Scottish Boxing Legend BERT GILROY,
a dual Scottish Champion MW & L-HW (1938-50) and the UK's No.1 contender 1939-48, 'official' title challenger to both Freddie Mills & the fearsome Jock McAvoy, is to be the 6th British fighter to be INDUCTED into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, in Los Angeles, Califoria...
Bert who suffered the double misfortune of the second World War and Boxing Politics shares the honour with Bob Fitzsimmons, Jackie 'Kid' Berg, Randolph Turpin, fellow Scot - Ken Buchanan and Irish hero Barry McGuigan.
On the night it self Boxing great Roberto Duran, Matthew Sadd Muhammed, Julian Jackson and fellow top contender, from the 40s American, Jackie Graves.
Gilroy had a career record of 119 fights, 86 (44ko's) wins, 25 losses, 8 draws.
A great day for the late Bert Gilroy and British Sport and Boxing History!
Researcher/Author, James Glen.
Hall of Famer - Gilroy
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Arbachakov
- Heavyweight
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scartissue
- Heavyweight
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"The WBHF doesn't really mean anything"???????????????? Try telling that to Ken Buchanan who choked up on his acceptance speech or Del Flanagan's son who did the same or Eddie Booker's family who accepted the award posthumously while fighting back the tears. The WBHF has been around 10 years before the IBHF broke ground and although they may have a more liberal policy, they've been giving these greatr old fighters a place to hear the cheers once again. Just because you've won a world title doesn't put you in a 'members only' bracket. Alot of great fighters like Gilroy never got a chance, but not through any lack of talent on their part. These liberal policies of the WBHF can see the forest even with the trees, whereas I'm afraid the elitist mentality of Canastota never will.
Scartissue
Scartissue
I'm thankful for both organizations truly. The more recognition for boxing in general the better. They get it wrong some times in my opinion but you know the old saying about opinions......
With that said I know that the "fame" halls are meant to be places where we honor accompishments of all kinds including becoming well known as well as boxing skills.
I wish they could move to a "catagorical recognition" aspect. Perhaps putting the "rationale" to the induction and making it a part of the record. (If they already do this then I am showing how much I don't know and need to seriously go back and study both organizations".
I would envision a "boxrec" sort of internet site that is attached to both organizations where you could look up each inductee and read the why's and how's of his induction. I know this would spark debate but it could put some beef into the differences that may denote the reasons for various inductions.
For example Joe Jeannette might find his way to induction for a different reason than Arturro Gatti. But they may both belong but for very good if different reasons. Some may arrive on pure skill others on pure hype (no co-relation meant in regard to my two earlier examples here.
Acclaim and skill are both good reasons to be in, and they should be noted in some way. I.M.H.O. Potential unexpressed is a very interesting catagory....a recognizably great fighter who never won a title for lack of having the opportunity or a missed "prime". Writers could go to town with their conjecture and include it in the induction "record".
Would this be too much work? Or somehow not practical? Just a thought.
Now if that is exactly how it works I have just re-invented the wheel for no good reason. I've never been to privy as to just how the mechanism works for induction though I have some information on the generalities.
With that said I know that the "fame" halls are meant to be places where we honor accompishments of all kinds including becoming well known as well as boxing skills.
I wish they could move to a "catagorical recognition" aspect. Perhaps putting the "rationale" to the induction and making it a part of the record. (If they already do this then I am showing how much I don't know and need to seriously go back and study both organizations".
I would envision a "boxrec" sort of internet site that is attached to both organizations where you could look up each inductee and read the why's and how's of his induction. I know this would spark debate but it could put some beef into the differences that may denote the reasons for various inductions.
For example Joe Jeannette might find his way to induction for a different reason than Arturro Gatti. But they may both belong but for very good if different reasons. Some may arrive on pure skill others on pure hype (no co-relation meant in regard to my two earlier examples here.
Acclaim and skill are both good reasons to be in, and they should be noted in some way. I.M.H.O. Potential unexpressed is a very interesting catagory....a recognizably great fighter who never won a title for lack of having the opportunity or a missed "prime". Writers could go to town with their conjecture and include it in the induction "record".
Would this be too much work? Or somehow not practical? Just a thought.
Now if that is exactly how it works I have just re-invented the wheel for no good reason. I've never been to privy as to just how the mechanism works for induction though I have some information on the generalities.