(LAT) Lou Filippo, 83 - boxing hall of famer played ring judge in 'Rocky II'

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-lou-filippo5-2009nov05,0,453232.story

latimes.com

Lou Filippo dies at 83; boxing hall of famer played ring judge in
'Rocky II'

Filippo was known as a pillar of honesty in the sport. He refereed and
judged 85 world championship fights, including Sugar Ray Leonard's
split-decision win over Marvin Hagler in 1987.

By Lance Pugmire

6:53 PM PST, November 4, 2009

Lou Filippo, a boxing hall of famer from Downey who became a referee
and ring judge, memorably counting out Sylvester Stallone's champion
rival Apollo Creed in the film "Rocky II," died Monday at Downey
Regional Medical Center after suffering a stroke. He was 83.

Filippo was a distinguished amateur fighter who fought in more than
250 bouts before turning pro. His fighting career ended in 1957 with a
no-contest outcome and a technical knockout loss against Hall of Famer
Carlos Ortiz, a bout stopped because of Filippo's cuts -- bleeding
plagued his 23-9-3 pro career.

Boxing historian Don Fraser of the California Boxing Hall of Fame
recalled that Filippo was originally awarded a victory in the first
bout against Ortiz after being hit after the bell, but a Times
reporter questioned a member of the California State Athletic
Commission about that ruling, and the no-contest decision was invoked.
Fraser said about 40 gamblers who were set to lose money on the
Filippo victory then forced the ring announcer to re-enter the Legion
Stadium ring in Hollywood and announce the ruling so they could avoid
the payoffs.

In a sport often stained by shady behavior, Fraser and veteran boxing
publicist Bill Caplan recalled Filippo as a pillar of character and
honesty who proceeded to referee and judge 85 world championship
fights, including Sugar Ray Leonard's controversial split-decision
victory over Marvin Hagler in 1987. Filippo scored narrowly in
Hagler's favor.

"He took some heat, but why?" Caplan asked. "The perfect man would've
taken heat over that fight. Half of the people thought each guy won."

Filippo also judged Shane Mosley's split-decision victory over Oscar
De La Hoya at Staples Center in 2000, awarding Mosley a 116-112 score.

Filippo told his two daughters that the most important part of his job
was maintaining integrity and to "listen to yourself, not the fans."

Caplan said Filippo's reputation as a "loyal, straight-up guy" helped
him win Stallone's attention, and the actor used Filippo in five
"Rocky" movies. In "Rocky II," Filippo told Stallone's bloodied
character Rocky Balboa before the epic 15th round, "Hey, Rock, you get
in trouble one more time . . . ," to which Balboa answered, "Don't
stop nothing!" When both fighters fell to the canvas on a Balboa punch
and Creed slumped in a corner, Filippo tells the champ, "You're out!"

Filippo was born Dec. 1, 1925 in Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles'
Fremont High School and served in the Navy during World War II.

He was elected president of the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993, and
he judged a bout at Commerce Casino only two weeks ago, his daughter
Patti Petruzelli said. She said her father was never sick, and only
complained of his first headache last week. But he sorely missed his
late wife, Pat, who died in 2007, and his daughter said, "He's where
he wants to be now. He loved her.

"Boxing was his second love."

In addition to Petruzelli, Filippo is survived by another daughter,
Debbye Shepard, two grandsons and three great-grandchildren.

A viewing is scheduled for Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Miller Mies
Mortuary, 11015 Downey Ave., Downey. Funeral services will be Saturday
at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 10727 Downey Ave.,
Downey.






--

"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it
happens." - Woody Allen

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