- Frank Cappuccino
Frank Cappuccino (born
February 7 ,1934 ) is aboxing referee . He is best known for having officiated over some of the most famousboxing matches in history.History
Cappuccino was born in
Philadelphia and grew up in the neighborhood known as Kensington. Both Frank and his brother Vito (Vic) were accomplished boxers. Fighting as alightweight (130 lb. class), Cappuccino fought more than 130 amateur bouts in the early 1950s. He participated in thePennsylvania state championships and was a finalist in both the Diamond Belt andGolden Glove Tournaments. Leaving the amateur ranks in 1955, Cappucino turned professional under the management of George Katz. Though undefeated in six professional matches, Frank Cappuccino retired early. Asked why he didn't continue with his professional career, Cappuccino toldNortheast Times reporter Joe Mason, "I decided that I had to either get out or get knocked on my heels. But I loved the sport and I wanted to stay involved."Cappuccino received his referee’s license in 1958. Over the past half-century, he has been the third man in the ring for over 25,000 bouts, including an estimated 10,000 professional matches. He has officiated 94 world championship bouts in
North America ,Europe andAsia .Boxing experts tend to praise Frank Cappuccino’s work in the
squared circle . He typically allows a boxer in trouble to try to fight his way out of it, rather than calling an abrupt (and unpopular)technical knockout (TKO). This was best evidenced in the memorable 2002Mickey Ward vs.Arturo Gatti fight. That said, there has never been a recorded incident of a serious injury in a match Cappuccino presided over. Asked about having Cappuccino as a referee, boxer Mickey Ward replied, “Frank was great and still is. He's an old guy but he does his homework and lets you fight your fight. I'd love to get Frank again. He does everything with his voice. I have a lot of respect for him.” Cappuccino was enshrined in both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.Memorable Fights
*Mickey Ward decisioned (10 rounds) Arturo Gatti, May 19, 2002, Uncasville, CT. It is considered by many boxing purists as “The Fight of the Century.” Cappuccino played a prominent role by masterful refereeing this tight and savage battle. In the fourth round, Gatti blasts a low punch into Ward’s groin sending him down in pain. Cappuccino calls it a slip and takes a point from Gatti for the low blow. In the ninth round, Ward and Gatti landed an incredible 110 total punches—102 of them power shots! Late in the round, Gatti was enduring a severe beating from Ward; but the seasoned Cappuccino still saw some fight left in Arturo. It was a seminal moment; knowing the monumental nature of this fight, Cappuccino will not end this brawl on some technicality. Indeed, Gatti responded and fought back as the bell sounded. After the round, ring announcer
Jim Lampley told a national audience, “The fight is being stopped!” Ward raised his arms in victory and both fighters approached the center of the ring. Cappuccino tells the world, “The fight ain’t over!” The fight resumed for the tenth and final round as people rushed back into their seats. The fight was ruled a majority decision for Ward. Had Cappuccino not penalized Gatti for the punch below the belt, the fight would have ended in a draw. However, the deduction was just as he warned Gatti about punching low several times before.
*Lennox Lewis TKO (5th round)Shannon Briggs , for Lewis’ WBCHeavyweight Title, March 28,1998,Atlantic City , NJ. In the fifth round, Briggs was beaten repeatedly by Lewis and was knocked down. Briggs got up on his feet and convinced Cappuccino to let him continue. After tasking more punishment from Lennox Lewis, Shannon Briggs launched a wild left hook that misses Lewis. The momentum of the errant punch fells the weakened Briggs to the canvas. Cappuccino had seen enough and justly ended the fight.
*Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins TKO (11th round)Carl Daniels , for Lewis’ Undisputed WBC, WBA, and IBFMiddleweight Title, February 2, 2002. The fight marked Hopkins’ 15th consecutive successful title defense - breaking the 25-year-old middleweight championship defense record held byCarlos Monzon . Cappuccino stopped the bout on the advice of Daniels' corner.
*Mike Tyson KO’d (1st round)Michael Spinks , for Tyson’s Undisputed WBC, WBA, and IBF Heavyweight Title, June 27, 1988, Atlantic City, NJ. In a battle of undefeated fighters, Tyson knocked Spinks out in 91 seconds. Cappuccino is prominently featured inSports Illustrated magazine. Cappuccino considered it the greatest moment of his referee career. He commented, "I remember thinking here I am, a guy from Kensington, and I’m in the ring, looking out in the crowd, and I see people likeCharlie Sheen andJack Nicholson andMartin Sheen . It was really something special. And people likeOprah Winfrey andFrank Sinatra missed the fight because it only lasted ninety-one seconds." Cappuccino and the oft-maligned Tyson have a unique relationship. Frank has refereed six of his bouts. When asked about Tyson, Cappuccino replied, "I can't say a bad thing about Mike Tyson. He's always been very good to me."
Movies
Frank Cappuccino portrayed a referee in
Rocky V .Other Biographical Information
Frank Cappuccino has also served as a boxing judge for several fights. The most notable bout he arbited was the Michael Spinks vs.
Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the undisputed Lightheavyweight Championship, fought on March 18, 1983 and won by Spinks on a unanimous decision.Outside the ring, Frank Cappucinno was a supervisor for the
Keebler Baking Company . He also served as a sanitation control inspector for theSchool District of Philadelphia . He resides inYardley, Pennsylvania .References
Joe Mason, "Biggest Fight of his Life" in Northeast Times, 16 SEP, 2004.
Joe Cicchelli, "Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward Put on a Classic" in Boxing World Magazine, June 2002.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.