BEAVER TOWNSHIP – Former international boxing judge and current U.S. amateur boxing official Tom Miller recalls the first time he ever judged a fight.

It happened totally by accident, yet the veteran of almost 6,000 fights judged or refereed recalls the day as if it were just yesterday.

“It was 1991 and after my time in the ring, I began assisting the late Curbstone Coaches hall of famer trainer, Tony Maiorana,” Miller told the group assembled for Monday’s meeting at Avion Banquet Center. “Tony was one of the best boxing trainers in the Mahoning Valley, and the following year, we had a fighter in the Lake Erie Association Junior Olympic Tournament. It was a tournament for boxers 8-16 years of age and on this Saturday evening in Cleveland, only two judges were available.

“Inspector Gene Glen asked if I would serve as a judge, Tony gave me the thumbs up to go ahead and my first fight was also the first fight for the two ring combatants. I did 16 fights that day and knew then I had reached my calling.”

Miller judged amateurs for two years before he applied for his pro license with the Ohio Boxing Commission, working his first professional show in 1994.

“I fell in love with judging and wanted more,” Miller said. “A year later Gene [Glen], who was a member of the World Boxing Organization, asked if I wanted to judge for the WBO but there was one stipulation. I had to attend their convention in Puerto Rico.

“I attended the convention, met all their officers and attended the mandatory judge seminar. Eight months later in 1996, I was assigned my first world title fight, the WBO world middleweight championship between Lonnie Bradley and Lonnie Beasley in Steubenville. My scores were acceptable, Bradley won, and I was on my way.”

The next sanctioning body Miller joined was the International Boxing Federation. He attended their mandatory convention but waited two years for an assignment.

“I was still working amateurs, going around the country for the Golden Gloves as well as Junior Olympic tournaments, also working pro fights in Ohio,” he added. “Another opportunity came my way and that was being a neutral judge in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia, so it was more judging for me.”

In 1998, he joined another sanctioning body, the World Boxing Association, again attending their annual convention.

He received his first WBA assignment three months later and after working multiple world title bouts a year, Miller started taking his avocation seriously. In 1999, he applied and was accepted into yet another sanctioning body, the International Boxing Organization.

“I was now a member of four of the ‘Big 5’ sanctioning bodies so in 2000, I applied and after attending two annual conventions was finally accepted into the World Boxing Council,” Miller said. “It was during that time that I was averaging three to four world title fights a year. All five sanctioning bodies had regional titles, such as the United States Boxing Association, Intercontinental Championships and the North American Boxing Federation so I began working those events as well.”

In 1998, Miller also began judging the highly popular local K.O. Drugs High School Boxing Tournament.

“I was quite busy,” Miller noted. “My scoring was good, and I was gradually getting more world title fights. When times were good, I received almost a dozen world title fights a year. Most judges are content with two, maybe three title fights a year, so my dreams were coming true.”

Miller said the biggest fight he ever judged was the second brawl between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

“I was assigned the fight with my two judging idols, Jerry Roth and Duane Ford,” he said. “I was in awe when I met them and even asked for their autographs. The fight went the distance, Ford’s card was 115-112 for Pacquiao while Roth scored it 115-113 in favor of Marquez. I knew at that moment that my score would be the decisive one and after Michael Buffer read 114-113 for Manny Pacquiao, I really felt that I had hit the big time.

“After that fight I was really doing well as far as world title fights. Not only was I getting work from the top five sanctioning bodies, but I was also receiving some world title bouts from the WBU, WBF, IBA and IBC. In the meantime, I was still working the amateurs, State of Ohio and K.O. Drugs, and in West Virginia and Pennsylvania as a neutral judge.

“I kept attending the annual conventions as I went from watching the judge’s seminars to being an instructor at those same seminars.”

In all, Miller has worked over 350 professional bouts with 81 world title bouts and 24 regional bouts in 23 countries.

He has cashed in 520,000 frequent flyer miles and has over 5,300 amateur bouts judged, too.

“People ask me if boxing is fixed and my answer is a resounding yes,” Miller added. “It isn’t from the judges and referees, but from the boxers themselves. I have been around long enough to know when a hard punch connects and when someone takes a dive. My last professional bout was in 2014 and since then I have been heavily involved with amateur boxing as the treasurer of USA Boxing Lake Erie Association.

“I still judge but have taken up refereeing, time keeping and have even served as an announcer at shows. Someday, when I find time, I hope to author a book about my adventures around the world.”

The Curbstone Coaches will take a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays, returning Jan. 8 when they will honor all local fall OHSAA state individual and team champions.

sports@vindy.com