Cortez to referee title rematch

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001 | 10:44 a.m.

At its meeting today, the Nevada State Athletic Commission appointed Joe Cortez to referee Saturday's heavyweight title fight between Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis at Mandalay Bay, and delayed a hearing pertaining to disciplining boxer Zab Judah.

Besides assigning Cortez to referee the championship fight, the commission named Patricia Jarman-Manning, Dave Moretti and Jerry Roth as judges for the bout. All are Nevada residents.

Judah, who has had his $885,000 purse withheld by the NSAC as the result of his in-the-ring actions following his Nov. 3 loss to Kostya Tszyu at the MGM, was on the agenda but a hearing concerning him will be held next week instead. The reason for the delay was twofold: NSAC chairman Luther Mack was unable to get to Las Vegas from Reno due to business reasons, and attorney Pat English, who will represent Judah, said he was unable to attend as well.

Judah's purse was confiscated after he confronted referee Jay Nady and threw a chair in his direction. Judah, of New York, is facing a fine and/or suspension for his actions in the aftermath of a fight he lost when Nady stopped it after the second round.

Also at its meeting today, the commission approved a license for former heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, who will fight Henry Akinwande as part of Saturday's undercard at Mandalay Bay.

"McCall passed myriad tests," NSAC executive director Marc Ratner said, referring to McCall's having had hepatitis and a liver problem in recent years. "He also underwent a psychologic test that we ordered."

The demand for the latter exam was the result of McCall having suffered an emotional collapse during his Feb. 7, 1997, TKO-5 loss to Lewis at the Las Vegas Hilton. McCall quit during that fight and cried in the ring.