Where are they now? – Tommy Kaczmarek

By James Blears

As part of our Where Are They Now Series, we talk with Tommy Kaczmarek, who shares his wisdom, insight, enthusiasm and love for The Sport, involving more than thirty years as an elite Judge and a lifetime in Boxing. “ I was fortunate to get to know and spent countless unforgettable events with Tommy. He is the nicest, kindest and most honorable man I have known, a family man a loyal friend and someone who makes this world a better one. He retired as a boxing judge at the topi of his game, something that very few in life can do in whichever profession we work, Tommy Kaczmarek, one of the best ever “ Said Mauricio Sulaiman.

Tommy from Brick, New Jersey judged more than one thousand boxing matches including one hundred and ten world championships at the highest level and all round the world . Leonard Vs Hearns 2, Hearns Vs McCallum, Duran Vs Barkley, Holyfield Vs Foreman and Fenech Vs Nelson, are several classics which stand out and come to mind. Also Azumah Nelson VS Gabriel Ruelas and Terry Norris Vs Maurice Blocker at the giant Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, 136,000 paid attendance set an all time record to see their idol Julio Cesar Chavez.

As a child Tommy who is now ninety five, 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 must learn 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 Greg 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 participated and taught seminars all over the World for the WBC. Part of his presentation involves 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 agrees 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” Lamont 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 recalls: “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 card 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 many fights. The fighters back then fought a lot more and that`s what made them different than the fighters of today. We have many very good, talented, and some great fighters today but they don’t get the opportunity to fight as often as back then.

“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 by a surgeon as “A graveyard of bones,” and it curtailed his ring career. Yet it opened another career avenue when he turned to judging at which he excelled.

He cites the ability to focus and fully concentrate, as an essential per-requisite for a Boxing Judge. You learn the guidelines, but need intelligence, vision and the intelligence to apply this. He says 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 a foreign jurisdiction. Tommy asked two fellow Judges why they were carrying 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 was his guide dog and if he scored with Braille scorecards?

Tommy merrily laughs and says: “It rubs off my back. I could`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 praises 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 stresses and insists: “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.”

This year Tommy and Agnes will be celebrating 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 traveled to WBC 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 Boxing Judge” and DVD are essential nuggets of honed gold mine to inform the mind of a person who wishes to become a top Boxing Judge.

Tommy still loves to watch Boxing on the television but there`s no substitute for being there and seeing it for yourself. He says 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.

We in life 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?”

Practice makes perfect!

The last say must go to Tommy who so aptly commented: “It would be remiss, if I failed to say how fortunate I was to be able to represent the WBC as a Judge in the vast majority of my one hundred and ten World Championships fights.

With the leadership of Jose Sulaiman and now Mauricio Sulaiman the WBC has pioneered the way to elevate professional boxing to the highest levels of safety for the fighters as well as the excellence in judging. I was most honored to be designated Honorary Lifetime Chairman of the WBC Ring Officials Board.”