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Larry Hazzard Sr. (born 7 December 1944) is a former amateur boxer, boxing referee, athletic control board commissioner, teacher and actor. He is a member of the
International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
, being inducted during 2010. Hazzard has served as Commissioner of the
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New Jersey, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, secon ...
since 2014, his second stint as commissioner after serving from 1985 to 2007.


Early life

Hazzard was born in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
. Hazzard wanted to become a boxer as a youth, having idolized as a kid, among others,
Sugar Ray Robinson Walker Smith Jr. (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989), better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarde ...
and
Joe Louis Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He r ...
.State of New Jersey Director of the State Athletic Control Board
Office of the
New Jersey Attorney General The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confi ...
. Accessed September 5, 2022.
He attended Central High School, winning
Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...
titles each year from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, at the age of 18, Hazzard fought Harry Conover in
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Ju-Jitsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...
; he earned a black belt in that sport during 1968. Education-wise, Hazzard earned an Associate of Arts degree from
Essex County College Essex County College (ECC) is a public community college in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. History In August 1966, the Essex County Board of Freeholders approved the creation of Essex County College and in September 1968, more tha ...
in 1970, and a Bachelor of Arts degree-cum laude- from
Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public un ...
in 1972. That year, Hazzard became a teacher, working at
Newark Arts High School Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in Ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is lo ...
as a physical education and health instructor and as girls head track coach.


Career as referee

Hazzard's first professional bout as a referee took place on 13 June 1978 and was between
Mike Quarry Michael Wayne Quarry (March 4, 1951 – June 11, 2006) was an American light heavyweight boxer. He had a record of 63–13–6 including 17 knockouts during his career. He defeated such fighters as Jimmy Dupree. Mike Quarry was born in Bakersfi ...
and Kevin Smith, at Ice World, in
Totowa, New Jersey Totowa (pronounced "TO-tuh-wuh" ) is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 11,065, an increase of 261 (+ ...
. Hazzard was also a judge at this contest, which was scored a draw (tie) after ten rounds. Hazzard voted for Smith by one point. Next, Hazzard participated in a contest between Mustafa Hamsho and Bobby Watts on 21 September 1978 at the
Jersey City Armory The Jersey City Armory is an armory for the U.S. Army National Guard at 678 Montgomery Street in the McGinley Square neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey. Completed in 1937, the armory was designed by chief architect General Hugh A. Kelly of ...
in
Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous
. Hamsho won by sixth-round technical knockout. The third bout refereed by Hazzard took place at the Rahway State Prison in
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a township in northern Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a regional hub of transportation and commerce for central New Jersey and a major bedroom suburb of New York City, within the New ...
, during an era in which boxing fights were allowed at United States prisons. That contest, between Reggie Jones and Ray Kates, took place on 10 March 1979. Kates won by a split decision after twelve rounds. Three days later, on 13 March 1979, Hazzard refereed his first championship bout, when future
Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He is often considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. ...
WBC world heavyweight championship challenger
Scott Frank A. Scott Frank (born March 10, 1960) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Frank has received two Academy Awards, Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay for '' ...
boxed Guy Casale for the New Jersey state heavyweight title at Ice World in Totowa, with Frank winning by ninth-round technical knockout. On 1 June 1980, Hazzard refereed his first world championship bout, when he shared a boxing ring with fellow member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the WBA Junior Flyweight champion,
Yoko Gushiken is a Japanese former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1981. He held the WBA light-flyweight title from 1976 to 1981, making a total of 13 successful defences. Following his retirement from boxing, he remains popular in Japan as a ...
of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and with challenger Martin Vargas of
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
. This was also Hazzard's first contest abroad as a referee, as it was held in
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Gushiken won the fight by an eighth-round knockout. The next world title fight Hazzard refereed is sometimes considered a boxing classic: it was the bout between WBA world Lightweight champion Hilmer Kenty and his challenger Sean O'Grady, at the Bally's Park Place Hotel and Casino in
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
on Sunday, 12 April 1981. In a bruising affair, champion and challenger traded blows for 15 rounds but the challenger dropped the champion in rounds two and eight en route to a fifteen-rounds unanimous decision win to capture the WBA world title. On 5 September 1981, Hazzard returned to the Rahway Prison for a minor but still significant contest: that day, a bout took place between former inmate and future two-division world champion and fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame member,
Dwight Muhammad Qawi Dwight Muhammad Qawi ( ; born Dwight Braxton; January 5, 1953) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1978 to 1998. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC and ''Ring'' magazine light heavyweight ti ...
(then known by his birth-name of "Dwight Braxton") and the then-still incarcerated,
James Scott James Scott may refer to: Entertainment * James Scott (composer) (1885–1938), African-American ragtime composer * James Scott (director) (born 1941), British filmmaker * James Scott (actor) (born 1979), British television actor * James Scott (Sh ...
. Qawi, as Braxton, won the ten-rounds bout by a very close unanimous decision. The first fight involving an undisputed, or, unified, world champion in a championship defense which Hazzard refereed was the match between
Marvelous Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight division from 1980 t ...
, unified world middleweight champion, and challenger William "Caveman" Lee. This contest took place on Sunday, 7 March 1982 at the Bally's Park Place Hotel in Atlantic City, Hagler retaining the title by an easy, first-round knockout. On 7 July 1982, Hazzard refereed a fight between 3-division world champion, fellow future International Boxing Hall of Famer,
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
's
Alexis Arguello Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946– ...
and American Kevin Rooney, also held at the Bally's Park Place Hotel and which was won by Arguello by a second-round, highlight-reel knockout. On 16 September 1982, Hazzard refereed a fight for the
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
Welterweight championship between Robert Sawyer and Dick Eklund at the Sands Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City. At the time, ESPN, a major American sports television network, sponsored championships on bouts that were televised by that channel. Sawyer won the contest by a twelve-rounds unanimous decision.


Spinks vs. Qawi match

Hazzard continued refereeing fights, including bouts involving
Michael Spinks Michael Spinks (born July 22, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal ...
, Gene Hatcher,
Leon Spinks Leon Spinks (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a s ...
,
Azumah Nelson Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958, affectionately known as the Professor) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and ...
,
Bobby Czyz Robert Edward Czyz ( ; born February 10, 1962) is an American retired boxer and commentator. Czyz was a two-division world titleholder at light heavyweight and cruiserweight. Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey. He grew up in Wanaque, New Jer ...
,
Jeff Lampkin Jeff Lampkin (born September 21, 1961) is an American former professional boxer. During his 11-year professional career, Lampkin won the USBA cruiserweight title and IBF cruiserweight belt. Amateur career Lampkin had a stellar amateur care ...
, a fight between future world heavyweight champions
Gerrie Coetzee Gerhardus Christian Coetzee OIB (8 April 1955 – 12 January 2023) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1986, and in 1993 and 1997. He was the first African in history to ever fight for, and win, a world heavyweight ...
and
Pinklon Thomas Pinklon Thomas (born February 10, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1978 to 1993. He was boxing's first 'Centennial Champion' (1886-1986) and held the WBC heavyweight title from 1984 to 1986. He is considered one ...
(a ten-rounds draw or tie, on 22 January 1983 at the Sands Hotel and Casino) and a fight between perennial heavyweight contenders
Mitch Green Mitch Green (born January 13, 1957) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. He is best known for having gone the distance with Mike Tyson in 1986, who was undefeated at the time. Two years later, in 1988, Green ...
and Jumbo Cummings (on 16 February 1983 at the
Meadowlands Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...
in
East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an inc ...
) won by Green by ten-rounds unanimous decision, before receiving what was arguably the largest assignment of his career as a boxing referee: On March 18, 1983, Hazzard refereed the Michael Spinks vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi world light-heavyweight championship unification bout, held at the Convention Center in Atlantic City,https://boxrec.com/en/event/2306/1048 in an
HBO Boxing ''HBO World Championship Boxing'' (in later years stylized in its title card as ''HBO Boxing – World Championship'') is an American sports television series on premium television network HBO. It premiered on January 22, 1973, with a fight that ...
televised contest between two fellow future International Boxing Hall of Fame members. In round eight, Hazzard ruled Spinks as having suffered a knockdown after Qawi landed a punch to Spinks' body; the call was somewhat controversial because many felt that Qawi had stepped on Spinks' toes before the punch landed. Faced without much of a choice, Hazzard called the fall a knockdown, but, reportedly, later admitted to thinking he got that call wrong. In the end, Spinks won a somewhat close but unanimous 15-rounds decision to retain his WBA world light-heavyweight title and unify it with the WBC one previously held by Qawi.


Rest of career as a referee

Exactly one month and six days after the Spinks versus Qawi match, Hazzard again refereed a bout featuring Alexis Arguello; this time, the Nicaraguan faced Trinitarian boxer and former WBA world lightweight champion Claude Noel on 24 April 1983 at the Showboat Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The fight was significant because of its ending: after being dropped in round one, Noel retired during round three, claiming a hip injury. The fight was telecast live on
NBC Sportsworld ''Sportsworld'' (also known as ''NBC SportsWorld'') is an American sports anthology television program which aired on NBC on Saturday afternoons from 1978 to 1994. Format The program presented a wide variety of lower-profile and offbeat sporting ...
and Noel looked to be in significant pain before retiring. Two other rather significant ten-rounds, non-title contests with Hazzard as referee soon followed: on Sunday, 10 July 1983 at Atlantic City's Caesars Hotel and Casino, future International Boxing Hall of Fame member
Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Detroit, Motor City Cobra", and more famously "the Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and long arms and shoulders al ...
, the WBC world super-welterweight (junior-middleweight) champion, boxed future IBF world super-middleweight champion
Murray Sutherland Murray Sutherland (born 10 April 1953) is a Scottish former boxer who fought in the super middleweight division. He was boxing's first world super middleweight champion, having won the inaugural International Boxing Federation, IBF's version in ...
, who would later become the first-ever world champion as a super-middleweight. Hearns won that fight by ten-rounds unanimous decision. Thirteen days later, Hazzard refereed the ten-rounds fight between yet another future International Boxing Hall of Fame member, WBA world bantamweight champion
Jeff Chandler Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting ...
and Oscar Muniz of Los Angeles, California. Chandler was undefeated in 33 previous tests and Muniz had lost 3 of his 41 bouts, with 3 draws (ties) and 35 victories. During this era, Chandler was widely considered to be among the ten best boxers, regardless of weight division, world-wide. Not many experts or fans gave Muniz much of a chance, but he won the fight, beating Chandler by a ten-rounds split decision and causing one of 1983's biggest upsets in professional boxing. That fight took place at the Atlantic City's Sands Hotel and Casino (Chandler later in the year avenged that loss, technically knocking out Muniz in seven rounds on 17 December to retain his WBA world bantamweight championship, also at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City; that rematch was refereed by Vincent Rainone instead). In October 1983, Hazzard found himself traveling, once again, to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
; this time, to
Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...
; there, he refereed the fourth fight between WBA world junior-flyweight champion
Lupe Madera Lupe Madera (December 17, 1952 – December 3, 2005) was a Mexican professional boxer. He held the title of World Boxing Association (WBA) world junior flyweight champion from 1983 to 1984. Career Lupe Madera was born in Sotuta, Yucatán, Mexic ...
of
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and challenger and former world champion
Katsuo Tokashiki Katsuo Tokashiki (渡嘉敷 勝男, born July 27, 1960, in Okinawa, Japan) is a Japanese former WBA Light flyweight champion. He currently works as an actor and television persona, and runs his own boxing gym in Tokyo, Japan. Childhood & Early ...
of Japan, in a bout held on 23 October. Madera retained his belt by a fifteen-rounds unanimous decision. Three months later, Hazzard went to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
to referee the rematch between WBA world flyweight champion
Santos Laciar Santos Benigno Laciar (born January 31, 1959), known familiarly as Santos Laciar and nicknamed Falucho, is an Argentine who was boxing's world flyweight and super flyweight champion. Biography Laciar was born in Huinca Renancó, in the provinc ...
of
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and former world champion Juan Herrera of Mexico, who was trying to recover the championship. This contest was held on 28 January 1984 at
Marsala Marsala (, ; ) is an Italian comune located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth largest in Sicily.The town is famous for the docking of Giuseppe Garibal ...
, where Laciar beat the Mexican for the second time, by scoring a 15-rounds unanimous decision victory. Another fight of major significance in the sport of professional boxing's history which Hazzard refereed took place on 28 March 1984 at the Harrah's Marina Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, between American Ernie Singletary and Scottish
Murray Sutherland Murray Sutherland (born 10 April 1953) is a Scottish former boxer who fought in the super middleweight division. He was boxing's first world super middleweight champion, having won the inaugural International Boxing Federation, IBF's version in ...
for the vacant IBF's world super-middleweight championship. This event was important because it was the first ever bout sanctioned by a major boxing organization for a world's super-middleweight championship. Sutherland won by a 15-rounds unanimous decision, thus becoming the first world super-middleweight champion recognized by a major organization ( Billy Douglas, father of 1990 world heavyweight champion
Buster Douglas James "Buster" Douglas (born April 7, 1960) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1981 and 1999. He reigned as undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1990 after knocking out Mike Tyson. He also defeated other heavyweigh ...
, had once been crowned "world" super-middleweight champion during 1974 after a fight which was recognized only by the state of
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
as being for a world title), as well as the lineal champion and the IBF champion. On Sunday, 15 April 1984, Hazzard refereed the second IBF world lightweight championship contest, between American champion
Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the Protagonist, principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily newspaper, daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser", Charlie Brown ...
and his Puerto Rican-American challenger,
Harry Arroyo Harry Arroyo (born October 25, 1957) is an American former professional boxer who held the IBF lightweight title from 1984 to 1985. Early years Arroyo, of Puerto Rican descent, was born on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio, a steel-manufactu ...
of
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
. Arroyo won this contest by a 14-round knockout, crowning himself as IBF world lightweight champion. One month and 4 days after Brown-Arroyo, Hazzard was in a
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n ring overseeing the WBA world junior-flyweight championship bout between Lupe Madera and Francisco Quiroz of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
, on 19 May at
Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...
. This meeting was a war; the Dominican challenger was floored in round four but he recuperated and won the world-title by a ninth-round knockout. On June 1, 1985, Hazzard officiated over a fight that took place at the
Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes (, ) is an all-seater stadium, all-seater football stadium in Paris, France. It is located in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin (P ...
stadium in
Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, between IBF world junior-middleweight champion Carlos Santos of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
and local challenger Louis Acaries. Santos retained his title by a somewhat close but convincing fifteen-rounds unanimous decision. On 19 October 1985, Hazzard was involved in what perhaps included one of the most spectacular endings to a world title fight in professional boxing's history: that day, at
Stade Louis II The Stade Louis II (, ), or simply Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco, near the border with Cap-d'Ail commune of France. It serves primarily as a venue for Athletics and football, being the home of AS Monaco ...
in Fontvieille,
Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
, IBF world cruiserweight champion, American
Lee Roy Murphy Lee Roy Murphy (born July 16, 1958) is a retired American professional boxer. He held the IBF cruiserweight title from 1984 to 1986. Amateur career Murphy represented Chicago at three consecutive Intercity Golden Gloves dispatching his rivals ...
, was defending the title against
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
n challenger Chisanda Mutti. The contest was a thrilling affair, with many violent exchanges (and one knockdown for each fighter) throughout. In round twelve, a rare double knockdown occurred, the second knockdown in the bout for each boxer, when both champion and challenger landed knockout punches at the same time. Badly hurt, champion Murphy struggled to his feet before Mutti did. Mutti was counted out by Hazzard and Murphy retained his title by a twelfth-round knockout. From 1985 to 1993, Hazzard became inactive as a referee in order to concentrate on his job as New Jersey athletic commissioner. The last contest he refereed during that period was the four-rounds encounter between Larry Hawkins and Joe DeLuise that took place on November 22 of 1985 at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, which was won by Hawkins by a unanimous decision. He briefly returned to refereeing in 1993, when he oversaw the first contest between WBC world Welterweight champion
Buddy McGirt James Walter "Buddy" McGirt (born January 17, 1964) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1997, and has since worked as a boxing trainer. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF junior ...
and challenger, the already multiple-division world champion
Pernell Whitaker Pernell Whitaker Sr. (January 2, 1964 – July 14, 2019) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2001, and subsequently worked as a boxing trainer. He was a four-weight world champion, having won titles at lightweight, ligh ...
on Saturday, 6 March 1993 at the
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The first bout between those two future International Boxing Hall of Fame members resulted in a Whitaker win by a very close, somewhat controversial unanimous decision, in another HBO Boxing telecast. The last fight that Hazzard refereed was also televised by HBO Boxing; it was the bout between WBA world heavyweight champion, future International Boxing Hall of Fame member
Riddick Bowe Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer and professional kickboxer who competed between 1989 and 2008 in boxing, and from 2013 to 2016 in kickboxing (Muay Thai). He held the undisputed world heavyweig ...
and his challenger,
Jesse Ferguson Jesse Ferguson (born March 20, 1957) is a retired American boxer who was a Heavyweight title challenger and top contender who Beat undisputed Heavyweight world champion Buster Douglas, Heavyweight world champion Ray Mercer and Cruiserweight wor ...
. This contest took place on 22 May 1993 at the
RFK Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. located on East Capitol Street near the Anacostia River. Opened in 1 ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
Bowe won the test by a second-round knockout.


Boxing judge

From 1978 to 2012, Hazzard was involved in 33 professional boxing matches as a scoring judge. The first world-title fight he scored as a judge involved Puerto Rico's future International Boxing Hall of Fame member,
Wilfredo Gomez Wilfredo is a given name which may refer to: *Wilfredo Alicdan (born 1965), Filipino figurative artist *Wilfredo Alvarado (born 1970), Venezuelan football defender * Wilfredo Bustillo Castellanos (born 1958), Honduran politician * Willy Caballero ( ...
, defending his WBC world super-bantamweight title against Mexico's Juan "Kid" Meza on 27 March 1982 at the
Playboy Hotel and Casino Trump World's Fair at Trump Plaza was a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that occupied 280 feet (85.3 m) of the Atlantic City boardwalk and was 21 floors in height. It had 500 guest rooms. It opened on April 14, 1981, as the Playb ...
in Atlantic City. Gomez won by sixth-round technical knockout. Other important fights that Hazzard judged included the 20 May 1983, rematch between WBA world heavyweight champion
Michael Dokes Michael Marshall Dokes (August 10, 1958 – August 11, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 1997, and held the World Boxing Association, WBA heavyweight title from 1982 to 1983. As an amateur boxing, amateur he won a ...
and challenger, former world champion Mike Weaver at the Dunes Hotel in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, which was scored a draw (tie) after fifteen rounds (Hazzard scored it a 144-144 tie), and
Marvin Camel Marvin Camel (born December 24, 1951) is a Native American former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1990. He was the first cruiserweight world champion, having held the WBC title in 1980 and the IBF title from 1983 to 1984. He was ...
versus Roddy MacDonald on December 13, 1983 at the
Halifax Metro Centre Scotiabank Centre (formerly known as Halifax Metro Centre) is the largest multi-purpose facility in Atlantic Canada, located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The main entrances to the building are located on Brunswick Street, at the c ...
in Halifax,
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, in what constituted the first ever IBF world cruiserweight championship contest, won by Camel by fifth-round technical knockout, From 1985 to 1990, Hazzard stopped judging fights, in order to concentrate on his commissioner's duties. He returned as a judge on a contest that took place 14 January 1990 in
Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, between WBA world junior flyweight champion, future International Boxing Hall of Fame member
Myung Woo Yuh Yuh Myung-woo (, born January 10, 1964) is a South Korean former professional boxer who competed between 1982 and 1993. He was a two-time WBA light-flyweight champion, having held the title between 1985 and 1993. Avenging his lone loss vs Hir ...
and challenger Hisashi Tokushima, which was won by Yuh by a seventh-round knockout. Hazzard continued judging fights until 8 December 2012, his last contest judged being one between Neuky Santelises and Mikah Branch, won by Santelises by a four-rounds unanimous decision at the Resorts World Casino in
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.


New Jersey Athletic Control Board Commissioner

In 1985, Hazzard was appointed by New Jersey governor
Thomas Kean Thomas Howard Kean ( ; born April 21, 1935) is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Kean served two terms as the 48th governor of New Jersey f ...
as commissioner of the SACB, a position he held until 2007.State of New Jersey
/ref> He oversaw the commission at a time where there was a lot of boxing activity going on in New Jersey, including, for example, the Mike Tyson versus Michael Spinks contest in June, 1988, the
Hector Camacho In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...
-
Vinnie Paz Vincenzo Luviner ( Luvineri born October 5, 1977), better known as Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram), is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He ...
ienza fight of February, 1990 and others. One of the most controversial bouts that took place in New Jersey during that era and in which Hazzard had to take a stand was the one between WBA world welterweight champion
Marlon Starling Marlon Starling (born August 29, 1959) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 1990. He held the World Boxing Association, WBA welterweight title from 1987 to 1988 and the World Boxing Council, WBC welterweight title f ...
and challenger Tomas Molinares of
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, which took place on 29 June 1988 at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City. That day, Starling and Molinares were involved in a rather close bout until right near the end of round six, when the two combatants threw consecutive, over-looping right hands during a trade. Starling's missed but Molinares connected, knocking Starling out. Referee
Joe Cortez Joe Cortez (born October 13, 1945) is an American former boxing referee who has officiated in many important world title bouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. Biography Cortez is of Puerto Rican descent. H ...
counted the champion out, but a controversy arose because Molinares' punch was thrown right at, or just tenths of a second after, the bell had sounded.
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and
Larry Merchant Larry Merchant (born Larry Kaufman; February 11, 1931) is an American sportswriter, a longtime commentator for HBO sports presentations of ''HBO World Championship Boxing'', '' Boxing After Dark'' and HBO pay-per-view telecasts, called "the gre ...
of HBO, which was transmitting the contest live, were of the opinion that the punch was thrown clearly after the bell. After reviewing the fight, on 11 August 1988, Hazzard announced the fight's result would be changed to a no-contest, while at the same time delegating the decision of whether to continue recognizing Molinares as a world champion or not to the WBA. Hazzard's decision was reported on the 12 August edition of
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, the same day when, in
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, the WBA announced they would continue recognizing Molinares as world champion until the time he either lost his title in the ring, was deposed as champion by the WBA or himself decided to leave the title vacant.


IBF

From 2008 to 2010, Hazzard was the International Boxing Federation's Personal Assistant to the President and Chairman of Officials' Education, Development and Supervision.


School principal

Hazzard served as principal at the Adelaide E. Sanford Charter School in Newark from May 2012 to June 2013.


Commentator

Hazzard also worked as a boxing analyst for NBC Sports.


Acting

Hazzard has also acted, participating in the 1988
Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. ( ; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former professional Boxing, boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading actor, leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. In a Mickey Rourke filmogra ...
film '' Homeboy'' as a referee, in 2001's ''
Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
'', as referee Zack Clayton, and in 2003's '' Undefeated'', also as a referee.


Personal

Hazzard has three children with wife Patricia. One of them, Larry Hazzard, Jr., was a producer of the
Showtime Championship Boxing ''Showtime Championship Boxing'' is a television boxing program that aired on Showtime (TV network), Showtime. Debuting in March 1986, it was broadcast live on the first Saturday of every month. ''Showtime Championship Boxing'', which was very ...
television show and was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame during 2019.LARRY HAZZARD, JR. – New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame
/ref>


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hazzard, Larry 1944 births Living people American boxing referees Central High School (Newark, New Jersey) alumni Essex County College alumni Montclair State University alumni Boxers from Newark, New Jersey State athletic commissioners