Brent 'Smooth Ref' Bovell Floats in Ring, Shares His Skills
The energy in the Washington, D.C., arena was intense as the hum of 20,000 eager boxing fans filled the air. Cameras captured every moment, flicking past notable figures like the city’s mayor and Maryland’s then-governor-elect. The event was televised to thousands more.
In the midst, Brent Bovell, a seasoned referee and judge known as the “Smooth Ref” for his calm authority in the ring, stood poised, ready for the pressure of officiating at the highest level.
Bovell retells the story of that high-profile event when he teaches seminars across the country to referees-in-training. “Do what’s best for the boxers,” he urges trainees to remember when they find themselves in the spotlight. “You perform the way you practice.”
He hopes to instill a sense of patience in the trainees. Having an appreciation for the path to success is partly how Bovell made a decades-long career out of something that began as a hobby.
Before retiring, he worked full-time as an automotive foreman for the City of Alexandria, retrofitting cars to serve the local police department or ordering needed parts for the mechanics. In his free time, he entered the amateur boxing scene through a local gym and began learning the ropes of refereeing. It wasn’t long before his skills were noticed, and he had the opportunity to officiate his first national event in Colorado Springs in 2004. He returned with an “Outstanding First-Time Referee” Award.
U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Along the way, Bovell has earned a reputation for his keen eye and style. He is often recognized by others in the boxing world whom he has never met before. He even appeared in a 2016 Super Bowl commercial, starring alongside legendary boxer Mike Tyson in an ad for a local home services company. Bovell played a boxing referee in the commercial, although he wasn’t acting. “I was in my element,” he says. “That’s what I do.”
But it’s not the accolades or the fame that keep Bovell hooked. He enjoys making an impact on the lives and safety of the young athletes around him.
“I’m able to give them the best in refereeing,” he says. “I’m able to give them my best at judging.”
Chasing his passion while juggling family life and enjoying retirement can be a balancing act, he says. “My schedule has picked up … with no sign of slowing down,” he says, comparing his routine to when he worked full time.
Bovell has six daughters and helps care for his grandchild and two senior parents. When he’s not at home or traveling to a boxing event, he teaches acrylic painting to seniors or hits the water for a fishing trip.
He loves retirement with his only disappointment last year being that he didn’t find time to cast a line. “How can you be retired, and you don’t have enough time to fish?” he laughs. “Completely ridiculous.”
Bovell now creates a schedule for himself. He flips through his daily planner and names some of his recent boxing trips: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Lafayette, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit. On some, he’s gone for a few days — others, a week or longer.
“But I love the sport,” he says. “So, I feel right at home wherever I am.”
