Jun-21-2024

Ring 8 Next Meeting, Thursday, July 11th

Posted under Meeting Notes
Jun-5-2024

Ring 8 Pictures & Notes of Thursday, June 4, 2024, at O’Neill’s Restaurant

Ring 8 and it’s President Ron McNair
had another successful Ring 8 meeting last night at O’Neill’s Restaurant.
A special thanks to our guest speakers.
Danny Jacobs
Keith Providence
The Tough Tony Pellone Family
Mikey “Iodine” Tripani
Elton DHARRY
Special thanks to our Philadelphia Crew
For their long trip in.True Boxing Fans
A BIG CROWD & LOTS OF HAPPY BOXING FANS IN ATTENDANCE.
Our Champions in attendance,
Danny Jacobs, Vito Antuofermo, Iran Barkley.
A big thanks to Andre Rozier for bringing his crew.
Sparkle Lee thanks for that AWESOME PIC.
Special thanks to all that reached out to me for
BRINGING RING 8 BACK TO LIFE.

Posted under Meeting Notes
May-22-2024

Ring 8 Next Meeting, Tuesday, June 4th

Our Guests for our Power Packed lineup Ring 8 meeting on Tuesday, June 4th, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neil’s Restaurant. located at 64-21 53rd Dr, Maspeth, New York.

World Class Ref Ricky Gonzalez,

a Former NYPD, who has refereed well over 500 bouts, including the Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou fight.

Keith Providence, New York Golden Glove Champion in 1988, and beat John Scully to win the National Golden Gloves title in 1988. He was 9-2 as a pro.


Michael Trapani,
New York Golden Glove Finalist in 1980. 1980 Syracuse Golden Glove Champion. Mike won the Masters Championship at Gleasons Gym.


Mike is a Nutrition expert. As Mike would say “Take good care of your body, You wouldn’t put cheap gas in a Ferrari”

Tough Tony Pellone

His son and nephew will talk about the life and career of Tough Tony Pellone, And How the Pellone name lives on!

Posted under Meeting Notes
Apr-24-2024

Ring 8 Pictures & Notes of Thursday, April 18, 2024, at O’Neill’s Restaurant

Our Last Ring 8 Meeting April 18 -ONEILLS
70+ lovers of the Sweet Science showed up.
Friends enjoying the night.
Our GUEST SPEAKERS were
Golden Gloves CHAMPION / ACTOR SEAMUS McDonagh
Author, Golden Gloves finalist 1971 Peter W Wood
Author Malissa Smith,The Promise of woman’s Boxing.
“A” STAR” Referee Arthur Mercante
Future HOF TRAINER ANDRE ROZIER
&
Ring 8’s Own Our Beloved VITO, VITO ANTUOFERMO
JOHNNY Z FROM FRIENDS OF THE CHAMP BROUGHT HIS CREW
THANK you very much for your support.
Also
The always popular Johnny Turner
&
Louis Hubela who had a war with Johnny Verderosa
In the SOLD OUT Felt Forum in 1980
Ron McNair
Your
Ring 8 President
Posted under Meeting Notes
Apr-12-2024

Ring 8 Next Meeting, Thursday, April 18th – Guest Speakers Seamus McDonagh & Peter Wood.

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RING 8 MEETING

THURSDAY
APRIL 18, 2024 – 7 pm
O’NEILL’S
64-21  53rd Dr.
MASPETH, NY


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Sean McDonagh fought at light-heavyweight and lost a split decision in the quarter-finals to David Harris, the eventual winner. In the 1984 Golden Gloves he fought out the Times Square Boxing Gym again lost a split decision in the heavyweight division to Ira Turner, the eventual champion. On a trip to the Catskills, Seamus visited legendary trainer Cus D’Amato and was offered the opportunity to live and train under Cus’ tutelage, along with another then unknown teenager named Mike Tyson. Seamus declined, returned to Brooklyn and in 1985 won the New York State Golden Gloves heavyweight division scoring KO’s in all four of his victories. Later that year he turned professional and used the money he obtained from the signing bonus to pay for his second semester at Saint John’s University. It was during this time that Seamus became familiar with novelist Norman Mailer. They corresponded for many years.

Seamus took most of his classes at the Staten Island campus and became a member of the fraternity Sigma Chi Upsilon (EXY).

In 1989 he danced with the brothers of EXY as “The Blues Brothers East”, doing a half-time routine for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. They also performed for St. John’s University basketball team at Alumni Hall. Later that year he won “Rusty Staub’s” famous rib eating competition representing Madison Square Garden. He obtained an honors degree in English Literature St. John’s University.

By 1990 he had a professional boxing record of 19-1-1, (14KO’s) and was the #3 world ranked cruiserweight and #9 world ranked heavyweight. In the spring of 1990, the world of boxing was shocked when the seemingly unbeatable Iron Mike Tyson was KO’d by challenger Buster Douglas. This immediately ruled out the longtime highly anticipated match up between #1 ranked heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield and undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

On 1 June 1990, McDonagh took Tyson’s place and fought WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield [1] He lost by a TKO in the fourth round. In his corner were his dad Jim, Nick and Joe Baffi, Bobby Barbero and Tommy Gallagher. He lost only 3 times in 23 professional fights and turned to acting after his retirement from boxing.

His first acting job was in Judy Gebauer’s “Bobby Sands M.P.”, directed by Nye Heron at the Irish Arts Center NY NY. His credits include “The Risen People” and “2by4”, dir. by Jimmy Smallhorne, NY NY. “Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme”, dir. Naomi Gibson, San Francisco, CA. Lead in “The Shankill Road” dir. by Tess Downey, Hollywood CA.

He played the lead character in the Off-Broadway play Kid Shamrock about the life of former #1 ranked world cruiser weight Bobby Cassidy. It was written by his son Bobby Cassidy Jr. who writes for Newsday.

Guest speaker Peter Wood

Surviving Myself

The Making of a Middleweight

By: Peter Wood

authorpeterwood

authorpeterwood

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Wood was a New York Golden Gloves middleweight finalist in a bout held in Madison Square Garden in 1971. He later was asked to represent the U.S. in international competition in Montreal and was America’s 1st alternate in the Maccabian Games in Tel Aviv. He has written books, plays and articles in many leading publications. Peter Wood was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 14, 2019.

Wood’s writing credits also include a guest column in The New York Times, and articles in Commonweal, America, Ring, Boxing Illustrated, Westchester Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Proof, Boxing.com and TheSweetScience.com

In addition, his feature article in Sporting Classics has been anthologized in its 25th Anniversary leather-bound edition featuring their 40 finest pieces of writing.

His two full-length plays, Candy Bars and Our Similarities Are Different, were produced in regional theatre in Westchester, New York. His play Freshmen was read at White Plains High School.

As an actor, Wood made his Off-Broadway debut in Kid Shamrock at The TADA Theater in 2012. In 2017, he appeared in the New York City indie film, The Expediter.

A former New York City Golden Gloves finalist in 1971, Wood was selected to represent America in international competition in Montreal, Canada. In 1976, he was asked to represent America in the Maccabean Games held in Tel Aviv, Israel.

He has been interviewed on national television, ESPN and ABC and in New York, The Aaron Braunstein Show; public radio, The Sally Jessie Raphael ShowWOR—The Joey Reynolds Show, and WFUV.

He is also a painter and has had numerous art shows in Manhattan, Easthampton, NY, and the Midwest.  One of his paintings was featured in the Katonah Museum of Art.

Peter Wood was born in Manhattan in 1953. He currently lives in Mount Kisco. He spends summers at his home in Easthampton with his wife, Sue, and his daughter. Zoe Makepeace

The Author – Peter wood (authorpeterwood.com)

Ring 8
The NYS Veteran Boxer’s Association

Contact:
President, Ron McNair
65 Mitchell Lane
Westtown, N.Y. 10998

ring8ronmcnair@gmail.com
917-968-5636

Ring 8‘s yearly $30.00 membership dues will be collected. Cost for that evening’s dinner is $10.00.

Posted under Meeting Notes
Mar-27-2024

SAIL WITH THE CHAMPS

President of

Friends of The Champ

Is putting on a nice night out on the Bay with many Boxing Champions.

Food, Wine, Music & BYOB

GIVE JOHNNY A CALL AT
347-939-2125

 

Posted under Articles
Mar-27-2024

Column, BOXING TALK, RON MCNAIR

Ring 8 MEETING
THURSDAY
APRIL 18, 2024
7pm
O’Neill’s
64-21 53rd Dr.
Maspeth, NY
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BOXING TALK
Ron McNair

Muhammad Ali
We all know that ALI lost 43 months of his prime fighting years, due to The Draft issues.
March 22, 1967 – Folley
Oct. 26, 1970 – Quarry
That’s 3 years & 7 months that ALI didn’t fight in his 20’s
The PRIME OF A BOXERS LIFE.
CASSIUS CLAY won his title off of Sonny Liston of Feb.25 1964.
The rematch was set for Nov.16,1964 in the Boston Garden.
3 days before the fight Ali needed emergency surgery for a Hernia.
The new date would be May 25, 1965.
That’s 15 more months the champ was inactive.
43 months
15 months
58 months that MUHAMMAD ALI DID NOT FIGHT IN HIS 20’s
Still looked what he accomplished.
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BIG George Foreman
76-5- 68 KO’s
Big George had his 1st pro bout in MSG June 23,1969, a 3rd round stoppage over Don Waldhelm.
03/17/77 George lost a UD to Jimmy Young.
He didn’t fight again for 10 years.
03/09/87 George made his comeback & beat Steve Zouski
What would have George accomplished if he fought those 10 years?
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Member
CARLOS ORTIZ jr.
First of all we’d all like to thank Carlos for for his BRAVERY in taking
THE STEP FORWARD
to defend our country. USMC, SGT.
If that wasn’t tough enough Carlos joined the NYPD and served his city well.
Carlos joined the NYSAC as a judge in 2006.
He was on the fast track to becoming a top judge.
He started getting high profile bout to judge quickly.
Bivol, Pascal, Kovalev, Jacob’s, Wilder, Charlo and many more.
Carlos was a Bright Shining STAR in the NYSAC.
He judged 421 bouts in 12 years.
The light was so bright that IBF PRESIDENT DARYL PEOPLES noticed it.
Daryl, with E-ZPass in hand crossed the Goethals Bridge, Verrazano Bridge & the Kosciusko Bridge picked up Carlos in home in Queens and drove him back to the IBF Headquarters in Springfield NJ. Gave him the position of
CHAMPIONSHIP CHAIRMAN.
Carlos is now a shining STAR for the IBF.
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Member
Neil O’Donnell
From Bay Ridge Brooklyn,
FOOTBALL IS IN HIS BONES
played for the Knute Rockne Football League 1969-76
All-star and leader, TEAM PLAYER.
Close ties to Rudy Piccirillo & family.
Rudy was the man behind the ROCKNEE JR’s DYNASTY, 6 straight championships.
Neil’s Dad and his uncle started Neil off on the heavy bag when he was 6.
But the head trainer in the house, his Mom, said no more Boxing.
Neil is a retired NYPD Detective. He was very active on the job. He was known throughout the city. He earned 52 Medals. &
Neil was involved in 5 BLISTERING SHOOT OUT in his NYPD career.
He is very happy to be joining Ring 8
We are pleased to have this HERO in our corner.
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Member
John Reetz
Great story, Barkley is fighting Hearns in 12 hours.
John Reetz closes the deal with $75,000 cash to Vinny Ferguson for Iran Barkley contract.
Talk about a successful manager!
Look at the bouts Reetz set up for Iran between 1988-1994
Hearns, Duran, Nunn, Benn, Hearns, Van Horn, Toney, Maske.
John also worked with Dennis Milton and Merqui Sosa.
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Meldrick Taylor
At the age of 17 Taylor won the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal at Featherweight.
To show you how advanced Meldrick was with international competition at the age of 17, Howard Davis jr. at the age of 17 was looking to win his 2nd set of NEW YORK DAILY NEWS GOLDEN GLOVES in 1974
They both fought to a split draw in 1986 at the Sands in AC
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RING 8, PRESIDENT,
RON McNAIR

ronmac10998@gmail.com
917-968-5636

Posted under Articles, Meeting Notes