Old friend Vic Drakulich will be the firm hand handling the Saturday night “Pinoy Power 2” TV main event from Las Vegas between Nonito Donaire and Panamanian Rafael Concepcion.
I go way back with Drak, who adeptly handled his refereeing chores in the entertaining but one sided David Diuaz-Manny Pacquiao bout in Las Vegas.
Self described as “a semi retired” Reno lawyer, Drakulich was not involved in boxing when we were both undergraduates at the University of Nevada, Reno. I was the 156 pound light middleweight boxer for the Wolf Pack boxing team but Drakulich comes from a prominent Reno clan which has long been involved in sports.
His friendship with Pack boxer and UNR boxing coach Mike Martino influenced Drakulich to become a referee and he has improved greatly, becoming more decisive and smoother over the years. A cursory check of Boxrec shows that Drakulich has been handling third man in the ring duties for the Nevada commission now for 19 years.
(Martino, by the way, is the new acting director for America’s amateur boxing program, USA Boxing, which has been staggering in recent years and turning in dismal Olympic efforts. Martino is also an inspector for the Nevada commission.)
Where have the years gone?
Both Donaire and Concepcion are assured that they will have a referee who splits it down the middle and shows no fear or favor to any particular boxer.
Drakulich hit it big financially some years ago in a case against a crooked insurance company which refused to pay a man’s rightful claim. The insurance company not only refused to pay a rightful claim, but as I recall, they sent some dirt bags around the guy’s neighborhood to spread vicious lies about him.
Such shameful conduct by the out of state insurer inflamed a jury and Drakulich’s client got a multimillion dollar verdict which, although reduced on appeal, provided enough income for him to put more time and effort into his “hobby” of boxing.
It is fair to say that, at this point, Drakulich is likely the second or third rated Nevada referee.
There may be some controversy arising from Concepcion-Donaire but it’s not likely to involve any call or non call by Drakulich.
