Who is the Highest Paid Boxing Referee? The Shocking Answer Revealed

Well, ya know, if ya ever wondered who the highest-paid boxing referee is, let me tell ya. It ain’t somethin’ they shout from the rooftops, ya know? It’s kinda like askin’ how much the preacher gets for marryin’ folks – nobody really tells ya outright.

So, who gets the most money for watchin’ guys punch each other? From what I hear, a fella named Joe Cortez used to be the big shot. They said he made a whole heap of money. But things change, ya know? Now, it seems like there’s other fellas makin’ the big bucks.

I heard tell that in 2024, these boxing refs, they can make anywhere from $40,020 to a whole lot more, like $330,339 a year! Can ya believe that? That’s more than most folks in my town see in a lifetime! The average, they say, is around $80,192. That’s still a good chunk of change, ain’t it?

Thinkin’ about becomin’ a boxing ref? Well, first ya gotta get certified, whatever that means. And then ya gotta work your way up.
Start small, ya know? Little fights, they might pay ya $500 or $1,000 a fight. That ain’t bad, I guess. But the real money is in them big pay-per-view fights, the ones on TV.
For those big fights, the top refs can rake in anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 a fight! Imagine that! Just for watchin’ two fellas beat each other up and makin’ sure they don’t break too many rules.

Now, there’s this fella, Kenny Bayless. He’s supposed to be one of the best. They say he’s made a whole lot of money, around $7 somethin’ somethin’. They don’t say if it’s seven thousand or seven million, but it sounds like a lot, right? He’s got all that experience, see? Been doin’ it for a long time, and folks trust him to keep things fair. That’s important, ya know? Nobody wants to see a fight that ain’t fair.

Then there was this other fella, Mills Bee Lane. He was a ref too, and a judge, and even on TV sometimes. He passed away not too long ago, rest his soul. He was a big name back in the day, made a good livin’ from boxing I reckon.

And then there’s folks like Herb Dean. He ain’t exactly boxin’, he’s more in that cage fightin’ stuff, the UFC they call it. They say he makes around $500 a fight. That ain’t as much as them boxing refs, but it’s still somethin’, I guess. He used to be a fighter himself, so he knows what he’s lookin’ at.

So, who’s the highest paid? It’s hard to say for sure. It seems like these top fellas like Kenny Bayless are makin’ the most these days. But it changes, ya know? One year it’s one fella, the next year it’s another. But one thing’s for sure, if you’re good at watchin’ folks fight and makin’ sure they play fair, you can make a pretty good livin’ doin’ it.

It all boils down to this: bein’ a top boxing ref ain’t just about knowin’ the rules. It’s about havin’ the respect of the fighters, the fans, and the folks who put on the fights. And if ya got that, well, then the money will follow. It’s like farmin’, ya know? If ya take care of the land, the land will take care of you.

And that’s all I know about them high-paid boxing refs. It’s a funny world, ain’t it? People gettin’ paid big money for watchin’ other people fight. But hey, that’s what folks want to see, so I guess it’s alright.