Hawai'i commission won't suspend ref

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Consider it a slip for Abe Pacheco.

The Hawai'i State Boxing Commission is expected to reprimand Pacheco for making "ambiguous" calls as the referee during the Brian Viloria/Valentin Leon bout last Tuesday at the Waikiki Sheraton Hotel Hawai'i Ballroom.

Randy Ahlo, chairman of the commission, said Pacheco will not be suspended and will still be considered "the main (referee) out of Hawai'i." He said the commission will review film of the fight and then point out the specific calls in question to Pacheco.

"We want everybody to learn from this," said Eiichi Jumawan, vice chairman of the commission. "Some of the hand signals (Pacheco) made were ambiguous, but we need to be 100 percent accurate before we critique and reprimand him."

Ahlo added: "I don't see it being anything beyond (a reprimand)."

Viloria won the bout when Pacheco stopped it early in the eighth round. Leon had been knocked down at least six times before the fight was stopped. However, he deliberately dropped to one knee on several of those knockdowns to avoid trouble.

Gary Gittelsohn, Viloria's manager, harshly criticized Pacheco after the bout for what he described as "a litany of mistakes," including allowing it to last too long and not wiping off the debris from Leon's gloves after each knockdown.

The commission, however, seemed to express confidence in Pacheco yesterday.

"If Abe was to work the next high-profile event, he would be the best referee to have because everybody would be watching and he would make sure to not make any mistakes," Jumawan said.