Boxing and kickboxing referee, Municipal Court judge
Steve Smoger (August 15, 1943 – December 19, 2022)[1] was an American boxing referee from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He refereed more than 200 title bouts, and was one of the more well-traveled of his profession, holding the distinction of officiating in more states and countries than any other boxing referee in the history of the sport.[2][3][4]
Appointed in 1980, Smoger was the first full-time city prosecutor in the history of Atlantic City, serving in that position until 1992, when he was appointed to the bench of the Atlantic County Municipal Court.[7]
From 2002 to 2005, Smoger held the position of City Solicitor of the City of Atlantic. In 2005, he entered the private practice of law.[8]
On September 23, 1982, in New Jersey Smoger was first licensed as a professional boxing referee by then Commissioner Jersey Joe Walcott. The happening marked the 30th Anniversary of Jersey Joe Walcott vs. Rocky Marciano for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the World held on September 23, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[10]
In August 2017, he was appointed the IBA Boxing Officials Committee co-chair.[11]
Achievements
Smoger is a member of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 1997. In 2001, he was designated the World's Best Professional Boxing Referee by The Ring magazine.[citation needed] In 2010, he was recognized by the World Boxing Association as Referee of the Year. In 2013 he was recognized by the International Boxing Association as the Referee of the Year.[12]
Smoger is also a member of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 2013,[13] as well as a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame - class of 2014.[14]
On June 14, 2015, Smoger received the highest honor in the sport of professional boxing when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, Class of 2015, in Canastota, New York.[15][16]
On May 27, 2017, in Atlantic City, Smoger became the first professional boxing referee to be inducted into the newly created Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame, joining Don King and Michael Spinks among other inductees.[17][18][19]
In 2014, the World Kickboxing Network recognized Smoger as a qualified referee in kickboxing.[20][21]
On November 14, 2014, he made his debut at kickboxing tournament Girl Power held live on Pay-Per-View in Liepaja, Latvia.[22]
On March 10, 2017, Smoger was expected to officiate the first kickboxing World Cup held in Tehran, Iran.[23]
From February 10, 2017, he officiated the bouts at the women's kickboxing series Girl Power live on SFR Sport 5.[24]
In 2015, Smoger served as official Rules Consultant for the Premier Boxing Champions Program on NBC.[25]
The same year he has also appeared in Ali: Icon, Activist, Fighter documentary short dedicated to Muhammad Ali.
^Steve Smoger, Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Accessed December 19, 2022. "Out of the ring, Smoger, a graduate of Atlantic City High School and Penn State University, was awarded his Juris Doctor from George Washington University."
