โBROWN envelopes? Donโt make me laugh!โ exclaims Ian John-Lewis, and then he does laugh at what he sees as an absurdity.
Rightly or wrongly, boxing is seen as a corrupt sport, with a business end staffed by gangsters, frauds, dastardly promoters and officials on the take. And one official whoโs had to face such allegations more than once is John-Lewis, a vastly experienced referee and judge whoโs made a number of high-profile controversial calls on both sides of the ropes.
Most recent, and most controversial of all, was his scorecard in last Februaryโs world super-welterweight title fight between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall. Taylorโs arm was raised after a bout in which seemingly the only people who thought heโd won were two of the judges โ one of which was John-Lewis.
Such was the stink kicked up by this result that he never again worked for the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). First, he was demoted from Star Class to A-Class, meaning he would no longer be allowed to officiate major title fights. Then, having been offered no further work since Taylor-Catterall, John-Lewis handed in his licence in September.
Some fans might say this was overdue. The 60-year-old from Strood in Kent had made a reputation for himself as someone who had โgot it wrongโ a few too many times. Those of a less diplomatic nature have questioned his integrity, and never more so than after Taylor-Catterall.
John-Lewisโs response to those whoโd call him crooked?
โBollocks.โ
He adds, sarcastically: โI wish I was being passed brown envelopes. People think referees get paid a fortune. I just think โyou wankersโ. Iโve come back some nights, after being away for two days, sat down and counted my money and Iโve come home with less than a hundred and fifty quid.
โAnd Iโve stayed in some right shit-holes. Donโt get me wrong, Iโve been put up in some very nice places, but for some Iโve had to take my own food, make sure Iโve got some chocolate in my bag and a spare blanket in the car.
โThe worst was in Hartlepool one winter. It was a right dive. It had no central heating and the window wouldnโt close. It was absolutely freezing. I had to sleep in my coat.
โWhen I was made a Star referee, I thought thatโs it, Iโll quit my job and travel the world. But nahโฆ Thereโs not one official who makes a living from it. Thatโs what most people donโt understand. Itโs no more than a paid hobby. You have to do it because you love boxing.โ
What John-Lewis does make a living from is the full-time job heโs held since 1996. Heโs a detention officer for Kent Police. โWhen youโre booked in, I take your prints, photo and DNA if needed,โ he explains, โthen I put you in your cell and look after you until your interview.
โItโs a horrible, difficult job, because obviously nobody whoโs there wants to be there. But sometimes they recognise me. โAre you that referee? Fucking hell, what are you doing here?โ I tell them Iโve got a mortgage to pay! When they recognise me, theyโre cool. Iโm a cool guy, and also a tough guy if need be.โ
The latter self-description is fair, because John-Lewis was once a boxer himself, something that evidently remains a source of pride. He is most animated when recalling his fighting days, re-enacting the moves and punches that formed the key moments, by which point Iโd already unintentionally ingratiated myself with him by bringing up his boxing career before heโd mentioned it.
โYou know your stuff,โ he says. โA lot of these young reporters donโt even know I boxed. Theyโre surprised when I tell them.โ
Some of the boxers heโs refereed were also unaware of this, but John-Lewis always makes sure to let them know. โI tell them in the dressing room when I give them their instructions. Then they respect me as an ex-fighter.โ
That respect has occasionally been lost, though. A recurring theme in his refereeing career has been of seemingly stopping fights prematurely, triggering some animated protests from the boxers heโs โsavedโ. But John-Lewis says he understands, as an ex-fighter, that such reactions are often face-saving measures.
โWhen I got stopped against Trevor Smith [l rsf 8 in 1989], even after I got up for the fourth time I said to the ref โIโm all right!โ, but I knew I wasnโt,โ he says.
โSometimes the fight gets beaten out of us, but weโve all got bravado. You sometimes see [as a referee] the fighter wants you to stop it, but they canโt say so, so they kick off [when you do stop it] and then later they thank you. Then you know youโve done a good job.โ
But while even the harshest of critics will concede the difficult balancing act referees face in making split-second decisions, thereโs no sympathy when a judge gets it โwrongโ. They do, after all, have the best seats in the house, and the luxury of watching a fight without any distractions.
When debate follows a decision, there is always talk about the subjectivity of scoring boxing, that it comes down to โwhat you likeโ. For John-Lewis, what he likes is a boxer who โmakes the fightโ โ and perhaps one who reminds him of his old fighting self.
โI was a pressure fighter, I was on you from the first bell,โ he says. โThatโs what you should be doing. You do get some lovely counter-punchers โ if you make them miss, thatโs great, but you have to counter as well.
โIf you hold, thatโs my pet hate. Okay, if you get hit with a good shot and need to get your bearings, thatโs fair, but holding for the sake of it, thatโs a foul. It ruins it for the spectator and the opponent. The referee should be on top of that, but if he isnโt, we [judges] pick up on it.โ
And apart from โwhat you likeโ, John-Lewis also argues there is a human tendency to reward whatโs fresher in the memory: โCrafty pros have that clock in their head and after two minutes will up their game, and some judges will think that was a good round. But if the other guy won the first two minutes, Iโll give him the round.โ
Ultimately it was his judging rather than refereeing that got John-Lewis in trouble with the Board, the Taylor-Catterall verdict being the โfinal strawโ. But he believes it was not so much the accumulation of his own controversies that led to his demotion, but rather that the wider Board itself was under pressure after a series of uproarious calls by a variety of officials, and had to be seen to do something.
While John-Lewis doesnโt wish to criticise his peers or discuss their decisions, what heโs likely referring to is a run from October 2020 to that fateful night in Glasgow last year, which began with Lewis Ritsonโs highly debatable split decision over Miguel Vazquez, continued with Hamzah Sheeraz evading a disqualification despite hitting a downed Bradley Skeete three times, and reached a denouement with Taylor-Catterall.
All three were televised by major broadcasters and, accordingly, triggered an outpouring of outrage online. Of course, controversial decisions have been rendered for as long as the sport has existed, but social media has increased fan engagement and intensified the demand for accountability.
โI was scapegoated, no doubt about that,โ John-Lewis says. โI canโt believe the Board bowed under social media pressure. But theyโve picked on the wrong guy.โ
This is referring to how he is fighting back, legally, by lodging a discrimination case against the BBBofC with an employment tribunal. While John-Lewis cannot discuss the specifics of ongoing legal action, he is claiming victimisation, defamation and loss of earnings.
โIโm not worried, because the truth will come out,โ he says. โIโm looking forward to the hearing โ not to slag people off, but to get the facts across and have people think of things a bit differently.โ
The spectre of corruption has never been helped, it has to be said, by how Board reacts to controversy. A meeting will be held, the official will explain their rationale, this will almost invariably (with John-Lewis being a vanishingly rare exception) be accepted, and that same official will be back on the beat soon after. It is all conducted behind closed doors and the Board bars referees and judges from discussing their work with fans or journalists.
But now, freed from the BBBofC yoke, John-Lewis is glad to offer insight into his methods. Taylor-Catterall is off-limits for legal reasons, but thereโs nothing stopping him from talking about some other notorious nights (see sidebar).
โI appreciate being able to talk about these fights,โ he says. โYou might not agree with me, but the way Iโve explained it, itโs at least given you something to think about, hasnโt it?
โA lot of officials do feel aggrieved when they canโt explain a decision. We do all moan about that. We can understand where they [the Board] are coming from โ they donโt want us to dig a bigger hole for ourselves, or let reporters put words in our mouths โ but weโre not stupid, and we know it looks bad, that not talking to the press looks like thereโs something to hide.โ
John-Lewis promises the upcoming tribunal (no dates are yet set) will lay everything bare. But even if he wins, he doesnโt want his old job back, as heโs now picking up work as a free agent, and was back on TV on March 4 handling bouts on a Misfits promotion, that divisive outfit leading the โcrossover boxingโ charge.
โItโs a different sort of boxing, and the purists hate it, but the punches are real,โ he says of the genre which puts novices in the ring because of their social media presence rather than their skill. โThey train hard and they fight to the best of their ability, but theyโre beginners so they donโt know better than to punch lumps out of each other. You need an official with good experience to look after them.โ
That Misfits show (in)famously featured the first ever tag team boxing match, which John-Lewis judged.
โI did a double-takeโฆ tag team? Like the wrestling? Shut up, no!โ he says. โI was very dubious. But you know what? It actually bloody worked! I was mesmerised.โ
And how on earth do you score tag team boxing? โItโs just the red and the blue corner, exactly the same. You score the team as one; same criteria.โ
John-Lewis has actually been back in the ring since December, having first been licensed by the British and Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA), and then by the Professional Boxing Association, which sanctions Misfits and other events. Heโs also picked up work on semi-pro, white collar and charity shows.
โBefore, if you left the Board, there was nothing,โ he says. โItโs a completely different world now; thereโs all sorts of boxing everywhere. I still love boxing and I still want to be involved, regardless of what it is.โ
While the aforementioned organisations are all perfectly legal, none are recognised by the BBBofC, BoxRec or Boxing News and, with the exception of the Misfits shows, are all on a much smaller scale than what John-Lewis had been accustomed to, having officiated some of the biggest names in some of the grandest venues.
โItโs grassroots boxing, but they are tomorrowโs champions. You need that; itโs good to get back to that,โ he says.
โOnce they heard Iโd left the Board, these people started contacting me. At the veteran stage of my career, itโs nice to be involved in the next generation, itโs nice to be wanted. Itโs all really positive; Iโm really happy.โ
It’s often said that money canโt buy happiness, and John-Lewis is proof of that, as he sits, contentedly, in the cosy living room of a modest cottage, with Julie, his wife of 28 years, and their seven dogs.
Money also canโt buy you love, because itโs not for thick brown envelopes that he is drawn to boxing, but for the love of the sport.
And what money most certainly cannot buy, John-Lewis assures us, is him.