Tommy Kaczmarek has died

The legendary King of Boxing Judges Tommy Kazmarek has died aged ninety-six, and we at the World Boxing Council, to whom he devoted the best years of his life pay tribute to An All-Time Great, who is irreplaceable. A marvelous Ring Official and A Great Man, who will be remembered forever.

Tommy passed away at 8.30pm on Wednesday night. An era and a Golden Chapter of Boxing has now gone forever, but will be remembered Eternally with fondness and gratitude.  Thank You Tommy for all You gave us.  

We recently talked with Tommy, who generously shared his wisdom, insight, enthusiasm and deep abiding love for The Sport, involving  almost thirty years as a Judge and a lifetime in Boxing.  

Tommy of Brick, New Jersey, who is a member of their Hall of Fame,  judged more than two thousand boxing matches including one hundred and ten championships. Leonard  Vs  Hearns 2,  Hearns  Vs  McCallum, Duran  Vs  Barclay, Holyfield  Vs Foreman and Fenech  Vs  Nelson, are several classics which stand out and  come to mind.  

As a child Tommy who lived to ninety- six, idolized Joe Louis “The Brown Bomber.”  Joe`s reign as heavyweight champion was from 1937-1949. Twenty – five successful defenses.  It`s a record for all weight divisions which stands to this very day.  

Tommy also greatly admired Tony Zale saying: “Tony was low profile and modest, yet he was a great fighter.  In his style, he exhibited all the things a fIghter learns to do well.  Tony was a natural fighter.” 

For boxing historians, the superstars of an earlier era are the true icons.  “Smoke City Wildcat” Harry Greb with a record of 299 bouts.  The only man to defeat Gene Tunney.  In 1919 Harry fought forty five bouts during the span of that fabled twelve months and he won them all! 

Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong who simultaneously held world titles in three weight divisions and almost won a forth, having to settle for a controversial draw.  And,   Sugar Ray Robinson, considered by many boxing experts to be the greatest of them all and the greatest of all time.  

As a Maestro Judge, Tommy held seminars all over the World. Part of his presentation involved a film of Sugar Ray Robinson, showing his brilliant footwork involving supreme balance, movement, constituting literally poetry in motion.  Robinson famously said that everything had to be in sync with the heart, its beat and rhythm. Tommy agreed saying: “If you heart is working properly, then you will be able to accomplish what you want to do physically.” 

Tommy discussed the frequency of boxing matches. In times gone past they fought often. Nowadays it`s far more seldom.  He states that Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake “Bronx Bull” LaMotta fought five times. Two of those fights were just three weeks apart and in that briefest of time spaces, Ray actually fought another bout to stay busy! 

Tommy recalled: “Nowadays, boxers can`t get enough fights. Back in the forties and fifties you could get a fight every day in New Jersey.  Every night during the week, you could go and see live boxing. That was before television. I could go and see a fight for fifty cents.  

“When I started boxing myself, I could fight every two weeks if I wanted to. That`s where you learned…in the ring. That is where you are getting the best education.  The more fights you fight, the better you are going to be.  Fighters back then couldn`t fight for a title until they had had fifty to sixty fights.  Now it`s twenty.  There has to be a reflection concerning quality. The guy who has had fifty fights is going to be a better quality fighter.  The fighters back then fought a lot more and that`s what made them different than the ones today in style and everything.  

“I myself had nineteen fights in two to three years. Can you imagine that today!  And I was still fighting six rounders.  Tommy`s nose was described as “A graveyard,” and it curtailed his ring career. Yet it opened another career avenue when he turned to judging at which he excelled.  

He cited the ability to focus and fully concentrate, as an essential pre-requisite for a Boxing Judge.  You learn the guidelines, but need intelligence, vision and intelligence to apply this.  He advised and with a smile, there`s always something to learn, commenting: “Judges who want  to be good judges go to seminars, even if they had been around for thirty years!” 

Being a Judge can be a thankless task.  In Asia, Tommy asked two fellow Judges why they were sheltering themselves with umbrellas even though it wasn`t raining, to be told it was to protect themselves in case coins were hurled.  He himself was asked where is his guide dog and if he scores by braille? 

Tommy merrily laughed and said: “It rubs off my back. I couldn`t care less. I know what I scored and I know I am right.  There is something missing if someone says that it could have gone either way. Only one of the fighters wins the fight.  If it`s by one round or close then it`s acceptable, but if there`s a wide spread between the scores, then one of them is going to be wrong.  If you are applying the guidelines there should not be a big spread.  When you see a split decision with an eight rounds difference, something has gone wrong.“ 

Tommy praised the World Boxing Council who pay for so many Judges` training seminars worldwide with translators and top facilities.  It all leads up to the big night. Tommy stressed and insisted: “The top element is concentration. You can`t take your eyes off the fight.  I keep a running score. That is one of my main themes.  So, when the bell rings to end the round, I don`t have to think it over.  If you have to stop and think it over, that`s not good.” 

Tommy and Agnes have celebrated their seventieth Wedding Anniversary. Agnes is Tommy`s  Everything, They are the Parents of two daughters and a son, Grandparents of eight and Great Grandparents of five.  Agnes has travelled to Conventions with Tommy all around the world: “She has always supported me in my work and never held me back. Agnes is a Very Special Lady.” 

Tommy retired as a Judge in 2010. His book entitled: “You Be The Judge” and DVD are essential nuggets of hewn gold mine to inform the mind and the soul of a person who wishes to become a top Boxing Judge.  

Tommy always loved to watch Boxing on the television but there`s no substitute for being there and seeing it for yourself.  He said when a boxer returns to the corner, sits on the stool and then drapes his/her arms over the ring ropes, a savvy and seasoned second in the corner will put those arms in the fighter`s lap for comfort and to avoid any strain. 

He chuckled as he recalled a fight between Johnny Bumphus and Marlon Starling when he himself was one of the Judges.  On that night there was open scoring.  Just before the end of round six a clash of heads and Johnny suffered a gaping cut.  Lou Duva in Johnny`s corner advised to leave the cut just as it was for the moment, as it then went to the Judge`s scorecards for a technical decision.  

Charlie Spina 60-54, Tom Kaczmarek 59-55, Al De Vito 59-56.   

We in the everyday world and Judges in fights strive. But as Osgood Fielding 111 said to “Daphne”  in the last line of the film Some Like It hot: “No one`s perfect?” 

Tommy came the closest. To those who knew and loved him, he was a kind, affable wonderful man, who was icy calm and utterly dependable under pressure, but outside ring hours, he had and he demonstrated deep and sincere emotions.  He possessed the generous and priceless gift of friendship. It was easy to like and then to love Tommy. He was such a Good Man. He was also a Great Man! 

How he`ll be missed! How we will cherish his memory. As a magnificent, caring, wise and perceptive  Boxing Judge, he`d like to be judged on his achievements. They will always speak for him. What legacy he leaves us.  

God Bless and God Greet You Tommy.