It’s sure to set off a controversy far and wide across Pacland but it looks like the third man in the ring for the Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquiao bout Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium will be Laurence Cole.
The Dallas-based insurance salesman will likely get the nod for several reasons.
It’s generally agreed that Rafael Ramos, who is Puerto Rican, is the most competent and consistent referee in the Lone Star State.
In what seemed like a switcheroo, Ramos got the nod for the Joshua Clottey-Pacman bout Nov. 13 at the same venue and this is how I chronicled that news.
But the Tone Loc-Manny bout is for the WBC super welterweight crown and, of course, Don Jose and Mauricio Sulaiman, will have some forceful input in selection of the officials.
Ramos has been connected with the WBA and the IBF in title bouts but not with the Mexico City-based WBC.
I know many disagree with me but I cling to my view that Cole is a better than average referee, albeit a trifile erratic and on occasion, overly emotional.
Pro-boxing-fans.com vehemently disagrees, as follows:
“Now on to Laurence Cole. The Texas-based referee is a nice enough guy, but one of the worst referees in recent memory. I would like someone in boxing to explain to the fans what Cole has done to deserve such important assignments. It was one thing when he refereeing solely in Texas. Fans would only have to be on high alert when fights were in the longhorn state.
Apparently the powers-that-be has determined that Cole is such a scary-good referee that they should import him around the world to be the third man in huge fights.
He missed two knockdowns. The one in the tenth round was particularly hard to miss. When Abraham finally had Dirrell pinned against the ropes late in the fight and was doing damage, Cole jumped in for god knows what reason to break it up. Then, when Dirrell went to one knee, Cole might as well have been in third row. That?s how far he was from the action. When Cole is announced as a referee, you can almost feel millions of eyes rolling. It?s time to come to the conclusion that Cole is not a world-class referee.”
FightHype also lands body shots on Cole, based on the same controversial bout in Detroit.
My Dallas pal, Examiner and SMU football fan Matt “Housecat” Stolow, got the 46 year old Cole’s side of the story.
Hey, I like the guy and his cranky father, Texas commission official Dickie Cole as well. Both Coles can be merry old souls.
Papa Cole is no longer running the show for the state commission so, if his son gets the gig it won’t be for that reason. Young Cole has a long-standing connection to the Sulaimans.
Ramos handled the Joshua Clottey-Pacman bout March 13 at the same venue.
What’s the word in Pacland?
Can you guys live with LC as the arbitro?
Why are you screaming?
