STL All Sports

Boxing referees have had many odd situations to meet as part of their job. None was more unusual than that faced by Young Otto.

Young Otto had been a great lightweight fighter in his day. When his fighting days were over, Otto became a fine referee. One night he was assigned to handle an entire card of fights. Mter he had refereed all the preliminaries with his usual skill, Young Otto was informed that the main event could not go on because one of the opponents had failed to show up. The crowd, bitterly disappointed, began to boo and protest.

Otto raised his hands for silence. "A little patience," he announced. "I'll get you a worthy substitute for the missing man."

He left the ring and reappeared a few minutes later in trunks, ready to fight. The rugged middleweight who was waiting in the other corner laughed. "You're not going to fight me, are you, pop?" he jeered. "You're too old and you're liable to get hurt. And who's going to referee? We can't fight without a third man in the ring!"

"You just come out fighting at the bell," answered Young Otto. "I'm still the referee, and when I knock you out, I'll do the counting myself."

And, oddly enough, referee Young Otto did flatten his opponent in four rounds. Then he counted his victim out, and to prove the fight was on the level, he repeated the count of ten over his fallen and unconscious opponent!