By Robert Brizel

Over five hundred people attended the rescheduled Ring 8 annual benefit luncheon for injured and retired boxers held at Russo’s on the Bay catering hall in Howard Beach, New York. The event was originally scheduled for December but got snowed out.

Former middleweight champion Giovanni ‘Nino’ Benvenuti, former lightweight champion Ray ‘Boom-Boom’ Mancini, and former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, who flew in for the original event, were forced to fly home in disappointment. However the rescheduled event on January 10, 2010 featured appearances by such notables as former heavyweight champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes and his rival, gentleman Gerry ‘The Great White Hope’ Cooney; sportswriters Bert Sugar and Bill Gallo; former middleweight champions Vito Antuofermo and Emile Griffith; former world champions Junior Jones and Mark Medal; actor Burt Young; and many others.

The event raised over twenty-five thousand dollars for the boxing charity, which also featured an auction of donated sports memorabilia. Items auctioned for charity included Alexis Arguello’s boxing trunks, an autographed Floyd Patterson shirt, an Ali-Frazier autographed print, and much more.

The honorees were seated on the dais, but spent most of the time socializing, shaking hands, posing for pictures, and signing autographs. Chatting briefly with Boxrec, Gerry Cooney mentioned his disappointment with the disbanding of his FIST charity for boxers, apparently in controversy over the way the money was used. However Cooney “seized the moment” and embraced the opportunity to support Ring 8’s good cause. While Cooney and Holmes posed for a few ‘together’ photos for fight fans, they were quiet with each other.

Local favorite Vinnie Maddalone talked about his recent decision loss to Jean Mormeck in a heavyweight bout which featured Maddalone winning the last few rounds over a tired Mormeck in lopsided fashion. He also mentioned he is currently training for another upcoming heavyweight bout.

Boxing commissioners and athletic commissioners socialized with fighters of past and present, managers, promoters, athletes and supporters of a great cause. Due to a wedding also being held at the same time, the intended schedule of breakfast-cocktail and buffet-lunch was not available at the rescheduled event.

Boxers of past and present gathered for group photos near the end of the event. Contenders of past and present had to be discovered. An old man sitting at the reporter’s table turned out to have fought Hogan Kid Bassey almost sixty years ago, while a younger man at the table knocked out Frankie Randall only a few years ago. “Ask questions and learn about your company at the table,” seemed to be the driving force as the curious mingled and chatted.

“It was the worst snowstorm in years,” noted Ring 8 President Matt Farrago about the storm which forced the cancellation of the originally scheduled date. Considering that freak snowstorm occurrence, it still was a lively crowd in which five hours seemed to pass like five minutes.

Those interested in making a charitable contribution to Ring 8 can mail checks to: Matt Farago, 30 Bowdon Road, Greenlawn, New York 11740.