Longtime Championship Judge Jerry Roth Dies At 81
Jerry Roth, the International Boxing Hall of Fame judge, died on Friday in his hometown of Las Vegas. He was 81.
Roth was a professional judge for 34 years, mainly in Las Vegas, before retiring in 2015. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017 after a career in which he judged many of the biggest fights in the sport.
“For over 30 years, Jerry Roth was one of boxing’s most respected judges. He officiated over 200 title bouts from ringside, including many legendary bouts involving the biggest names in the sport,” Hall of Fame executive director Edward Brophy said in announcing Roth’s death. “The Hall of Fame offers our condolences to the Roth family and joins the boxing world in mourning his passing.”
Born May 12, 1941 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Roth began working as a judge for the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 1980. He judged 225 world title fights, according to the Hall of Fame. Besides judging fights, he worked as a commercial real estate broker.
Roth’s Championship Resume Was Massive
Among his numerous high-profile assignments: Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield I and II, Larry Holmes-Gerry Cooney, Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor I, Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns II, Leonard-Roberto Duran III, Marvin Hagler-John Mugabi, Hearns-Iran Barkley I and II, Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather, De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad, De La Hoya-Pernell Whitaker, Johnny Tapia-Danny Romero, Holyfield-George Foreman, Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr., Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley I (Roth was the judge who scored for Pacquiao in what was a massively controversial Bradley split decision win), Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez II, Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales III, Lennox Lewis-Holyfield II, Mayweather-Zab Judah, Mayweather-Jose Luis Castillo I, Mayweather-Diego Corrales, Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara and all three Riddick Bowe-Holyfield bouts.
Roth’s final bout was Vasiliy Lomachenko’s WBO featherweight title defense against Gamalier Rodriguez on the Mayweather-Pacquiao undercard in May 2015.
Roth is survived by wife Bunnie Roth and three children, daughters Michele Nimmo and Andrea Kaufman and son Mark Roth.
Since 2000, award-winning reporter Dan Rafael has covered boxing full time and been ringside for thousands of fights, first for five years at USA Today and then for 15 years at ESPN, where he wrote and appeared on various television, radio and streaming programs. In 2013, Dan was honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America with the Nat Fleischer award for career excellence in boxing journalism. Dan brings his great insight to the Big Fight Weekend site, podcast and more!
