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Arthur Mercante

Arthur Mercante

Actor, Other Crew

Born January 26, 1920 in Brockton, Massachusetts, USA

Died April 10, 2010

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Biography

Arthur Mercante Sr. (January 26, 1920 – April 10, 2010) was an American boxing referee. His career lasted from the 1960s until 2001. Mercante's son also became a noted referee. In his youth, Arthur Mercante Sr. was a member of the Merchant Marines.

His first title bout was the second fight between Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson. Johansson had won the world heavyweight title in the first fight. In the second fight, Patterson became the first fighter to regain the heavyweight title.

Mercante was also the referee for many notable bouts, including the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight on March 8, 1971, the first bout between George Foreman and Joe Frazier, the fight between Jerry Quarry and Earnie Shavers, the first bout between Alexis Arguello and Alfredo Escalera, the Wilfredo Gomez-Lupe Pintor fight, the first bout between Edwin Rosario and Jose Luis Ramirez and Rosario's bout with Hector Camacho Sr.

Mercante was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, and moved with his family to Brooklyn at age 7. During his teenage years, he fought in the Golden Gloves as a welterweight and graduated from Boys High School in 1938. He earned Bachelor's and Master of Science degrees from New York University in 1942 and 1947 respectively, the latter after serving in the United States Navy during World War II as a boxing instructor as part of a physical training program headed by heavyweight champion Gene Tunney. After the war, he refereed Golden Gloves and college bouts and became a varsity boxing coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy until the sport was phased out at the intercollegiate level.

His refereeing career began professionally in 1956 and ended in 2001 at the age of 81. In 1995 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

He was the first contestant on the June 26, 1960 edition of the television game show What's My Line? Refereeing was his avocation and the line the panel looked for was his vocation; that of beer salesman. He worked with Rheingold at the time and later moved to Schaefer in a similar capacity.

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Filmography

Actor

31

Type

Year

Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 50th Anniversary Special Poster

Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier 50th Anniversary Special TV Special2021Self - Referee

What's My Name: Muhammad Ali Poster

What's My Name: Muhammad Ali Documentary2019Self - Referee

The Trials of Muhammad Ali Poster

The Trials of Muhammad Ali Documentary2013Self - Patterson fight referee

Tyson Documentary2008Self

American Gangster Poster

American Gangster Feature Film2007Referee

Cinderella Man: The Real Jim Braddock Story Poster

Cinderella Man: The Real Jim Braddock Story Documentary2005Self - Interviewee

ESPN 25: Who's #1? Poster

ESPN 25: Who's #1? TV Series2004Self

The Fight Mini-Series2004Self - Referee, 1971 Fight

Undefeated Poster

Undefeated TV Movie2003Referee

Law & Order: Criminal Intent Poster

Law & Order: Criminal Intent TV Series2001Referee

When Boxing Ruled the World TV Movie2001Self - Referee

Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible Poster

Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible Documentary2000Self

Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing Poster

Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing Documentary2000Self

ESPN SportsCentury Poster

ESPN SportsCentury TV Series1999Self

The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... Poster

The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... TV Series1999Self

Wide World of Sports 35th Anniversary Special Documentary1996Self

Mike Tyson vs. Steve Zouski Feature Film1986Self - Referee

The Greatest Poster

The Greatest Feature Film1977Self

World Heavyweight Championship Fight: Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton Poster

World Heavyweight Championship Fight: Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton Feature Film1976Self - Referee

HBO Boxing Poster

HBO Boxing TV Series1973Self - Referee

The Fighters Poster

The Fighters Documentary1973Self - Referee

World's Heavyweight Championship Bout: Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman TV Special1973Self - Referee

Floyd Patterson vs. Pedro Agosto Feature Film1972Self - Referee

Fight of the Century Poster

Fight of the Century TV Special1971Self - Referee

Joe Frazier vs. Buster Mathis TV Special1968Self

Joe Frazier vs. Manuel Ramos Feature Film1968Self - Referee

Lightweight Championship Bout: Carlos Ortiz vs. Ismael Laguna TV Special1967Self - Referee

Requiem for a Heavyweight Poster

Requiem for a Heavyweight Feature Film1962Referee

ABC's Wide World of Sports Poster

ABC's Wide World of Sports TV Series1961Self

Fight of the Week TV Series1960Self - Referee

World's Heavyweight Championship Fight: Ingemar Johansson Versus Floyd Patterson Poster

World's Heavyweight Championship Fight: Ingemar Johansson Versus Floyd Patterson Short Film1960Self - Referee

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1

Requiem for a Heavyweight Poster

Requiem for a Heavyweight Feature Film1962

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