Throughout the 1980s and
1990s, Sparkle Lee toiled in relative anonymity as an amateur boxing
referee. Still she was able to garner a reputation as someone who was
willing to officiate a fight anywhere at any time. She worked in
basements, as well as in bigger venues, but the important fights always
seemed to elude her. On more than one occasion her friends and family
members asked her why she stuck with a job that was so unwelcoming to
women. "I was doing what I loved, and I always had a lot of faith," said
the 47-year-old Lee, who recently retired from the NYPD after serving as
a Bronx police officer for 20 years. "I loved the sport and I always
believed in it, so I never thought of quitting. Not even once."
Over the years, Lee has become an unwitting trailblazer. In 1998, she
became the first woman in history to referee a New York City Golden
Gloves bout. Three years later she was the first female referee
appointed to the New York State Athletic Commission. Last August she was
the first woman to referee a fight in New Jersey, when she was the third
"man"in the ring for Nasser Athumani's stoppage of former world junior
welterweight champion Juan Urango. And on November 17, she reached what
many insiders consider the pinnacle of the boxing profession when she
oversaw bantamweight prospect Abner Maresís 12 round decision victory
over Damian Marchiano in Atlantic City. Not only was a regional WBO
title at stake, the fight was televised on HBO. "I didn't even know I
was getting that assignment until the afternoon of the fight," said the
always cheerful and exuberant Lee. "I expected to handle some undercard
fights. When I saw my name penciled in for the title fight, I was
shocked. I immediately went and called my kids." Full story on
NABF
https://www.nabfnews.com/nabf-women/269-sparkle-lee-trailblazer.html
