The Great Arthur Mercante – 10 years after his passing

Today, Ten years ago, International Boxing Hall of Fame member Arthur Mercante passed away at  the age of 90 in Westbury, New York.

Arthur was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, where he had a childhood friendship with champion Rocky Marciano. He was introduced to boxing by his uncle, Joe Monte, a professional fighter who battled James J. Braddock and Max Schmeling.

Arthur participated in the Golden Gloves tournament at age 16 but found his true calling by serving in the Navy during World War II, teaching boxing and being a fighting referee in a fitness program led by champion Gene Tunney.

In 1954 Arthur became a professional referee and six years later he officiated the fight where Floyd Patterson knocked out Ingemar Johansson at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Arthur was referee in 145 world title fights, many of them affiliated to the World Boxing Council, during his nearly five-decade career. He retired in 2001.

Arthur was the third man in the ring in great fights in history, and refereed great fighters  such as : Floyd Patterson, Emile Griffith, Sugar Ray Robinson, Carlos Ortiz, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Wilfredo Benitez, Ken Norton, Alexis Arguello , Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Mike Tyson, Julio César Chávez, Roy Jones Jr., Félix Trinidad, Kostya Tszyu, Shane Mosley, Ricardo López, among so many others.

The WBC and the boxing world remembers ARTHUR as a gentleman and one of the best in history .