Q & A for Randy Gordon

[Ron Lipton]

I heard it from one boxer, who was told by a promoter the Cuomo family would pick you. I guess they figured it is Mario Cuomo's son Andrew who might appoint you as did his Father.

My query was only here and an E-mail to you, that is it. Did not see any texts or FB stuff.

Glad to hear you enjoy the radio show, it was fun being on with you and Gerry, you do a good job.

As to the NYSAC lets be fair here based on irrefutable facts, despite both our past or present friendships with Melvina.

As to doing a good job, many issues glare out with the NYSAC et al and are being brought up in a legal forum not here now. So I will stick to one which is public knowledge according to all the writers in The Ring Magazine as to Melvina Lathan, Petrillo and the NYSAC absolutely not doing a good job or being honest about it in the Yankee Stadium debacle.

If Albany does not change things it is because it wants to be politcally correct not because it does not merit it and fast.

They have allowed under Gov Patterson Russo's friends from the Pataki regime to remain there in charge behind the scenes and worse.

For one thing when Melvina and staff continues to appoint Mercante jr based on friendship certainly not performance their judgment comes into question.

Whether he can one day learn to be a safe and capable referee when he grows up with more training is an issue that is gone forever now and steeped in the irrefutable facts of his legacy of in the ring negligence resulting in death and injury galore.

How many boxers does it take in dying or being ruined on the verge of death for the NYSAC to sit this poltical referee down. The NYSAC staff under Melvina and Ralph Petrillo still use him.

I think after the extreme over the top referee negligence which resulted in a boxer's death and the utter fiasco in Yankee Stadium, appointing Mercante junior to more work which was done 2 times after Yankee Stadium is not exactly doing a good job in the eyes of many.

Nor is taking direction from the onset of her appointment from the remaining Pataki appointees who have remained there and still reign there behind the scenes. It gives the appearance of being just a figurehead while their agenda of having their friends work there still is in place.

The Ring Magazine criticized her director of boxing Pataki's Ralph Petrillo along with her specifically for denying Mercante jr created a full blown fiasco in telling Yuri Foreman with a torn knee to "Suck it up son, " and then added his well known copied phrase from Gil Clancy his Father's best friend, "Who wants it more, " egging the injured fighter on with his ridiculous personal comments.

He has used that nauseating phrase many times in the ring which is not his job as a neutral referee. He is on tape making faces at the judges decisiions in disagreement with their verdicts in the Lewis v Mercer fight.

The judge he made the on camera face about was Melvina Lathan and she still uses him, that is not doing a good job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1m9Xv4btY

Additionally the NYSAC allows him to actually tell the boxer how to fight, move this way, go that way? Are you kidding? That is on tape on You Tube, when I first saw it I could not believe it, yet NYSAC lets him work again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flNIBHxI6vE

His reward for a legacy of death and injury is for the NYSAC to give him more work? They appointed him to two more fights after the mess he made in Yankee Stadium. It bordered on megalomaniac lunacy according to every respected boxing writer.

They certainly have the films of Whitiker v Hurtado,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTsWKpjinco

Cotto v Foreman,

Jones v Scotland,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E96UK4vBb_s



Michael Bennett v Andrew Hutchinson, which has to be seen to be believed,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vTjL...eature=related

all the way back to Ruddock v Dokes,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uehFuWEkI-Q,

Murray v Green,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fVHQAWh-r0

Lewis v Grant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpdGF...01351&index=30

it goes on and on and they do nothing? That is not doing a good job as to him alone.

He then denied the chief second's wishes for the bout to be stopped and made the boxer fight himself into a major surgery and Melvina and Petrillo said it was ok?

Yes his Father and him with help from others tried to take my assignment on HBO away from me in DLH V Leija, behind the scenes with their frirends goint to the promoter Bob Arum and it is a part of a law suit, that being said,

The death of Scotland, Yuri Foreman being made to fight with a severe injury and all of the above can greatly be attributed to referee negligence and to the people who consistently use the worst officials no matter what they do.

With this guy NYSAC allows boxers to get really hurt, not just knocked down or out by one or two extra shots and get up and all is ok, but they get hurt or dead with this referee. They allow his personal comments on camera too.

When things become all political and others are running the show behind the scenes being a boxing fan, or a boxing judge who was given many assignments is not enough, you have to take a stand for what is right and they do not.

[Randy Gordon]

Ron: Believe me...I know all this. Back in 1988, when I first was appointed Chairman, I believed young Mercante had all the tools to become a quality referee. He proved me otherwise. I am surprised that those who make the assignments at the NYSAC don't see this.

On a much larger scale, I am thrilled that a man named Cuomo is back in the mansion in Albany. He is a brilliant young leader and I believe New York will thrive and prosper with him in office.

As the New York State motto says: "Excelsior"--it means "Onward & Upward."

-Randy G.

[Ron Lipton]

PS The thought of Katz or Mercante Sr being in charge of the NYSAC would have been some nightmare, both always taking direction from Howie boy who always shilled for the Mercantes, quid pro quo.

[Ron Lipton]

Agreed, onward and upward and hopefully the new Gov will take a long hard look at what happened there and finally be fair.

[Randy Gordon]

Unfortunately, the new Governor doesn't assign officials!

-Randy G.

[Ron Lipton]

Yes, but the Governor's office we both know can remove NYSAC members who cause one travesty after another and are not doing their job Even a Governor can get in trouble like Elliot Spitzer did, or allow a situation to get worse or continue until the bad publicity from it hurts the NYSAC.

Allowing officials to be appointed over and over again to work in NY to be politically correct or a quid pro quo arrangement with lets say NJ like Ron Scott Rabinowitz did becomes questionable when one ref is used 3 times for the same boxer and previously let a fighter go 12 rounds with a broken jaw on world wide tv.

If the Governor's office previously knows nothing about boxing or acts as if they do not and gives Carte Blanche to people who allow a Yankee Stadium fiasco after so many warning signs including a ring death then they should take a long hard look at the history and chronology of certain issues.

Too many questionable behind the scenes improprieties exist in boxing with no one doing anything about it.

When in Texas Lawrence Cole was suspended for telling one fighter he was ahead on the cards and then given just about every major assignment by his own father after that is nepotism at its worst.

It is analogous to the what existed with the Mercantes in NY and the elder one's influence with the WBC, Republican politics and other boxing people which was a serious conflict of interests

By being fair I mean get rid of people who fix a weigh in like in Gatti v Gamache serious injury, look into the background of the people there now and their involvement and nexus to other issues which impacted on my lawsuit.

Appoint people who use officials who know what they are doing to avoid a Cotto V Foreman public fiasco the stink of which still permeates the pages of boxing magazines like The Ring and resounds within the memory of the families of B. Scotland and Yuri Foeman.

In the past the Governor's office was seemingly oblivious to what was going on in the NYSAC, the recent fiasco in Yankee Stadium comes after a ring death involving a choice to use the same ref with a history of letting boxers get seriously injured.

[Ron Lipton]

Bodyblow wrote on the Briscoe v Carter Fantasy Fight thread last page some things about you, me, and Arthur Mercante Sr. This is the response to me simply saying Mercante Sr told me in person he scored for the boxers over the punchers as he liked them better, his decision for Benton in the Carter fight was booed lustily by the crowd. That set off bodyblow.


"Once again, its pretty low blow to be casting aspersions on the character of Arthur Mercante who was a fine gentleman and a fantastic arbitor and isnt exactly here to defend himself. Like I said, Arthur always stated (and frankly you dont know who I know Ron) that he was relieved not score as a ref.

Randy isnt exactly an unbiased observer considering Mercante kind of trashed him in his book.

That being said, in roughly fifty years of refereeing I never saw anyone say anything negative him (except that you have a problem with the way he called against your friend in a very close fight) and I certainly cant remember a time he was out of work.

Randy will say its because he had "the political juice" but thats oversimplifying isnt it? It was really because he was a damn fine referee which even Randy admits. Yes, I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mercante. It was an honor and when I say he was a gentleman I mean that with the greatest sincerity.
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Unread 01-17-2011, 09:56 PM #67
Ron Lipton
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New York

Re: Sheesh
Quote:
Originally Posted by bodyblow
Better stamina?? Briscoe went 15 rounds ONCE and lost in a fight he admitted he held back because he was worried about the distance. Thats a fact that neither you nor Ron, friendship or not, can deny.

R. Friendship or not? I know Hagler as well as I know you.



Fact 2 is that by the halfway point of his career, more often than not, if Cartern went the distance he lost. Pretty pathetic when you consider his career only lasted 5 years.

R. Yes, he was a very pathetic fighter, accurate description.

This discussion is pretty elementary as far as Im concerned

R. Yes, me too.

because we know what Carter could accomplish because his career was spelled out in short order for us. We also know Briscoe could accomplish because of the long time span of his career for us to judge against a wide variety of contenders and champions over that time. It is conjecture, I go with Hawk on this one, Briscoe is highly respected because of what he did in the ring

R. I understand.


and Carter is heavily overrated because of how he was portrayed OUTSIDE of the ring.

R. Over rated by whom? Boxing people? Never. Apples and Oranges.
I am talking strictly inside that ring regarding a dream fight at his peak, stopping Griffith and Fernandez in one round. Outside the ring does not enter into this.

Once again, its pretty low blow to be casting aspersions on the character of Arthur Mercante who was a fine gentleman and a fantastic arbitor and isnt exactly here to defend himself.

R. A pretty low blow? You met him once and he was polite to you? It is hard to beat that kind of deep insight so why even try. The fact that you have been told a tip of the iceberg about what he did behind the scenes means nothing to you obviously because it was not done to you, it is as if you do not even listen remotely to what has been shown to you.

Your mind is made up. What I saw him do personally, is so riling and maddening you could not possibly understand from meeting him. Randy Gordon's statement says it all in spades. What difference does it matter as to who you know, we are not talking about who you knew or know, you did not know him as a referee, politician, or see him working the floor at a cocktail party at a boxing convention to get assignments. If you did you would throw up your nuts.

Like I said, Arthur always stated (and frankly you dont know who I know Ron) that he was relieved not score as a ref.
R. Yes I am sure he was once it came under great scrutiny and criticism from the fighters, their corners and managers and the commission.



Randy isnt exactly an unbiased observer considering Mercante kind of trashed him in his book.

R. Mercante kind of trashed him in his book? Kind of huh?
Shite, I mean shit man, Randy was his boss and dealt with him and his bizzarre and "Archaic" ideas along with his super ego and attempts to steal fights away from referees who were already assigned, his poltical machinations behind the scenes in the alphabet groups ad infinitum.

There are things he did that were so obnoxious, unwarranted and unnecessary to get an assignment for himself that my blood is going up right now thinking about it. So spare me the outsider looking in thing please.


That being said, in roughly fifty years of refereeing I never saw anyone say anything negative him (except that you have a problem with the way he called against your friend in a very close fight) and I certainly cant remember a time he was out of work.

R. I traveled with him, worked with him and was in his home during a film interview where the film crew walked out due to his off color racial imitations.
He was fond of being a conservative Republican and was active politically and got his assignments politically to the point that calls were "Arranged" to the Governor's office to take assignments away from others so he could get them. So fuck the impression he made on you with his ascot and aristocratic pretentions it means nothing to me.

If he got his way he was "Charming," if passed over the phone calls and moves to friends in the press, political office ensued and at one point fighting what was done ended up in a court case. His kid killed a boxer in the ring through negligence and ended up wounding and crippling others by freezing in the ring and wanting to be on camera more.

This was fought and dealt with while he was still with us. Ingratiating it into this thread is ridiculous. Questioning or fluffing off what Randy Gordon wrote and you read it, says it all. Both of us are polite and respectful people and both of us I know because I lived it with Comm Gordon, went out of our way to be respectful to King Arthur.

It did not work. The same silly pomposity and haughty condescension was always the norm no matter how much respect you gave him. If you were not in the way of him getting an assignment then all was peaches and cream if he got it. He was great pals with boxing writers who voted him into the IBHOF and he worked a lot. Like Randy said he was good, not great.


Randy will say its because he had "the political juice" but thats oversimplifying isnt it?

R. No it is understating it. I saw what he did to get assignments and in the DeLahoya v Leija fight I was assigned to a major effort was orchestrated to take it away. Ugly, crazy things behind the scenes which was consistent with what Randy Gordon wrote about him trying to take an assignment away from his own son.



It was really because he was a damn fine referee which even Randy admits.

R. No he did not admit that at all did he? He said the complete opposite including the IBHOF induction.

Yes, I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mercante. It was an honor and when I say he was a gentleman I mean that with the greatest sincerity.
R. That I believe and agree with. I traveled with him many times, worked with him and he AND I were always polite, he made it a point to be polite and cultured.

So was Bela Lugosi when he played Dracula. So are a lot of people.
Now moving on, as far as what Randy wrote, read it again because it is an understatement. Sorry to burst your bubble about that issue but if he did to you what he did to me, you would not give a damn about how polite he was to your face.

I do respect you right to your opinion but keep an open mind mate.
Working a lot does not mean you are the best, in boxing it means you have friends. He stayed much too far away as a ref, missed too much of what was going on and worst of all, I saw him train the kid in the dressing rooms we shared, to POSE FOR THE CAMERA, MOVE WITH YOUR HANDS CUPPED TO YOUR SIDES, SO YOU LOOK SLIMMER FOR THE CAMERA, then he would put pancake makeup on in the dressing room as if the crowd came to see him referee, instead of coming to see the fight.

So spare me the hero worship on this one.
Randy did not say John Wayne was bisexual, he said Mercante was obnoxious and an ego maniac. I agree all the way.

You don't, ok? But you seem like you do not listen to the truth based on someone meeting you and being polite. A bit naive don't you think?



I think that isenough on this subject hopefully.

[Randy Gordon]

R.I.P.--BOXING IN NEW YORK STATE
Don't know if you've heard, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo, wielding his budget slashing-axe as he attempts to keep New York State from going bankrupt, eliminated the salary of New York State Athletic Commission Chairperson Melvina Lathan. In effect, she can stay on as Chair, but taking only per diem pay for what amounts to lots of work for almost nothing.

The bad news about this is that the move leaves the NYSAC without a leader, without a figurehead, without a person to make the final decision. In effect, this move will kill boxing in New York, and even give birth to illegal, bootleg shows.

The good news is, this edict by the Governor needs Legislative approval. My guess is, that after reviewing his cuts, Gov. Cuomo will revise them and restore Commissioner Lathan's salary, finding other avenues from which to slash the budget.

If not, it's the end of boxing in New York.

-Randy G.

[doomeddisciple]

Randy - As your radio show covers MMA as well, is this decision likley to impact on New York fans getting any MMA in town?

It's weird to me that in a couple of weeks I can go to my second Sydney UFC event when the big apple hasn't had one before.

Obviously the ramifications for boxing are poor - But maybe having an unpaid position will mean someone will do it for the true love of the sport?

[Randy Gordon]

The position of Chairman of the NYSAC is a fulltime gig. It's more than fulltime. It's seven days a week. Who is in that position financially to be able to do the job for almost nothing?

-Randy G.

[Ringer#1]

Bump

[Ringer#1]

Mods, thank you for taking down the previous thread re my question as to where THIS thread went to.

I now see Randy's thread is still on the site.

I will be sure to reach out to him and let him know that it was not deleted and it actually still here. It was simply an issue of not getting many hits and it was unpinned.

When I did a search on it, nothing turned up, so I also assumed that it was deleted.

I will let him know.

Or if any of the Mods here want to let him know, feel free to give him a call.

If you don't have his #, Drop me an email and I will ask him if it is cool to pass on his # to you.

Thank again

[slakka]

Dear Randy,
I'm dealing with some johnny come latelys.
If you could please impart your wisdom?
I do believe that after Durans Montreal magnificence you asked both Arcel and Freddie Brown if Duran could take prime
welterweight Sugar Ray Robinson.
Could you please handel the rest of this story when time allows sir?
Thanks in advance!!

Slakka