By Per Ake Persson
Danish Hall of Fame promoter Mogens Palle turns 80 today (March 14). Palle began his remarkable career in boxing as an amateur boxer in Copenhagen in the 50´s. Palle began - along with his father Torkhild and former European champ Jorgen Johansen - promoting professional boxing events in 1957. Johansen and Palle parted ways in 1963 and Palle hit the bigtime when he signed up Tom Bogs and Borge Krogh, both top class amateurs who became top class pros and especially Bogs had that charisma that meant sold out shows. Palle also worked in Sweden and Norway as promoter, manager and matchmaker.
Palle promoted over the years shows with Sandro Mazzinghi, Sonny Liston, Emile Griffith, Carlos Monzon, Victor Galindez, John Conteh, Ken Buchanan, Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson while developing talents like Bogs, Krogh, Hans Henrik Palm, Jorgen Hansen, Ayub Kalule, Svein-Erik Paulsen, Mustapha Wassajja, Gert Bo Jacobsen, Anders Eklund, Steffen Tangstad, Johnny and Jimmi Bredahl, Brian Nielsen, Mads Larsen, Thomas Damgaard and Mikkel Kessler just to mention a bunch of the guys Palle handled over the decades - and he is still going strong even if he´s slowed down a little on the promotional side.