Re: Classic American West Coast Boxing
Posted: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Boxing Hall of Fame Event
By Michele Chong
The WBHF’s 29th Annual Banquet of Champions
The brightest stars in the boxing universe all converged at the World Boxing Hall of Fame’s 29th Annual Banquet of Champions in Los Angeles, California this past weekend. From shining superstars Lennox Lewis and Israel Vazquez, to old-school legends George Chuvalo and Emile Griffith, to young contenders Alfonso Gomez and Alfredo Angulo, over 50 fight luminaries shared the spotlight at last Saturday’s festivities.
Starting with the kickoff press conference at the El Paseo Inn of the famed Olvera Street to the black-tie awards dinner, it was a weekend chock full of events honoring boxing’s best in the world.
These kings of the ring enjoyed catching up with each other by the pool and garden at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, while soaking up the sunshine in unseasonably warm weather (even for L.A. standards) of 90 degree temperatures, and reconnecting with boxing pals during this yearly gathering on the West Coast. Heavyweight George Chuvalo, who flew in from Canada, told me, “I really look forward to seeing old friends at this affair as they come in from all over the country.”
There was also a lot good-natured ribbing when new Hall of Famer Greg Haugen arrived sporting a fresh black eye. As former pugilists asked him if he was planning a comeback, the slugger joked, “I used to fight two to three times a week–I’d beat Pacquiao right now!”
As the out-of-town boxers came in one by one, each made time to greet the new inductees, taking part in friendly get-togethers with former rivals, and meeting fans during the two WBHF events on Saturday.
First up was the Autograph and Memorabilia Show featured in a large hall full of vendors, all offering their wares in a wide spectrum of merchandise like miniature Cleto Reyes keychains, vintage magazines, bobble heads, boxing club T-shirts and caps, 8 mm fight footage, rare boxing photos and books, championship belts, bronze sculptures, framed posters, and even issues of Playboy magazine (from cover girl and boxer Mia St. John). Both St. John and first-time participant “Terrible” Terry Norris each spearhead their own charity foundations and had displays of their worthwhile efforts at this show.
Grown men became wide-eyed little boys again as they got to shake hands with favorite fighters of their childhood, whom they had watched on TV while growing up. Boxing fans were like kids in a candy store at the collectible show, held at the same hotel on the morning of the awards dinner. This was a golden opportunity for the fans, as they made their way down “Champions Row,” a lineup of boxing’s past and present icons, where they could get autographs and pose for photos with these famous punchers who were accessible to all–it was boxing bliss.
There was something for everyone at this memorabilia show, including a fundraising raffle and silent auction, and let me tell you, it was also a shopper’s paradise for a fight fan. Amazing merchandise was available throughout the venue. I did some early Christmas shopping (for myself!) and bought Emile Griffith’s new book (which he autographed), a cool leather Mayweather-Hatton jacket (a steal at just $20!), tons of new WBHF logo souvenirs (great job, Yolanda Muniz), and gorgeous custom boxing gloves with images of fighters on them (courtesy of nazoboxing.com).
Towards the end of the afternoon, I even caught the “eye of the tiger” and couldn’t resist testing out a pair of guantes Cleto-Reyes in an impromptu “sparring session.” Two willing and kind opponents, Armando Muniz and Danny “Little Red” Lopez volunteered to step in with me, once I got the “go ahead” from their wives, of course. It was so much fun–if only I had started a boxing career earlier, hey, maybe “I coulda been a contenda.” Yeah, well, back to reality…I’ll let the true warriors do what they do best–box in the ring and manage to make it look easy. Both Mando and “Little Red” let me attempt to catch them with some body shots, even giving me some veteran’s advice as Lopez reminded me to “step into your punches and put your weight behind your shots.” Thanks, guys, hope I didn’t hurt you too badly!
The WBHF weekend gives everyone a place to connect where everybody shares the same passion–boxing. And it’s always such a treat to chitchat with these working legends in the fight game.
Early in the afternoon, cutman Miguel Diaz chatted with me about his recent corner work with Kelly Pavlik during the Youngstown hero’s disappointing loss to Bernard Hopkins, “Kelly had bronchitis days before the fight, but that’s not an excuse. He’s got such raw, crude punching power–Kelly will be back, but probably not at 170.”
While heading into the dinner, I also ran into trainer Freddie Roach. When asked about his fighter Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Oscar De La Hoya, he told me, “Manny and I are ready for December.”
And ring official Marty Denkin spoke to me about boxing’s unsung heroes, the cornermen, “I’ve always believed that corner people and officials never go away. We may die–but until we do–we don’t go away. We’re steadfast; cornermen go about their business and usually don’t make a lot of money.” Denkin, President of the Referees’ Association, presented the Induction award to Miguel Diaz during the banquet.
The main event was the Banquet of Champions Induction Dinner and Awards Show with the new 2008 Inductees accepting their awards, watching their own fight highlights on the big screens, and sharing a mutual admiration for their fellow boxers. The banquet extravaganza was full of electricity and excitement and the acceptance speeches were both heartfelt and entertaining. On this special evening, these warriors–who have sacrificed their bodies and unfortunately sometimes their long-term health–got their well-earned spot in the limelight.
This year’s class included Lennox Lewis, Greg Haugen, Marvin Johnson, Pernell Whitaker, Alberto Reyes, Miguel Diaz, Gilberto Mendoza, and Akihiko Honda.
A media and fan frenzy erupted when Lennox Lewis entered the banquet room at the sold-out celebration. The 6′ 5″ Lewis was like the “Pied Piper” of boxing on this night. Wherever he went, a mob of excited fans ran behind him, swarming the heavyweight champ as he graciously signed autographs for several lucky attendees in the crowd, passing out autographed photos of himself to the ones he couldn’t get to. The current HBO commentator, always a first-class act, accepted his Hall of Fame award by saying, “It’s a great pleasure to be inducted and to follow the other champs before me.” He also paid tribute to three of his coaches, including Emanuel Steward, his mother, and his wife, who the champ says “rescued him from boxing and came around at the right time.”
While receiving his award, Alaska’s Toughman combatant turned boxing champion Greg Haugen said, “It’s been a long road to get here.” He also thanked his brother, sister, children, and other family members in attendance, adding with a laugh, “My brothers were my ‘punching bags’ and my sister was my first ’sparring partner’!”
New inductee and southpaw Marvin Johnson took time to give his wife a lot of credit for his success, “I want to recognize the ladies in a fighter’s life. My wife kept the kids out of my way and cooked for me, taking care of me as I went from being a nobody to champion of the world.” The Indianapolis native said his son, Brandon Johnson (also a southpaw), is boxing now and hopes to make his own name known in a couple of years.
On stage, two especially poignant moments took place that really moved the crowd. One was when Inductee Alberto Reyes (of Cleto Reyes gloves) was surprised with a beautiful photo montage of his father, Don Cleto Reyes Castro, founder and manufacturer of the Mexico City-based glove company. The montage was a gift from Alberto’s children Malena, Elizabeth, and Beto, who joined him on the podium in a family embrace. Reyes was clearly touched by this sentimental and emotional moment that honored both himself and his late father.
The other standout was when Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez accepted an award for Akihiko Honda, the influential promoter and President of the Japanese Teiken Promotions. The two-time World Champion had fought in Japan and has a long-standing relationship with Teiken and Honda, “I’ve known him for 20 years. He’s a humanitarian with a big heart, whose generosity is tremendous.” What the crowd later learned is that “Chicanito” has been stricken with a rare form of cancer and will be undergoing chemotherapy in a couple of weeks. On this night, it was a bittersweet reminder that the boxing community really becomes your second family, with fighters there for one another.
During the ceremony, a special award was given to Israel Vazquez, who accepted the “Fight of the Year” award for the third installment of the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy. The always polite super bantamweight said, “I’m very happy for this moment and I thank Frank Espinoza and the promoters.” Appreciation and Recognition Awards were also given to recipients: cutman Chuck Bodak, promoter Bob Arum, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, Councilman Bernard Parks, L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca, fighter Raul Rojas, and American Sports University founder Dr. Harry Hwang. Posthumous awards were presented to the families of Armando Ramos and 2008 Inductee Guido Bardelli (”Young Firpo”).
They say seeing is believing and there were so many fighters there in person that if you “boxrec’ed” everyone on the dais, you’d have a power outage on your computer. It was good to see everybody supporting this non-profit organization, whose motto is “Where champions live forever.” So here is a roll call of all the boxing personalities I saw at either the press conference, the President’s Dinner, the Autograph and Memorabilia Show, or at the Banquet of Champions. I’m quite sure several champs may have snuck by me; if I left anyone out, it was not intentional!
I want to give each of these individuals their due for coming out and giving their time to the boxing fans:
2008 Inductees Lennox Lewis, Greg Haugen, Marvin Johnson, Alberto Reyes, Miguel Diaz, Gilberto Mendoza, trainer Freddie Roach, fighters Israel Vazquez, Alfonso Gomez, Alfredo Angulo, Terry Norris, Tommy Morrison, George Chuvalo, Emile Griffith, Genaro Hernandez, Henry Tillman, Mia St. John, Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez, Carlos Ortiz, Bobby Chacon, Carlos Palomino, Paul Gonzales, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Armando Muniz, Paul Banke, Gil King, Lee Roy Murphy, Raul Rojas, Gaspar Ortega, Frankie Duarte, Andy Heilman, John Montes Jr., Rene Arredondo, Alex Ramos, Zack Padilla, Orlando De La Fuente, Andy Price, Joey Orbillo, managers Frank Espinoza and Jackie Kallen, referees and judges Robert Byrd, Marty Denkin, Raul Caiz Sr., Pat Russell, Gwen Adair, cornerman Jim Strickland, announcers Tom Kelly (USC) and Johnny “Flash” Ortiz, and Councilman Bernard Parks.
An unforgettable night was in store for you if you had a ticket to the event, but if you missed this year’s dinner, no worries–their big 30th Annual Banquet of Champions will take place in approximately 360 days from now! Cheers to WBHF President Adolfo Perez, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for a job well done.
By Michele Chong
The WBHF’s 29th Annual Banquet of Champions
The brightest stars in the boxing universe all converged at the World Boxing Hall of Fame’s 29th Annual Banquet of Champions in Los Angeles, California this past weekend. From shining superstars Lennox Lewis and Israel Vazquez, to old-school legends George Chuvalo and Emile Griffith, to young contenders Alfonso Gomez and Alfredo Angulo, over 50 fight luminaries shared the spotlight at last Saturday’s festivities.
Starting with the kickoff press conference at the El Paseo Inn of the famed Olvera Street to the black-tie awards dinner, it was a weekend chock full of events honoring boxing’s best in the world.
These kings of the ring enjoyed catching up with each other by the pool and garden at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, while soaking up the sunshine in unseasonably warm weather (even for L.A. standards) of 90 degree temperatures, and reconnecting with boxing pals during this yearly gathering on the West Coast. Heavyweight George Chuvalo, who flew in from Canada, told me, “I really look forward to seeing old friends at this affair as they come in from all over the country.”
There was also a lot good-natured ribbing when new Hall of Famer Greg Haugen arrived sporting a fresh black eye. As former pugilists asked him if he was planning a comeback, the slugger joked, “I used to fight two to three times a week–I’d beat Pacquiao right now!”
As the out-of-town boxers came in one by one, each made time to greet the new inductees, taking part in friendly get-togethers with former rivals, and meeting fans during the two WBHF events on Saturday.
First up was the Autograph and Memorabilia Show featured in a large hall full of vendors, all offering their wares in a wide spectrum of merchandise like miniature Cleto Reyes keychains, vintage magazines, bobble heads, boxing club T-shirts and caps, 8 mm fight footage, rare boxing photos and books, championship belts, bronze sculptures, framed posters, and even issues of Playboy magazine (from cover girl and boxer Mia St. John). Both St. John and first-time participant “Terrible” Terry Norris each spearhead their own charity foundations and had displays of their worthwhile efforts at this show.
Grown men became wide-eyed little boys again as they got to shake hands with favorite fighters of their childhood, whom they had watched on TV while growing up. Boxing fans were like kids in a candy store at the collectible show, held at the same hotel on the morning of the awards dinner. This was a golden opportunity for the fans, as they made their way down “Champions Row,” a lineup of boxing’s past and present icons, where they could get autographs and pose for photos with these famous punchers who were accessible to all–it was boxing bliss.
There was something for everyone at this memorabilia show, including a fundraising raffle and silent auction, and let me tell you, it was also a shopper’s paradise for a fight fan. Amazing merchandise was available throughout the venue. I did some early Christmas shopping (for myself!) and bought Emile Griffith’s new book (which he autographed), a cool leather Mayweather-Hatton jacket (a steal at just $20!), tons of new WBHF logo souvenirs (great job, Yolanda Muniz), and gorgeous custom boxing gloves with images of fighters on them (courtesy of nazoboxing.com).
Towards the end of the afternoon, I even caught the “eye of the tiger” and couldn’t resist testing out a pair of guantes Cleto-Reyes in an impromptu “sparring session.” Two willing and kind opponents, Armando Muniz and Danny “Little Red” Lopez volunteered to step in with me, once I got the “go ahead” from their wives, of course. It was so much fun–if only I had started a boxing career earlier, hey, maybe “I coulda been a contenda.” Yeah, well, back to reality…I’ll let the true warriors do what they do best–box in the ring and manage to make it look easy. Both Mando and “Little Red” let me attempt to catch them with some body shots, even giving me some veteran’s advice as Lopez reminded me to “step into your punches and put your weight behind your shots.” Thanks, guys, hope I didn’t hurt you too badly!
The WBHF weekend gives everyone a place to connect where everybody shares the same passion–boxing. And it’s always such a treat to chitchat with these working legends in the fight game.
Early in the afternoon, cutman Miguel Diaz chatted with me about his recent corner work with Kelly Pavlik during the Youngstown hero’s disappointing loss to Bernard Hopkins, “Kelly had bronchitis days before the fight, but that’s not an excuse. He’s got such raw, crude punching power–Kelly will be back, but probably not at 170.”
While heading into the dinner, I also ran into trainer Freddie Roach. When asked about his fighter Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Oscar De La Hoya, he told me, “Manny and I are ready for December.”
And ring official Marty Denkin spoke to me about boxing’s unsung heroes, the cornermen, “I’ve always believed that corner people and officials never go away. We may die–but until we do–we don’t go away. We’re steadfast; cornermen go about their business and usually don’t make a lot of money.” Denkin, President of the Referees’ Association, presented the Induction award to Miguel Diaz during the banquet.
The main event was the Banquet of Champions Induction Dinner and Awards Show with the new 2008 Inductees accepting their awards, watching their own fight highlights on the big screens, and sharing a mutual admiration for their fellow boxers. The banquet extravaganza was full of electricity and excitement and the acceptance speeches were both heartfelt and entertaining. On this special evening, these warriors–who have sacrificed their bodies and unfortunately sometimes their long-term health–got their well-earned spot in the limelight.
This year’s class included Lennox Lewis, Greg Haugen, Marvin Johnson, Pernell Whitaker, Alberto Reyes, Miguel Diaz, Gilberto Mendoza, and Akihiko Honda.
A media and fan frenzy erupted when Lennox Lewis entered the banquet room at the sold-out celebration. The 6′ 5″ Lewis was like the “Pied Piper” of boxing on this night. Wherever he went, a mob of excited fans ran behind him, swarming the heavyweight champ as he graciously signed autographs for several lucky attendees in the crowd, passing out autographed photos of himself to the ones he couldn’t get to. The current HBO commentator, always a first-class act, accepted his Hall of Fame award by saying, “It’s a great pleasure to be inducted and to follow the other champs before me.” He also paid tribute to three of his coaches, including Emanuel Steward, his mother, and his wife, who the champ says “rescued him from boxing and came around at the right time.”
While receiving his award, Alaska’s Toughman combatant turned boxing champion Greg Haugen said, “It’s been a long road to get here.” He also thanked his brother, sister, children, and other family members in attendance, adding with a laugh, “My brothers were my ‘punching bags’ and my sister was my first ’sparring partner’!”
New inductee and southpaw Marvin Johnson took time to give his wife a lot of credit for his success, “I want to recognize the ladies in a fighter’s life. My wife kept the kids out of my way and cooked for me, taking care of me as I went from being a nobody to champion of the world.” The Indianapolis native said his son, Brandon Johnson (also a southpaw), is boxing now and hopes to make his own name known in a couple of years.
On stage, two especially poignant moments took place that really moved the crowd. One was when Inductee Alberto Reyes (of Cleto Reyes gloves) was surprised with a beautiful photo montage of his father, Don Cleto Reyes Castro, founder and manufacturer of the Mexico City-based glove company. The montage was a gift from Alberto’s children Malena, Elizabeth, and Beto, who joined him on the podium in a family embrace. Reyes was clearly touched by this sentimental and emotional moment that honored both himself and his late father.
The other standout was when Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez accepted an award for Akihiko Honda, the influential promoter and President of the Japanese Teiken Promotions. The two-time World Champion had fought in Japan and has a long-standing relationship with Teiken and Honda, “I’ve known him for 20 years. He’s a humanitarian with a big heart, whose generosity is tremendous.” What the crowd later learned is that “Chicanito” has been stricken with a rare form of cancer and will be undergoing chemotherapy in a couple of weeks. On this night, it was a bittersweet reminder that the boxing community really becomes your second family, with fighters there for one another.
During the ceremony, a special award was given to Israel Vazquez, who accepted the “Fight of the Year” award for the third installment of the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy. The always polite super bantamweight said, “I’m very happy for this moment and I thank Frank Espinoza and the promoters.” Appreciation and Recognition Awards were also given to recipients: cutman Chuck Bodak, promoter Bob Arum, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, Councilman Bernard Parks, L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca, fighter Raul Rojas, and American Sports University founder Dr. Harry Hwang. Posthumous awards were presented to the families of Armando Ramos and 2008 Inductee Guido Bardelli (”Young Firpo”).
They say seeing is believing and there were so many fighters there in person that if you “boxrec’ed” everyone on the dais, you’d have a power outage on your computer. It was good to see everybody supporting this non-profit organization, whose motto is “Where champions live forever.” So here is a roll call of all the boxing personalities I saw at either the press conference, the President’s Dinner, the Autograph and Memorabilia Show, or at the Banquet of Champions. I’m quite sure several champs may have snuck by me; if I left anyone out, it was not intentional!
I want to give each of these individuals their due for coming out and giving their time to the boxing fans:
2008 Inductees Lennox Lewis, Greg Haugen, Marvin Johnson, Alberto Reyes, Miguel Diaz, Gilberto Mendoza, trainer Freddie Roach, fighters Israel Vazquez, Alfonso Gomez, Alfredo Angulo, Terry Norris, Tommy Morrison, George Chuvalo, Emile Griffith, Genaro Hernandez, Henry Tillman, Mia St. John, Alvaro “Yaqui” Lopez, Carlos Ortiz, Bobby Chacon, Carlos Palomino, Paul Gonzales, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Armando Muniz, Paul Banke, Gil King, Lee Roy Murphy, Raul Rojas, Gaspar Ortega, Frankie Duarte, Andy Heilman, John Montes Jr., Rene Arredondo, Alex Ramos, Zack Padilla, Orlando De La Fuente, Andy Price, Joey Orbillo, managers Frank Espinoza and Jackie Kallen, referees and judges Robert Byrd, Marty Denkin, Raul Caiz Sr., Pat Russell, Gwen Adair, cornerman Jim Strickland, announcers Tom Kelly (USC) and Johnny “Flash” Ortiz, and Councilman Bernard Parks.
An unforgettable night was in store for you if you had a ticket to the event, but if you missed this year’s dinner, no worries–their big 30th Annual Banquet of Champions will take place in approximately 360 days from now! Cheers to WBHF President Adolfo Perez, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for a job well done.
