Members of Ring 8 help give some Cheer to 6 Time World Champion, Emile Griffith.

Posted under Articles

President Bob Duffy opened the meeting and Carmine led everyone in the National Anthem. We then had a 10 count in memory of Joe Frazier.

Joe Frazier

President Duffy thanked Lenny Mangiapane and Henry Hascup for going to the funeral of Joe Frazier yesterday.

President Duffy went over all the honorees for our Christmas Party at Russo’s on the Bay, on Sunday, December 18th. They also talked on getting both Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins, among others. He also went over the menu.

Emile Griffith

Louis Griffith talked on his father Emile, who is now in the Nassau Extended Care Facility. He is also arranging a Thanksgiving Party for Emile on Saturday, November 26th at 1:30 PM at the Care Facility, which is located at One Greenwich St., Hempstead, N.Y. 11550. Everyone is invited.

President Duffy thanked the people from last month that talked on Arturo Gatti for coming again. They also talkedc on an Amateur Boxing Show this week-end for the NYPD/NYFD.

President Duffy talked on the Metro State Tournament at the Plattduetsche Restaurant, Franklin Square, New York on December 9th. President Duffy also talked on a Golden Glove Show that will be sponsored by Ring 8 on January 26th, also at the Plattduetsche, which will be for the Bill Gallo Scholarship.

Alicia Napoleon

Woman’s Golden Glove Champion, Alicia Napoleon spoke on the Gloves as well, and will be boxing in the finals at Glen Cove.

Frank Pena talked on the Golden Glove Show at Glen Cove on March 1st, where they give out Scholarships and support the Wounded Warriors.

President Duffy talked about several of his fighters that are from outside the country and that they all need visa’s. Laura Leifreid talked about her Law Firm that Duffy has used for the last 2 years.

Arthur Rosenfield from the Our Long Island City, took films of last years Christmas Party and he will be selling the tapes at our Christmas Party in December and Ring 8 will get the proceeds. Glenn Laga talked on his organization.

John Ruiz

Jose Gabriel Almeida talked on a children’s book that former Heavyweight Champion of the World, John Ruiz and he wrote, called “Hook & Jab. They will be selling them at our Christmas Party and Ring 8 will get part of the proceeds.

Randy Gordon

Former NY Boxing Commissioner Randy Gordon thanked Tony Mazzarella and Bob Duffy for the support they gave him while he was the Commissioner. He also talked had Joe Frazier and how he would go out of his way to help people out. Randy has a radio show every friday night and he said that he got 3 more guests by coming tonight. Ring Announcer David Diamante, trainer Tommy Gallagher and Boxing Historian Henry Hascup. He also stated that he gave licenses to Julie Lederman, Kathy Collins, Sparkle Lee and Melvina Lathan, while he was the Commissioner.

President Duffy introduced Commissioner Edwin Torres, whom talked on the 1st Ali/Frazier fight back in 1971.

Vinnie Maddalone

President Duffy congratulated Vinnie Maddalone on his recent 1st round knockout over Mike Sheppard in Atlantic City.

Promotor Jim Foley introduced his new NBA Champion, Martin Wright.

Joe Dwyer talked on the NABF Convention that will run from December 11th to 17th, which is now open to everyone.

Patrick Hyland

Patrick Hyland of Ireland was introduced by his promotor. Hyland is 24-0 as a pro and has 2 brothers that are also very successful.

Tony Mazzarella talked about the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

Harold Lederman

President Duffy introduced our guest speaker Harold Lederman.

Harold talked about how great it was to be here with so many others that have the love for boxing as he does. He told a story how he got started in boxing. His father loved the theater and boxing. He started going to shows at a very early age. He talked about the Long Beach Staduim and who fought there . He also talked about St. Nicks.

Billy Bello and Gaspar Ortega

He told a story about Billy Bello, who was an up-coming star, and they wanted to move him up so they matched him against veteran Gaspar Ortega. The fight took place at Madison Square Garden on the night before Harold was to get married. He told his future wife that there isn’t anything else to do, so why don’t wec go to the fight. Ortega won going away, and 2 weeks later they found Bello dead with needle marks in his arm. Several years later he was presented a picture of Ortega and Bello in that fight.

Harold started off as an Amateur judge back in 1965 and made $5 a night. He advanced to a pro judge in 1967. His 1st big fight was the Ismael Laguna/Ken Buchanan fight at Madison Square Garden in 1971.

Harold talked about his daughter Julie and how he use to bring her to all the fights starting att the age of 3 or 4.

Trevor Berbick and Pinklon Thomas

In 1986 Harold started with HBO. His 1st fight was the Trevor Berbick/Pinklon Thomas bout. Harold talked on some recent bouts that were on HBO.

He also talked about a show that was in Mexico and the temperture was 126 degrees. He stated that HBO has 3 different type shows. Boxing After Dark, HBO, and Pay for View, and now there coming out with another one that will be showed every month.

Harold talked on Vinnie Maddalone and how he was a real warrior and a pleasure to watch.

Earnie Shavers

He also talked on the Ellis/Shavers fight and said that Shavers was the hardest puncher boxing ever had. He stated that Ellis was winning and almost had Shavers out in the 1st round when Shavers came up with 1 punch and Ellis was out. He also talked on the Cooney/Norton fight.

Questions: He judged over 100 World title fights. He also said tat he was battling cancer but he has it under control.

Lupe Pintor and Wilfredo Gomez

The best fight he ever saw was the fight between Gomez and Pinder, where Gomez won by a 14th round knockout.

His top 3 fighters of all-times: Robinson, Ali and Louis.

He talked on the Manny Pacquiao/Juan Manuel Marquez fight this past weekend, saying that Manny throws more punches and he had him winning 116-112.

He talked about the Tyrone Everett/Alfredo Escalera and said that was the worse decsion he ever saw. It was widely recognized as one of the most disgraceful decisions in the history of boxing. The Ring Magazine included the decision in a list of the top 5 worst robberies ever.

Ken Norton and Muhammad Ali

He also talked on the Ali/Norton III, in which he had Ali winning 8-7. He said the other 2 judges also had Ali winning as well.

He also talked on some trainers, such as Ray Arcel, Freddie Brown, VictorValle, among others.

Posted under Meeting Notes

This Tuesday, Harold Lederman, world famous boxing judge on HBO will be the guest speaker at the Ring 8 monthly meeting at the Waterfront Crab House 2-03 Borden Ave. Long Island City (718) 729-4862.

Harold Lederman

 

The Incomparable Harold Lederman

The Mouthpiece
Can’t Stop the Music! “The Incomparable” Harold Lederman
By: George Hanson Jr., Esq.

Harold Lederman is a rock star! He doesn’t play a musical instrument; have tattoos or body piercings, sport long hair or strut around on stage wearing leather pants gyrating to the beat of the rhythm section, driving female groupies into frenzy. Nevertheless, he performs in some of the largest arenas because the world of professional boxing is his stage. Like rapper Mike Jones, whenever, Lederman arrives early to an appointed venue, throngs of adoring fans “rush to hug and kiss him telling him how much they miss him” seeking autographs and the opportunity to capture his likeness digitally. I have been guilty of the photo-op on numerous occasions, since our first meeting at the Miguel Cotto versus Joshua Clottey bout on June 13, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Lederman is a rock star, baby!

When I met Lederman, it was my second time covering fights at the legendary Garden, the 2008 bout between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe being the first. Thus, I arrived early and camped out a few doors from the pressroom hoping to “run into” Lederman. As fate would have it, he appeared and I remembered the advice of my trainer, Charles Ramey, “When you meet Harold Lederman, talk about Bennie Briscoe. He loves Briscoe.” I levitated over to Lederman, introduced myself and shared that I had made the trip from Philadelphia and would be chronicling the bout for my column, The Mouthpiece. Not giving him an opportunity to process what was said; I immediately segued with, “How about Bennie Briscoe – what a great fighter!” Had this been a movie, they would have keyed up the background music and the skies would have parted as Lederman’s face lit up like a Christmas tree as we stood there discussing Briscoe and other Philadelphia fighters, becoming fast friends. Fifteen minutes must have expired before I signaled my photographer, Merrick Foster, to take our picture. Since Harold Lederman is a rock star, I wanted proof that I met him.

Like his predecessors Lorenzo Music— actor, writer, producer, musician and the voice of Carlton the Doorman on Rhoda, the hit CBS sitcom that ran for five seasons (1974-1978) and actor John Forsythe, who played Charlie on the ABC runaway hit Charlie’s Angels (1976 – 1981)—Lederman is heard but never seen during the broadcast of HBO’s World Championship Boxing. As the unofficial ringside scorer since 1986, Lederman’s voice is recognizable to a worldwide television audience as he captivates them with his insight, wit and nearly flawless scoring. At the opening of each broadcast Jim Lampley, host and lead commentator, introduces Lederman with, “And now the rules with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Lederman.” On cue and without missing a beat the raspy voice chimes, “Ok, Jim…” and proceeds to explain the rules governing the imminent boxing match. During the bout, like millions of viewers, I sit anxiously like a racehorse in the starting gates after the 3^rd, 6^th, 9^th and completion of the bout for Lampley to utter those magical words, “Harold, how do you have it?” Lights, camera, action! The engaging voice enthralls us with some anecdotes or intricate observations explaining the fight and the rationale for his score—brilliant, necessary, absolutely intoxicating. Like kids anxiously waiting to be served dessert, viewers perk up to hear whether or not they and the sage are in agreement. Congruence with Lederman is a sweet treat.

Today it was gratifying to interview Lederman and swap boxing stories on his 71^st birthday. Born and raised in the Bronx, Lederman began working in the family business at the tender age of four—his father Samuel owned and ran a pharmacy. During the summers the family, which included his mother and younger sister, would vacation on Long Island at Rockaway, a resort town. This was during the 1940s and 1950s and boxing was in its heyday as there were Friday night shows in the adjacent town of Long Beach. Thus, Samuel, a boxing aficionado, would take young Harold to these outdoor boxing matches at Long Beach Stadium promoted by legendary matchmaker Teddy Brenner. Lederman fell in love with the sweet science—a passionate and intimate relationship that cannot be extinguished.

“My grandfather, father and three uncles were pharmacists,” he says. Maybe it was destiny, fate, or luck, but like the men in his family Lederman “fell into” pharmacy as he jokingly reminisced. Columbia University’s College of Pharmacy (which no longer exists) was his school of choice and his training ground. Upon graduation in 1962, in compliance with the mandatory draft, he joined the Army Reserves spending six months at Fort Dix before returning to work at his father’s drug store.  Only this time, he was now a full-fledged pharmacist just like his father. Lederman would serve another eight years in the Army Reserves, doing weekend duties while maintaining his responsibilities at work.

Married in 1963, Lederman and his beautiful wife, Eileen, became regulars at the boxing shows at Madison Square Garden. Driven by his love and need to entrench himself further in the sweet science, in 1965 he applied for a judge’s license at the New York State Athletic Commission. It was no surprise when he was told to gain some experience by serving at the amateur level. This had been the traditional road and Lederman spent two years judging amateur bouts before his application as a professional judge was approved by then New York State Athletic Chairman, Edwin B. Dooley, in 1967.

The rest is history, as Lederman has traveled the globe judging fights on every continent. On many occasions his daughter, Julie, who shares his love for the science of pugilism, was his sidekick and traveling partner. I knew it would eventually happen, and sure enough during the interview Lederman and I locked into a discussion on Philadelphia and its rich boxing history. Boxing aficionados seem to view Philadelphia as the boxing world’s Harvard—collegial, yet fiercely competitive, producing some of the very best. “The first time I went to Philadelphia in the 70s it was unlike anything I had ever seen. Every fight was a war, people standing and screaming. This was beyond belief, incredible!” recalls Lederman. He was hooked and found himself returning to the City of Brotherly love where he watched legendary middleweight contender “Bad” Bennie Briscoe.

“There was nothing like the excitement at a Briscoe fight,” as he took me on a ride down memory lane. He recalls Briscoe surviving two knockdowns in the opening round of his 1971 epic battle with Rafael Gutierrez. “Bennie didn’t have a clue where he was after each knockdown, but almost at the bell Briscoe planted a hard left hook, an intentional low blow, to Gutierrez’s cup and I knew the fight would be over soon. Briscoe stopped Gutierrez in the next round and the place went bananas! Bennie could have run for President in Philadelphia and won!” Lederman was able to place me in a seat at the Spectrum on that memorable night, November 15, 1971 and we shared a laugh because Briscoe was notorious for hitting low, placing kidney shots and using his bald head as a third glove.

What the world discovered is that Lederman, with his wit and humor, is like a chess grandmaster that looks at a board and doesn’t just see individual pieces, but is able to recall every detail and foresee impending moves. In early 1986 Ross Greenburg, HBO’s Executive Producer, hired Lederman as an analyst for the network’s boxing series, World Championship Boxing. His first assignment on March 22^nd —undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas against an overwhelming underdog, Trevor Berbick my fellow countryman. Once again I boarded the train for another insightful, fun ride down memory lane as Lederman firmly in the conductor’s seat quipped, “It was the only fight that Berbick ever hired Eddie Futch to train him, and knowing this, I picked Berbick to win and stated such.” The rest is history as Berbick dealt the odds-makers a losing hand, upsetting Thomas by scoring a unanimous 12-round decision as people rejoiced in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica. Eddie Futch by helping to deliver on Lederman’s prediction was later told – “I owe my HBO career to you.”

It has been almost 12 years since Lederman retired from judging. The torch has been passed to daughter Julie, who is an active ringside judge. In nearly two months, Lederman will be celebrating his 25^th year as a fixture on World Championship Boxing. He continues to work full-time as a pharmacist—Lederman is employed at Duane Reade Inc., a chain of drug and convenience stores primarily located in New York. There is no sign of him slowing down. Being able to recall fights with such detail and color speaks to his brilliance and deep-rooted love for the sweet science, which I share. Boxing is both our oxygen and without it we are unable to breathe.

Like 67-year-old Mick Jagger who is still lighting up the stage and strutting his stuff, Lederman loves his work and has no concept of the term “retirement.” Tomorrow, he is off to Pontiac Michigan for HBO’s World Championship Boxing’s much-anticipated junior-welterweight showdown between undefeated titleholders—WBC champion Devon Alexander and WBO champion Timothy Bradley at the Pontiac Silverdome. Since Harold Lederman is a rock star, maybe one day someone will convince him to get a tattoo. Can’t stop the music!

Continue to support the sweet science, and remember, always carry your mouthpiece!

ghanson3@hotmail.com

Posted under Meeting Notes

On a very sad note, Joe Frazier has passed away.

The Joe Frazier funeral will take place on Monday November 14, 2011
9-11am – Calling – Closed Casket
11am – Service Starts

Calling and Service will be held at 
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
 at 2800 West Cheltenham Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19150
 – (215) 276-7200

In lieu of flowers, the Frazier family asks you to send donations to 
The American Cancer Society. Make checks payable to ACS, Inc.
8400 Silver Crossing, Oklahoma City, OK 73132.
 Please include in your memo: In Memory of Joe Frazier.

In addition to the Monday service for Frazier, apparently he will also “lie in state” at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly on Friday (10AM – 5PM) & Saturday (10AM – 1PM).

Here’s the article excerpt:

“Legendary heavyweight boxer Smokin’ Joe Frazier died Monday after a bout with liver cancer. He was 67.
On Wednesday Frazier’s family released funeral details.
Smokin’ Joe’s body will be lying in state at the Wells Fargo Center Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“This will be an opportunity for his many fans, supporters and boxing lovers from around the world to pay their final respects to Joe Frazier,” his family said in a release.”

Posted under Uncategorized