Apologies for our prolonged absence. Blame it on the distractions of summer. But we’re back with a new slate of interviews lined up, and we begin with one of the best-known and most influential voices in the sport: New Jersey boxing commissioner Larry Hazzard.

Larry was a Golden Gloves champion as an amateur boxer, became a referee in 1978 and was appointed to head the New Jersey athletic commission in 1985 – a task he has fulfilled, apart from a brief break earlier this century, ever since.

In this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation, Larry reveals the most difficult fight he refereed and the most unexpected situations he’s had to deal with as the third man in the ring. He also talks about, among other things, the importance of health and safety, whether boxing needs a national commission, and whether the Muhammad Ali Act has been successful.

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