Arthur Mercante's Greatest Hits

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Apr 12, 2010

Arthur Mercante's Greatest Hits

Mercante's Hall of Fame career

Arthur Mercante, the referee for 145 world title fights, died on April 10 at his home in Westbury, N.Y. He was 90. Here's a sampling of the highlights from Mercante's five-decade career as the third man in the ring.

Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson II

Mercante, who became a professional referee in 1954, earned his first high-profile assignment for the heavyweight title rematch between Patterson and Johansson at the Polo Grounds in New York. Patterson won by fifth-round knockout.

Emile Griffith-Dick Tiger I

Mercante was in the ring when Griffith (left) defeated Tiger for the world middleweight championship at Madison Square Garden.

Joe Frazier-Muhammad Ali I

When Ali met Frazier in the "Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden, Mercante was the third man in the ring -- but didn't get word of the assignment from the New York State Athletic Commission until hours before the fight.

Muhammad Ali-Floyd Patterson II

Mercante worked a number of Ali's fights, including the one-sided rematch with Patterson that ended the former heavyweight champ's career.

George Foreman-Joe Frazier I

After Foreman floored Frazier a total of six times in the first two rounds of their heavyweight showdown in Jamaica, it was Mercante who put a stop to the action at 1:35 of the second.

Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton III

Mercante was in the ring for the third installment of the Ali-Norton trilogy, the final bout at the old Yankee Stadium.

Sugar Ray Leonard-Dave Boy Green

Mercante kept control during Leonard's clinical fourth-round stoppage of Green at Maryland's Capital Centre.

Riddick Bowe-Buster Mathis Jr.

Bowe's first outing after losing the heavyweight championship to Evander Holyfield ended in the fourth round, when Bowe floored Mathis with an illegal punch. Mercante, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame within the year, declared the fight a no contest.

Roy Jones Jr.-Otis Grant

Mercante oversaw a number of bouts with Jones Jr. (right) -- the sport's pound-for-pound champion for most of the '90s -- including Jones' stoppage of Grant in Mashantucket, Conn.