Referee who scored a hat-trick

Darryl Ribbink once refereed three world title fights in one night. But that is only one of several rare distinctions that the veteran official from KwaZulu-Natal holds.

Ribbink, a former Springbok boxer who became one of South Africa’s top referees, was the third man in the ring when Baby Jake Matlala fought Juan Herrera from Colombia for the vacant WBU junior flyweight title on March 2, 2002.

That same night, at Carnival City near Brakpan, Ribbink also refereed the WBU cruiserweight title bout between Sebastiaan Rothman and Garry Delaney from England, as well as Phillip Ndou’s fight for the WBU junior lightweight title against Nikolai Eremeev, a Russian.

It was one of many highlights during nearly half a century of service to boxing.

Born in 1944 in what was then Transvaal, Ribbink started boxing at the age of seven at the Paul Roos Boxing Club. His parents then moved to the Free State where his father worked on the mines.

The family later moved to Natal where young Darryl soon made his mark as an excellent amateur. He represented the province on numerous occasions.

In 1966 and 1968 he won the SA amateur title in the light-welterweight division and soon added another title at the SA Games.

Trained by Scotty Moran and former SA professional bantamweight and featherweight champion Bernie Taylor, Ribbink developed into an excellent scientific boxer with a particularly good defence.

He fought most of the best fighters in his division, including several who later became successful professional fighters.

Kokkie Olivier, Herbie Vermeulen (in four fights), Harry Findlay, Reg Gaskon, Patrick Toweel and Gielie Buitendag were among those who he fought.

In 1964 he was selected to represent South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics, but the South Africans were barred from competing because of the government’s apartheid policy.

However, Ribbink earned Springbok colours in 1966 when he was chosen for the SA boxing team that toured Britain. He won seven out of his eight fights on the tour.

Among his team-mates was Arnold Taylor, who won the WBA bantamweight title in 1973 in an epic encounter with Romeo Anaya from Mexico.

Ribbink never turned professional. He felt there was a big difference between amateur and professional boxing and that he was not good enough to make the switch.

Ribbink had to stop boxing at the age of 28 because of problems with his hands, but this did not stop him from becoming an above average rugby and hockey player and a fine cricketer.

Lifesaving and surfing have always been part of the Ribbink family and Darryl was a surfer of note.

In the 1970s, Darryl and his brother Alan were approached by the Natal Boxing Board to sign on as officials. After an apprenticeship of nearly a year, sitting at ringside watching fights, they were allowed to officiate in four-rounders.

Darryl went on to referee more than 100 SA, WBU and WBF title fights.

Possibly the most memorable fight he refereed was in March 1998 when Shea Nearly of Ireland retained his WBU lightweight belt against Andy Holligan in a packed Stanley Park in Liverpool.

A close second was Ricky Hatton’s fight against Carlos Wilfredo Vilches in June 2004. They fought in front of 20 000 fans at the Manchester Evening News Arena, where 99 per cent of the spectators were rooting for Hatton.

Another memorable fight in which Ribbink played a role was the WBU featherweight title bout between two of South Africa’s best fighters in recent years, Vuyani Bungu and Lehlohonolo Ledwaba at Carnival City, Brakpan in July 2002.

Darryl still lives in Durban, where he runs his own pest control company and spends a lot of time on the golf course, playing off a seven handicap.