Veteran referee Thomas Taylor has been appointed as the third man in the ring for the undisputed super middleweight championship between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Their scheduled 12-round bout will headline a Netflix event on September 13 from Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders
Taylor received unanimous approval from the panel of the Nevada State Athletic Commission during its monthly agenda hearing, held Thursday at the state headquarters in Las Vegas. The panel also selected Tim Cheatham (Nevada), Max DeLuca (New York via California) and Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey) as the three ringside judges
For his performance in the ring, Taylor will earn $25,000. Each of the three judges will earn $20,000, regardless of whether the fight is decided on the cards.
The same four officials worked together for the last big fight in Las Vegas, the WBC welterweight title fight between Mario Barrios and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19. While the three judges are among the best in the sport, the final result – a majority draw – was widely criticised, as many felt that Pacquiao, on his return, deserved the nomination. The verdict denied Pacquiao the chance to break his own record as the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history.
Alvarez will attempt his 10th defense of at least two super middleweight titles and The Ring championship and his sixth overall as undisputed champion, spanning two reigns
Crawford, for his part, is moving up two weight divisions in his attempt to sit at the table with the best names in boxing history.
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