Robinson at the Garden in New York.

Sugar Ray Robinson headlines star-studded list of inductees to inaugural New York State Hall of Fame

Posted: October 25, 2011 by On The Beak in Orthodox American

As featured on NewsNow: Boxing newsBoxing News 24/7

Alan Dawson – London

The original pound-for-pound star, Sugar Ray Robinson – an undefeated amateur and a professional welterweight and middleweight world champion – leads a star cast of inductees into the inaugural New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. Joining Sugar Ray for induction in March, 2012, is a who’s who of boxing as Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Carmen Basilio, Emile Griffith, Vito Antuofermo, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Mike McCallum, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill Gallo and Arthur Mercante Sr will all be immortalised.

Bob Duffy, the president of Ring 8 – the Hall’s sponsors – explained the concept at a media event in Gallagher’s Steakhouse in Manhattan: “The idea was around for a while and a group of us got together about 14 months and got this going.

“We plan to do this every year,” said Duffy. “Our first introduction dinner will be at Russo’s On The Bay in March of 2012. We have a wall at Waterfront Crabhouse which will list our Class of 2012 and another at the New York State Athletic Commission.

“We started this to honour New York fight people,” he concluded.

Boxing historian and analayst Steve Farhood, who was a part of the nominating committee, said: “When we think of New York State, in terms of boxing, we think of a little place up the street, Madison Square Garden because it’s played such a huge part of boxing.

“Gleason’s Gym is another shrine. And New York is the media capital of the world. Now, New York has a Boxing Hall of Fame and I’m happy to be part of it.”

Broadcast legend and former ringside judge Harold Lederman, a 2012 inductee, was delighted to be mentioned alongside all-time greats such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Tony Canzoneri and Benny Leonard.

Lederman said: “This is such an honour for me to be here, an unbelievable honour. What a fabulous idea to form the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. New York has more fighters, better fighters, and is still the Mecca of boxing.

“It’s such an honour to be in the same class as Sugar Ray Robinson, Tony Canzoneri and Benny Leonard. It’ll get better and better each coming year, bringing people to the forefront for what they did in New York and Madison Square Garden.

“I’m so honoured to be in this first class,” he finished. “I’ve asked myself how did I get in the same class as Sugar Ray Robinson.”

Jack Hirsch

Tony Mazzarella

Henry Hascup

Stay tuned for On The Beak‘s profiles on the 2012 inductees…

President Bob Duffy opened the meeting and Carmine, who just turned 90 years old, led everyone in the National Anthem. We then had a 10 count in memory of several Ring 8 members that passed away recently.

Paulette Balog gave a report on all the sick Ring 8 members including Emile Griffith, Charlie Noel and Bill Tate, who attended the meeting. Emile’s son Louie spoke on his father’s health.

President Duffy reported that the Hall of Fame for Boxing will be having a press conference next Tuesday at Gallagher’s in New York at 12:30 PM. At that time, they will be announcing the 1st Class of the Hall of Fame.

President Duffy stated that on December 9th, Ring 8 will be helping out with the Metro’s in New York.

President Duffy talked on our Holiday Awards Ceremony, which will be on Sunday, December 18th at Russo’s on the Bay. He then announced all the honorees.

Emanuel Steward – Trainer of the Decade, Frank Pena –Longevity Service to Amateur Boxing, Keith Sullivan – Ring 8 Member of the Year, Henry Hascup – Ring 8 Boxing Historian, Jill Diamond – Humanitarian Award, Ralph Petrillo – Official of the Year, Marcus Brown – Amateur Boxer of the Year, Delvin Rodriquez /Pawel Wolak – Fight of the Year, Michael DeLaRue – Uncrowned Champion, John Ruiz – 1st Hispanic Heavyweight Champion and Ed Kotite & Philip Pilevsky – Co-Managers of the Year.

Special Guests: Mark Breland, Vito Antuofermo, Juan LaPorte, Bobby Czyz, Amanda Serrano, Gabriel Bracero, Iran Barkley, Lonnie Bradley, Junior Jones, Kathy Collins and from the TV Show “The Contenders,” Tommy Gallagher, plus many more guest to be announced upon.

President Duffy stated that Ring Announcer David Diamante will introduce all the honorees and Steve Farhood would be the MC.

President Duffy talked on a Golden Glove Show that will be sponsored by Ring 8 on January 26th at the Plattduetsche Restaurant, Franklin Square, New York.

Tommy Gallagher talked on the up-coming fight for Gabriel Bracero.

Ron Ross, who wrote books on Bummy Davis and Emile Griffith, spoke on Emile and praised his son Louie for standing by him. He stated that everytime Louie comes, Emile’s eye’s light up.

Christina Vila, who has been in and out of Afghanistan, fighting for our freedom, gave a short talk.

President Duffy introduced Lonnie Bradley, the former WBO Middleweight Champion. who’s career was cut short because of a detached retina. Lonnie gave a short talk.

Our Guest speaker, Will Evans, was introduced by Mr. McKay. Evans wrote a sceen play on Arturo Gatti and now there working on a full length movie. He gave a report on the investigation of the death of Gatti. He stated that everyone he ever met loved Arturo. He said that Arturo was murdered. Henry Hascup also talked on the press conference they had on this and brought up what 48 Hours found.

One of Arturo’s best friend’s Mike Sciara also talked on this as well. He said that Arturo was murdered and they have the proof. He also stated that they put out a 350 page report but they will also put out another report that is more then twice the size and this report will leave no doubt that he was murdered.

A Thank you note from Stan Janousek:

Thank you for including my good friend, Stanislav Bacik in the one minute silence for departed fighters. Stanislav Bacik was born in 1950 in former Communist Czechoslovakia. His life accomplishment besides achieving higher education included a long boxing amateur career, with over 200 amateur fights,  mostly wins. He won the Jr. Welterweight Championship of Czechoslovakia, won the Vaclav Prochazka Tournament in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia in 1975 and was a several times Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight champion of Slovakia. He was a member of Czechoslovak and Slovak national team, participating in numerous international boxing tournaments throughout Eastern Europe. On 9-21-2010, while visiting USA, Stanislav Bacik attended Ring8 Monthly Dinner Meeting, at which time he was made an honorary member of our association. Stanislav Bacik died unexpectedly due to heart complication on October 16, 2011 in his native town, Nitra, Slovakia. His funeral was held this afternoon, Wednesday, October 19, 2011, at 1:30PM in Nitra, Slovakia. Long lives his memory.

Here’s some pictues of Stanislav when he attended a Ring 8 meeting recently.

Arturo Gatti movie writer Will Evans
Ring 8 Oct. Guest Speaker
Tuesday evening in NY

NEW YORK, NY (October 16, 2011) – Screenwriter Will Evans will be the special guest speaker Tuesday evening (Oct. 18) for RING 8’s monthly meeting (7 PM/ET start) at the historic Waterfront Crabhouse in Long Island City.

Evans, a RING 8 member, has written the late Arturo Gatti’s story – “Can You Hear The Thunder” – which is a major motion picture approximately 80-percent complete. Will was an amateur boxer in Pittsburgh who once defeated future world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. “We were very young and Michael only weighted 147-pounds then,” Evan noted. “I’ve loved boxing since I was a little boy. Arturo Gatti is a story everybody wants to see.”

Evans plans to speak about the movie, Gatti’s legendary trilogy with “Irish” Micky Ward, and Arturo’s controversial death. He will bring a 350-page book regarding new findings into Gatti’s death for RING 8 members to review.

“Every boxing fan loved Arturo,” RING 8 president Bob Duffy said. “We’re very fortunate to have Evans as our speaker. He’ll give us unique insight into the Gatti legend. Our members anxiously await details of the new investigation into his death, as well as an opportunity to hear and remember stories about one of boxing’s all-time great warriors.”
Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, RING 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association — hence, RING “8” — and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.
RING 8 is fully committed to supporting the less fortunate people in the boxing community that may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $25.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August.

CONTACT:
Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com