hazzard will arrange 2-to 3-day training seminars for judges and referees in these regions so that the IBF will then have qualified officials in more areas,? explained Ms. Muhammad. ?This will also help the promoters when they hold small, regional or youth championships in deferring some of the costs. In that way, we will also allow for more activity.? Mr. Hazzard?s well-rounded professional background makes him exceptionally suited for this position with the IBF/USBA. In fact, Mr. Hazzard has been the subject of several magazine and newspaper articles involving the progressive and innovative administration of professional boxing. He has conducted numerous refereeing seminars for world sanctioning organizations and state athletic commissions throughout the United States, and has also been a lecturer for the graduate program in Sports Administration at Temple University in Pennsylvania. This opportunity will give Mr. Hazzard the chance to not only regularly share his vast knowledge of officiating, especially refereeing, with current IBF officials, but also with others in the boxing community worldwide interested in officiating. Just this past spring, he spent three weeks in China teaching how to referee professional boxing. ?I?m ready to go anywhere to increase our presence and help our officials be the best in boxing,? emphasized Mr. Hazzard. The IBF is continuously seeking to expand its presence in boxing throughout the world. Ms Muhammad indicates, ?the organization also needs to have regional representatives in the areas we approve fights,? and added, ?the demands of the office make it increasingly more difficult for me to travel to some of these places. As my assistant, Larry will go make the initial contacts with prospective representatives, report back to me, and we will move forward from that point.? Mr. Hazzard intends to work closely with the commissions in these areas to recruit people that express an interest in working with the organization. ?Being a world sanctioning organization, it?s expected that we should have representatives in all areas, especially in those places where we approve bouts. I believe that this approach benefits everyone associated with an event, including the promoter.? As a young boy in the 1950s, Mr. Hazzard took interest in the sport of boxing finding inspiration in legendary pugilists Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson. He became an amateur boxer in the early 1960s and reached the peak of his career while still in high school, becoming a three-time Golden Gloves champion during that time. In 1967, Mr. Hazzard began refereeing amateur bouts in the tri-state area and by 1978 he began his professional refereeing career while studying for his Master?s Degree in Administration and Supervision of Education, which he received in 1980 from Montclair State College. Mr. Hazzard was sworn in as Athletic Commissioner for the State of New Jersey in 1986 and remained in that position until November 2007. Under Mr. Hazzard?s leadership, New Jersey emerged as a major boxing venue and the state was recognized for having the most comprehensive rules, regulations and policies for enforcing safety in professional boxing. ?I?m pleased and proud that Larry Hazzard is on board. He is one of the best administrators I have encountered in this industry and is arguably one of the best referees of the past 3 to 4 decades,? noted Ms. Muhammad. The IBF President also added, ?He is dedicated to making himself the best he can be at whatever he does. That is a plus in itself for the IBF. We can be assured that he will put his all in anything he does to further our cause.? In Mr. Hazzard?s opinion, ?Marian Muhammad is one of the strongest and most knowledgeable people I know in boxing and she has my utmost respect. I think you should expect that we will consolidate our experience and vast knowledge to be creative and innovative for the benefit of the sport. This includes implementing greater health and safety measures for the sport of boxing as well as other measures designed to improve the welfare of the sport.?  |
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