By Jake Donovan
Pending Hall of Fame induction or not, it’s still Showtime for Jimmy Lennon Jr.
The second-generation ring announcer is a member of the Class of 2013, entering as a non-participant. Part of the traditional four-day event – largely taking place in Canastota, New York – is a live boxing card always held at Turning Stone Casino in nearby Verona. The event is often attended by the weekend’s celebrity participants, though not always by the pending inductees.
There was never a doubt that Lennon Jr. was going to attend, though not as a guest of honor but in his usual role as Showtime ring announcer, where he served as emcee for Friday’s Shobox event.
“There is no place I’d rather be for a big fight than in the center of the ring,” Lennon Jr. quipped to Showtime’s Steve Farhood – literally in center ring - in between the two televised bouts.
Lennon Jr. is naturally humbled by the honor, well-deserved for more than 25 years of service (and still counting) spanning the globe. However, his only regret is that the honor comes at a time before his equally famous late father, Jimmy Sr., gains enshrinement.
“I feel like so much I’m a reflection of his accomplishments,” Lennon Jr. says of his father, who served as a ring announcer for more than 40 years. “I’m very fortunate because I have boxing in my genes. My father was a boxing announcer, the world’s greatest for years, and I inherited those genes. I learned from the best.
Lennon Sr. passed away in 1992, having lived long enough to have seen his son serve as emcee for the biggest upset in boxing history in 1990, when then-unbeaten undisputed heavyweight king Mike Tyson was upset by Buster Douglas in Tokyo.
Another historic heavyweight upset was officially read from Lennon Jr’s lips, when Tyson was knocked out in 11 rounds by Evander Holyfied in their first fight in 1996. The events were just two of thousands of fights Lennon Jr. was able to work in 25 years, most of which has been captured by a worldwide audience.
“I’m very fortunate to be associated with Showtime, who has put on so many world class events for so many years. I’m just so honored to be a part of those events. I’m fortunate to go to the Hall of Fame, being recognized for adding a little something to the sport. It makes me feel great.
“I’m really fortunate that I came around when fights were really global events on television; lots more people have seen what I did,” Lennon Jr. admits of whatever popularity advantage he holds over his father. “Many sons when they have fathers (who did the same thing), they know their father is better, and I feel the same way. I look forward to the day he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
