Privilege, criticism & VAR - life as a boxing referee
Some say it is the best seat in the house when it comes to the big fights. There's certainly nobody who gets closer to the action. But being a professional boxing referee is not for the faint hearted.
The third person in the ring has the most important job – keeping the fighters safe in a sport where life-changing injuries can happen. "You can't afford to sort of switch off for a moment," said Phil Edwards, one of the most well-known professional boxing referees in Britain. "Anything can happen when you least expect it and you have to be prepared to handle whatever is thrown at you.
" Now retired from in the ring but still working as a judge, the Preston-based Welshman has been involved in the sport since the 1990s and has overseen world title fights involving the likes of Anthony Joshua and Josh Warrington. Referees rarely talk but Edwards spoke on the condition of not going into detail on specific bouts he has taken charge of which include some of the most high-profile fights of the past 30 years. Edwards got involved with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) in the 1990s.
An avid boxing fan as a younger man, his wife implored him to find a passion outside of his work in the insurance industry. With the waiting list long at his local golf club, he opted to start as an inspector with the BBBofC and later trained as a referee. "It's very intense, it's enjoyable as it's great to be involved and it's a privilege to be in the ring with the boxers," Edwards, 70, told BBC Sport.
"But it's like any other job, you enjoy it afterwards in a way because you have to be absolutely 100% focused. "The most important part of the job is doing everything you can to ensure the safety of the boxers. " The Uber-driving English champion & his 30-year fight for a passport How safe is bare-knuckle boxing as it fights for mainstream appeal?