Boxers Pay Tribute To The Late Steve Smoger
[Written by Stephen Wright]
The boxing community has paid tribute to top referee Steve Smoger who officiated some of the biggest fights on the island in recent years. He died aged 72 yesterday.
Smoger, a Hall of Fame referee, worked more than 200 title fights involving some of the most decorated names in the sport, including Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Roberto Duran, Roy Jones Jr, Lennox Lewis and Gennady Golovkin.
The American referee also officiated nine professional bouts in Bermuda from 2012 to 2017, involving local fighters Nikki Bascome, Teresa Perozzi and Chioke Tucker.
Nikki Bascome with the late Steve Smoger
Bascome took to Instagram to pay his respects to Smoger yesterday.
“Sending my deepest condolences to the family of Hall of Fame referee Steve Smoger. It was an honour to have shared the ring with you.”
Professional fighter Andre Lambe, who fought on several undercards when Smoger was on the island, also paid tribute to the man named the best professional referee in the world by The Ring Magazine in 2001.
“You definitely inspired me as an amateur. [On] the many occasions we met when you told my coaches that I remind[ed ]you of a young Tommy Hearns and Errol Spence Jr, [it] stuck with me for life. You will be missed and I plan to make you proud.”
