The Boxing Hall of Fame

[H2O Man]

2009 marked the 20th year of induction ceremonies at the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY. There were events held from Thursday to Sunday, and I attended on both Saturday and Sunday. Although my "boxing threads" on DU do not tend to get a lot of responses, I do think that there is some interest in them. More, a few of the DUers who I do talk about boxing with here have a serious understanding of the sport, and I think are likely to appreciate some of the photos that I’ll post on this OP/thread.

The Boxing Hall of Fame is located in upstate New York, in the hometown of the great Carmen Basilio. In 2007, Gary Youmans published the first (but hopefully not last) biography of the former welterweight and middleweight champion, "The Onion Picker." This is an interesting and valuable book, and while it doesn’t provide the depth of analysis that the very best boxing books do, I strongly urge sports fans to read it.

My family’s "history" with Carmen goes back to when he was a teenager. He was a tough "farm kid," and his ability to fight caught the attention of my great uncle, a railroad worker who passed through the area frequently. He became the first person to teach Carmen how to box, and soon turned him over to some close friends in Syracuse, who were with him for the rest of his career.

Carmen had his first fights in Sherburne, NY. These are not on his record, although I’ve spoken to Carmen about them as recently as two years ago, and the series of "bootleg" fight cards are well documented in local historical societies. From there, he went on to nearby Binghamton, NY. The rest is history.

When Carmen was champion, he frequently visited my uncle, and gave him and his family tickets to his big fights. The highlight of Carmen’s career, of course, was when he beat Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight crown. Even to this day, the harsh feelings between the two are evident when Basilio describes their fights.

In the 1970s, my brother-in-law twice fought Carmen’s last fighter, tough heavyweight Greg Sorentino. I also remember Carmen at one of my better fights in Binghamton, and he worked my brother’s corner in his pro debut.

Since he was about 4 years old, my younger son, D, has been fascinated with Basilio. We still laugh at how I could get him to do any physical labor by saying, "I heard this was Carmen Basilio’s favorite way of training." So, for us to spend a few days in Canastota is always fun, and adds to the considerable amount of Basilio-related materials that D has.

Here is a picture of Carmen from yesterday. He may look a little older these days, but trust me: when he came over to shake my hand, and squeezed it, the guy is still a strong man!

[H2O Man]

1. Billy Backus

Canastoa is the hometown of another former welterweight champion, Billy Backus. By no coincidence, Billy is Carmen’s nephew. He was a Golden Gloves champion in the amateurs, and turned pro in 1961. In his 7th fight, he was already on the undercard at Madison Square Garden.

Backus was not as gifted as his uncle, however, and after a loss in 1964, he considered retiring. Then he fought again in ’65, lost, and did retire ….until he began a more successful comeback in 1967.

By 1970, he was one of the top ten welterweight contenders. He had a streak of five good wins in a row between January and October that year. Champion Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles opted to defend the crown against Backus in Syracuse, NY in December. Napoles was one of the greatest fighters of his era, and few gave Backus any chance. However, in the 4th round of the fight, Backus opened a gash over Napoles’ eye with a clean punch, and the referee stopped the bout.

Six months later, Backus defended the title in a rematch, held in the Forum in Inglewood, CA. Napoles dominated most of the first seven rounds, and this time it was Backus who suffered from cuts above the eyes. In the 8th round, Napoles dropped Backus twice. After Billy got up the second time, referee Dick Young had the ringside doctor examine him, and the fight was stopped.

Backus would continue his career, until he got another shot at the title in 1978. At age 35, he did not have enough to pull off the upset.

I remember efforts to get Billy fights in Binghamton in the years 1974-’75, but he only fought there once. He won a 10-round TKO in August of 1975. He was very strong, and hit hard.

It was nice to see him this weekend.

[H2O Man]

2. Kermit Cintron

Kermit Cintron is one of the top welterweight/ junior middleweight boxers today. He has held the NABF and WBO welterweight titles. His record is 31-2-1, with 27 KO victories. His only loses came against Antonio Margarito.

After his very impressive May 30 twelve round victory over formerly undefeated contender Alfredo Angulo, Cintron is probably going to be challenging Cory Spinks for his junior middleweight title.

One of the best things about the Hall of Fame weekend is seeing today’s top fighters, like Cintron, along with the great fighters from the past.

[Captain Hilts]

3. "Another Great Reason to Visit Canastota!" I went to the museum when it was

brand new and the guy who started/financed it had a long talk with me.

It's well done.

Of course a lot of the big time fighters practiced in Upstate, NY. But Basilio is still a god.

Here's Schmeling with FDR in May '32. FDR was a fight fan and even Eleanor kept up with it all the way through Floyd Patterson.

http://www.fighttoys.com/Schmeling-FDR%20(a).JPG

I don't know why the link doesn't work right, but it's worth clicking on. Both men were to have good years that year.

[H2O Man]

5. Ed B

Ed is an outstanding guy. I've known him since the days we were both amateur boxers. (I won't say how long ago that was, because Ed looks a heck of a lot younger than I do.) His brother, who handles a lot of the publicity, is also a great guy.

Many people assume that the Hall of Fame is easy to run, and kind of a cushy job. I'm sure that parts of it are absolutely fun. But I know for certain that they have invested an incredible amount of work into offering the public the very best resource for boxing's history.

[Captain Hilts]

6. From Day One, he has been fabulous about getting training sessons up there...

and good press for the inductions to the HoF.

Really well done. So, I follow it closely to this day.

He's a terrific guy. I look at the dates and I most certainly must have been among the first to see it. It was dead of winter, so my buddy and I were the only ones there. And, yes, I've been back since then.

Have you read Beyond Glory? I found it fascinating.

[H2O Man]

8. I haven't read

Mr. Margolick's book ... yet ... on the Louis vs Schmeling fights (1936 and '38). I will, for a number of reasons -- including a series of boxing "book reviews" that I'm doing elsewhere.

Max spent quite a bit of time training for the return match just outside of Binghamton, NY. My great uncle and a number of the other guys from that period found him to be a classy guy.

[trumad]

4. Kand R

Terrific thread

Here's a youtube of Carmen beating Sugar Ray.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_GPxz5D7vo

[H2O Man]

7. Thanks.

I figured that you would enjoy it. In fact, I was telling D on the ride home last night that I thought you would get a kick out of some of the photos. D said to tell you to try to be there next June, because there is likely to be something special going on.

Here's a picture of D with former champion Marlin Starling. We enjoy having an opportunity to talk with him every year. I was telling D that Marlin used to enjoy adding his unique sense of humor to the sport, especially at times when others were being very serious. You might recall his famous line, when he was trying to set up a fight with a European fighter who was avoiding him: "I'll fight him for free, if the price is right." Gotta love that.

This year, when they were first posing, Marlin put his fist up; D took it and started shaking hands. After I took this picture, he said to me, "I notice that your boy is getting big." Marlon is a great ambassador for the sport -- he goes up to the stage, but prefers to mix with the crowd.

[H2O Man]

9. Emile Griffith

Emile Griffith was not only one of the greatest fighters of any era. There is a powerful documentary on his career, which focuses on the tragic death of Benny "Kid" Paret (3-24-1962). The March 24, 1962 bout at Madison Square Garden was carried live on NBC. The results were, of course, bad for the sport, and changed Griffith’s career. However, while the "history books" highlight that terrible night when Emile is discussed, he was – and is – so much more.

Emile was champion in three weight divisions – welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight – though his junior middleweight title is largely overlooked by historians. It was, however, certainly as impressive as any of the multi-division title holders today.

His most important victory, in my opinion, was his April, 1966 win over Dick Tiger, in which Emile captured the middleweight title. He was the first person to deck Tiger; the 9th round knockdown gave Griffith the margin of victory in a very close fight. (In July of 1970, he easily out-pointed Tiger in their 10-round return match.)

What’s interesting to me is the great "triangles" in boxing: Griffith beats Tiger; Tiger Beats Carter; and Rubin TKOed Emile in one round. Emile also fought most of the other top fighters of his era, including Luis Rodriguez, Don Fullmer, Denny Moyer, Gaspar Ortega, Florentino Fernandez, Holly Mims, Jose Stable, Joey Archer, Nino Benvenuti, Gypsy Joe Harris, Jose Napoles, and Carlos Monzon – which makes for one of the most impressive records in boxing history. His record was 85-24-2.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Emile a number of times, since the early 1970s. He is not only one of the greatest boxers of all time, but he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

[H2O Man]

10. "Four Kings"

In 2008, George Kimball published a fantastic book about Leonard, Haglar, Hearns and Duran. He was ringside in each of the nine fights that featured two of these four warriors. In his career, mostly at the Boston Herald, he has reported on about 400 title fights spanning four decades. He is one of the best boxing writers, and this book may be his most important contribution to the sport's most recent "golden age." (Add a foreword by Pete Hamill, and it makes a heck of a fun read!)

Kimball was a lot of fun to talk with. Friendly, out-going, and one of the best of our time.

[H2O Man]

11. Leon Spinks

It’s been good to see Leon Spinks at the Hall of Fame in recent years. In 2006, he attended the ceremonies, along with several others who were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the best US Olympic team this country has ever had.

Leon had joined the Marines during his amateur career. He had competed near the top of a very talented division from 1974 to ’76. Along with his brother Michael, he was on the Olympic team with Leo Randolph, Howard Davis, Jr., and Sugar Ray Leonard.

Leon is best known today for his upset victory over an aging Muhammad Ali, becoming the first man to win the heavyweight title in just his eighth fight. To me, Leon is one of the best examples of both a heavyweight champion representing the culture of his era, and a boxer who was victimized by both his own behavior and the wolves who exploit fighters.

Shortly after he won the title, Leon was arrested for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Police found a small package of cocaine inside the liner of the hat he was wearing. Such things happen when a champion leaves a night club in the morning hours. However, when the disco music and the strobe lights faded, and the sun came up, Spinks found that his potential for a boxing career had slipped away. In a short time, all of his ring earnings were in other people’s pockets, and Leon was homeless. His "friends" all disappeared from his life.

It’s okay to make mistakes in life, if you are willing to pay the price. Leon certainly paid the price, and more, he learned from his experiences. Today, he lives a quiet life style in relative obscurity. His son Cory is a top junior middleweight, but one sees Leon’s brother Michael at his fights, more often than Leon himself. You have to do what you have to do, to stay on that straight and narrow path, I suppose.

When I see Leon in Canastota, I like to say, "Hey, Champ, good to see you." And, without fail, he flashes that smile that graced the cover of the February 19, 1978 edition of Sports Illustrated.

[trumad]

13. Was Leon ever diagnosed with any mental illness?

And how is Michael doing? Is Mike financially set?

[H2O Man]

14. Michael

made a lot of money in the ring. His last fight, of course, was against Tyson; it was the only loss on Spinks' professional record. I believe that he is set-up comfortably, and lives a good life.

Leon's issues were, in my opinion, mostly those that fall into the range of "addiction." Once he became clean and sober, he has been able to maintain his now low-key approach to life.

While I try not to say this in a judgemental way -- but probably can't avoid it -- my impression has always been that Michael is more intelligent than Leon. Hence, he was able to navigate the road to the "big time" without falling into the traps that Leon did. Had Leon's career been properly guided and executed, he'd have fought mainly as a cruiserweight. After the bouts with Ali, you'll recall he had a brief period where he focused on boxing. He took it more seriously. He had a streak, where I think he won six out of seven fights, and won two minor (regional) titles. Then he challenged Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the cruiserweight title in March of 1986, and lost by TKO in a one-sided bout. Qawi, of course, was a tough, tough fighter.

Leon went on a losing streak, dotted with a few meaningless wins, that lasted into the early '90s. Around that time, he competed in the early "martial arts/wrestling" competition that evolved into MMA. He was a good fighter, and actually won a "world title" in this. But he didn't have his life together, and was an easy target for the parasites that feed upon out-of-control athletes.

The quiet, structured, sober lifestyle works best for Leon.

[Captain Hilts]

25. Yes, absolutely, Michael had his feet on the ground in a way Leon did not. nt

[H2O Man]

12. Paul "The Punisher" Williams

At 6’ 1" tall, Paul Williams can fight at the welterweight, junior middleweight, or middleweight divisions. His record is 37-1, with 27 KOs. He avenged his lone defeat with a vicious one round knockout of tough Carlos Quintana. Most recently, Williams easily decisioned Ronald "Winky" Wright.

Williams has the ability to throw over 100 punches a round, for 12 rounds. That enabled him to decision Antonio Margarito in July of 2007. It is why Margarito never asked for a return bout.

Williams is so talented that it remains hard for him to get fights against the top fighters today. Reportedly, Shane Mosley is going to sign to fight him. As he is only 27, I think it is likely that Paul Williams will continue to move up in weight, and eventually capture titles in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions. He is that good …..which, of course, is why so few top boxers care to enter the ring to fight him.

I took a few pictures of him. The one above is my son’s favorite.

[Blue_Tires]

15. great shots

i really hope some changes are made and boxing returns to prominence someday...

[H2O Man]

24. "returns to prominence"

But, it's my favorite sport! That must count for something!

[H2O Man]

16. Lennox Lewis

It’s hard to believe that there hasn’t been a real heavyweight title fight since June 21, 2003, when Lennox Lewis came from behind to TKO Vitali Klitschko in 6 rounds.

Almost 6 years later, and shortly before a fight involving Vitali’s younger brother and a fighter that most American boxing fans have never seen fight (and could not pick out of a police line-up), which The Ring is recognizing as an title fight, Lennox Lewis was honored at the Hall of Fame.

In the years since he retired, Lewis’s place in boxing history has come into clearer focus. While he is a three-time champion as a result of getting KOed twice by inferior fighters, he deserves his spot in Canastota.

Further, as he has become more relaxed behind the microphone, he is one of the better boxing announcers today. Both on HBO and in person, when you listen closely, you’ll appreciate that he has a great dry sense of humor.

[SidDithers]

17. Nice thread, H2O Man

Looks like a great day in Canastota. Thanks for the pics.

Sid

[H2O Man]

18. Thanks, Sid.

We had a great time. Of course, things don't always go as planned .... and so a few of the people who wanted to go with us had things come up at the last minute, and an old friend that I haven't seen in 20 years (who had planned to meet me there Sunday) either didn't come, or we never saw each other. Of course, twenty years can change one's appearence!

The weather was perfect, too, which made both Saturday and Sunday even more enjoyable.

Perhaps the highlight for my son D was meeting Angelo Dundee. Angelo is exactly the same in person, as he is on camera. My brother, who spent time in Ali's training camp, said that Angelo was always in a good mood, and always showed respect for everyone -- from the top people in the sport, to the fans who always crowded Ali's camp.

Although he is best known for his work with Muhammad Ali and then Ray Leonard, Angelo trained 13 other world champions. Included were Willie Pastrano, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez, Jose Napoles, and George Foreman. His book "My View From the Corner" is outstanding, and I highly recommend it to any sports fan.

[H2O Man]

19. Greg Haugen

Greg Haugen was one of the most popular fighters in the 1980s and ‘90s. He won world titles in two different weight classes – in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions – and fought two of the greatest fighters in boxing history ( Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker).

Haugen is perhaps best remembered for his series of fights against Vinny Pazienza and Hector Comacho. He fought from 1982 to 1999, and finished with a record of 40-10-1, with 19 KO victories.

One of the things that I really liked about Greg was his natural talent in the field of "trash talking." Before he fought Chavez, he offended people by saying that Chavez had compiled such an outstanding record by fighting "taxi drivers that my mother could beat." Chavez put on a display of his talents in front of the 132,000-plus fans in Mexico City, and TKOed Haugen in the 5th round.

Afterward, in the ring, Chavez asked Haugen if the fight had changed his opinion? "Yep," Greg replied. "Must have been some pretty tough taxi drivers."

Since his retirement, Haugen has followed in the footsteps of a number of other great fighters, and focused his energies on his charity foundation. He is most active in trying to assist families with children who are autistic. More, he works with other children in his area, providing recreation, and more importantly, in promoting educational services, including scholarships. (I should have included a mention of Lennox Lewis’s charitable efforts, including his work in domestic violence prevention.)

Those interested in his work can visit his website:
http://greghaugenfoundation.org/

[H2O Man]

20. Don Fullmer

Some humorous things do take place at the Hall of Fame. I saw a fellow that I recognized walking with two other gentlemen. The other two guys were talking to each other, and the guy I had noticed appeared left out of the conversation. As I started to take a picture of him, he stopped, and his friends continued walking without him.

After I took the photo, Don Fullmer grinned, extended his right hand, and said, "Hey, sorry if I broke your camera!" I said, "It’s a pleasure to meet you," as we shook hands.

A few seconds later, a couple guys came over and asked me who I had just taken a picture of. I told them, but they had no idea who Don Fullmer was. Later in the afternoon, I saw the same two guys lining up, to take photos of a couple of Hollywood actors – one who had played a role in a "Rocky" movie, and another guy who plays a mobster on some television series. I’ve never been particularly interested in actors (although I enjoy good movies), but an idea came to me: I should have told those guys that Fullmer once was in a movie with William Holden and Cliff Robertson, "The Devil’s Brigade."

Though he was not as successful as his brother Gene, Don had a great career, that spanned from 1957 to 1973. He had a record of 54-20-4, with 14 KO victories. He only got one world title shot, against middleweight champion Nino Benvenuti in December of 1968. Though he lost the 15-round decision in Italy, he did deck Nino in the 7th round.

Fullmer fought many of the best middleweights and light heavyweights of his era. His biggest wins were over Emile Griffith, Carl "Bobo" Olsen, and future WBA heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis. But he also fought guys like Virgil Atkins, Joey Archer, Sandro Mazzinghi, Jose Torres, and Dick Tiger. Don was rated in the "top ten" of both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

[H2O Man]

21. Carlos Ortiz

Carlos Ortiz was one of the great lightweight and junior welterweight champions. He was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, though he lived in New York City for most of his career. Carlos turned pro in 1955, and fought until 1972, ending with a record of 61-7-1, including 30 KOs.

Ortiz won the junior welterweight crown in 1959. After losing it a year later, he went down to the lightweight division. Usually, of course, fighters move up in weight; Ortiz’s move was curious, considering the lightweight division was very strong when he entered it.

He won the title in 1962; lost it to Ismael Laguna in ’65; regained it from Laguna (Duran’s stablemate) later that year; and held it until 1968, when he lost to Teo Cruz. Cruz was preparing for their return match, when he and his young family died tragically, in an air plane crash. (The same crash killed most of the Dominican Republic’s women’s volleyball team. Cruz, who had began to show greatness in the ring, was married to his childhood sweetheart, Juanita; they had two beautiful little children, a son and daughter, who were all on the flight. I remember that day clearly. I still have the press clippings about the crash.)

Ortiz fought and beat some of the legendary fighters, including Sugar Ramos and Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, who was until recently recognized as the greatest boxer from the Phillipines. He also won two of three fights against tough Kenny Lane.

After Teo Cruz’s death, Ortiz continued to fight for several years. While some people at the time felt that he never fully recaptured the drive he had earlier – he definitely had wanted to fight Cruz a second time – he followed that lose by winning ten in a row, eight by KO, earning a title shot against the young champion, Ken Buchanan. The young champion, who was 43-2 at the time, became the only person to stop Ortiz, TKOing him in six rounds at Madison Square Garden. Ortiz retired after that fight.

One of my brothers and a couple of our friends had breakfast with Ortiz in Canastota a few years back. He is one of the greatest fighters of all time, in my opinion, and the people of Puerto Rico have good reason to take so much pride in him. My one friend (who was here today to look at these photos) said that at the end of their meal, Ortiz thanked them for bringing him out to eat. He said that it was really nice that people still remember him. Remember Carlos Ortiz? Man! How could anyone who saw him fight every forget him?

[H2O Man]

22. Livingstone Bramble

Livingstone Bramble is one of the more popular figures at the Hall of Fame weekend. He usually wins the annual race, which is not surprising, considering that he is an avid marathon runner. He is also one of the most "fan friendly" members of the boxing fraternity.

In June of 1984, Bramble would challenge Ray "Boom-Boom" Mancini for the WBA lightweight title. Ray was 29-1 at the time, having just come off a tough defense against former champion Bobby Chacon. Although Ray won by a third round knockout, it had been a brutal fight. Ray was preparing for a "super fight" against junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor in the fall, and took the fight against the relatively unknown Bramble as a warm-up.

The fight, held in Buffalo, NY, was intense. I remember that Bramble opted to stay inside the pocket with Ray, which was totally unexpected. He opened a cut on Ray early, and was able to neutralize Mancini’s strength and power on the inside. He ended up TKOing Ray in 14.

The boxing community found Livingstone to be an odd character. He frequently entered the ring with a large snake draped around his neck. He also was known to practice voodoo, and there were rumors of his sacrificing birds, dogs, and rabbits before fights. He apparently drank their blood in his locker room before fights.

After defeating Ray in a return match, Bramble would be offered a mini- super fight against Hector Camacho. Like Ray, he took a "warm-up" fight, against Edwin Rosario. In the sport of boxing, it’s very important to concentrate on the man you are fighting, rather than focusing on someone you may fight at a later date. Rosario knocked Bramble out in two rounds.

Bramble would convert to a different religion, and fight under two other variations of his name. However, he was never considered a top contender after the Rosario lose, and became a journeyman who tested the skills of the young lions in the division. He ended his career with a record of 40-26-3, with 25 wins by KO. (To be fair, 24 of those loses came after he lost the title.)

[H2O Man]

23. The MSG Ring

In September of 2007, the ring from the Madison Square Garden was "retired," after a career spanning 82 years. (It was also the ring used when fights were held at Yankee Stadium.) It was moved to one of the buildings at Canastota, and is – of course – one of the most popular attractions there.

It made its debut in December of 1925, in what was the second of three MSGs. Over the years, most of boxing’s greatest fighters would box in this ring. Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, and others made New York City’s Madison Square Garden the most popular and important sight for big fights. It was known as the "Mecca of Boxing," until the tragic third fight between between Emile Griffith and Benny "Kid" Paret. A decade later, this would be the ring in which Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met for the Fight of the Century, as well as their second fight. Roberto Duran, Felix Trinidad, and Bernard Hopkins all fought in this ring.

In the photo above, my son D is on the right. The strange old man with the press pass is someone I often see at fights.

I hope that DUers have enjoyed this OP/thread.

[bulldogge]

26. Great

Thread! Looks like it was a blast!

[elvisbear]

27. Excellent pics.

Thanks for bringing back memories of watching some of these great fighters.