Arthur Mercante Sr.was an international boxing referee died he was 90. His career lasted from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was the referee for many bouts, including the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight on March 8, 1971. Mercante served in the Navy during World War II and his commanding officer was heavyweight champion Gene Tunney. Mercante's son also became a noted referee. [1] (1920 – April 10, 2010)
His refereeing career began professionally in 1954 and ended in 2001 at the age of 81. Arthur Mercante Sr., boxing’s most prominent referee of the past half-century and a presence at more than 140 championship boxing matches, including the 1971 Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century,” died on Saturday at his home in Westbury, N.Y. He was 90.
In 1995 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota New York State. In a career that covered nearly half a century, Mercante was the third man in the ring for marquee figures like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Mike Tyson and Floyd Patterson. To see more of who died in 2010 click here
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