Tweet
(skip down to the bottom if you're only interested in reading what Larry Holmes had to say)
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008_mg.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008newman.jpg[/img]
June 9, 2008
By Boxing Bob Newman
As unpredictable as the action is inside the boxing ring, so too was the weather at this year's IBHOF induction weekend festivities in Canastota, New York. While the forecast for the weekend called for both high temperatures as well as intermittent rain showers, fan's still braved the elements to mingle with, get photos with, autographs from this year's six living, and honor the six deceased inductees. As the temperature hovered close to 90 degrees, two separate downpours fell from the skies sending fans for cover. But the boxing gods eventually smiled on the hallowed grounds just in time for the induction ceremony to start.
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008newman2.jpg[/img]
Opening the festivities were the two parade grand marshals comedian Pat Cooper and former Dallas Cowboys defensive end and pro boxer, Ed “Too Tall” Jones. Cooper had the gathered crowd in stitches with his insulting brand of comedy, telling the locals of Canastota, “Let's face it, if the International Boxing Hall of Fame wasn't here, what would you people have to do?” Jones, who took a break from pro football in 1979 to embark on a brief, one year pro career as a pugilist, was also brief with his words. “I want to tell you all that you sure know how to welcome an old Cowboy from Texas. This is my first time here, but I can tell you that it is great to have a place like this to honor these men who have put in the hard work over their careers. I hope you all continue to support the Boxing Hall of Fame!”
Venerable fight historian Herb Goldman then read off the list of deceased inductees:
Modern Category
Holman Williams- Williams never got a shot at a world title despite beating the likes of Charlie Burley and Archie Moore among others.
Old Timers Category
Len Harvey- Harvey fought for and won British Empire titles from Middleweight to Heavyweight and won British recognition as world light heavyweight champ.
Frank Klaus- Won World Middleweight championship and held wins over Billy Papke and Georges Carpentier.
Harry Lewis- Won recognition as world Welter and Middleweight champ. Battled the likes of Georges Carpentier and Frank Klaus.
Pioneers
Dan Donnelly- The first Irish Heavyweight champion, Donnelly died in 1820 at the age of 32. His body was stolen by grave robbers and sold to a surgeon, who then severed the arm, which now rests in a glass case in Hideout Pub in Kilcullen, Ireland.
Non-participants
Bill Gore- Rhode Island native Gore trained the likes of Willie Pep, Bob Foster and Joe Brown to world titles. He also trained Tony Licata, Cleveland Williams, Roy Harris and Manuel Gonzalez to title shots.
IBHOF president Don Ackerman the introduced the living inductees:
Joe Koizumi- Koizumi has done it all starting as a school boy boxing at Kobe Boxing Gym. He began as The Ring magazine's Japanese correspondent at age 17 and continuing on as a boxing manager, match maker, trainer, T.V. Commentator, fight film collector and distributer.
Mogens Palle- Denmark's Palle recently celebrated 50 years as a boxing promoter handling such world champions as Ayub Kalule, brothers Jimmi and Johnny Bredahl, Gert Bo Jacobsen and Mikkel Kessler.
He has also staged title and non-title bouts alike in his homeland bringing over the likes of Mike Tyson, Carlos Monzon, Emile Griffith, John Conteh and Ken Buchanan. Palle is still active today running his company with his daughter Betinna.
Frank Warren- Promoting his first show in 1980, Londoner Warren has risen to the top level of the boxing game promoting the likes of Prince Naseen Hamed, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe and Mike Tyson. Together, Warren and fellow inductees Mogens Palle staged Calzaghe-Kessler in front of 50,000 fans last year in Wales.
Dave Anderson- New York Times columnist Anderson credits fellow Hall of Famers W. C. Heinz and Jimmy Cannon as his inspiration towards writing on boxing. Winning a Pulitzer prize in 1981, the AP Sports Editors Red Smith Award in 1994, and having authored over 20 books including “Sugar Ray” and “In the Corner,” Anderson is now enshrined along with the men who inspired him.
Eddie Perkins- A two time Jr. Welter champ, Perkins took his show on the road to over twenty different countries, including his two title winning efforts in Italy and the Philippines over local champs. Perkins engaged in a trilogy with fellow Hall of Famer Duilio Loi winning, losing and fighting to a draw. He also met the likes of champions Rocky Mattioli, Jose Napoles, Angel Espada and beat Armando Muniz to win the NABF welterweight title at the age of 37.
Larry Holmes- Former WBC and IBF Heavyweight champion Larry Holmes gave the most vociferous speech and drew the loudest cheers from the crowd. Taking time to thank his promoter Don King, “When nobody else would give a dime for my career,” and his family who he told despite their protests, “I can do it, I can be the heavyweight champion of the world.” Holmes also wanted to set one thing straight that has nagged him for over twenty years. “When I said that Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jock strap, that's because he wouldn't want to! I didn't say that to tear him down, I said it because I felt good about myself. No man is better than any other man. Muhammad Ali thinks he's the greatest...THAT'S HIS OPINON!” Holmes also instructed young people to stay off the streets, get an education and not to think the world owes them anything. “You owe the world!”
To that, the crowd stood in ovation to Holmes and his fellow 2008 IBHOF inductees, who then posed with their IBHOF rings on their clenched fists. The rain had broken, the sun was once again shining, and fans began to ruminate about next year in Canastota, New York, the showplace of boxing.
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008_mg.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008newman.jpg[/img]
June 9, 2008
By Boxing Bob Newman
As unpredictable as the action is inside the boxing ring, so too was the weather at this year's IBHOF induction weekend festivities in Canastota, New York. While the forecast for the weekend called for both high temperatures as well as intermittent rain showers, fan's still braved the elements to mingle with, get photos with, autographs from this year's six living, and honor the six deceased inductees. As the temperature hovered close to 90 degrees, two separate downpours fell from the skies sending fans for cover. But the boxing gods eventually smiled on the hallowed grounds just in time for the induction ceremony to start.
[img]http://www.*********.com/ibhof2008newman2.jpg[/img]
Opening the festivities were the two parade grand marshals comedian Pat Cooper and former Dallas Cowboys defensive end and pro boxer, Ed “Too Tall” Jones. Cooper had the gathered crowd in stitches with his insulting brand of comedy, telling the locals of Canastota, “Let's face it, if the International Boxing Hall of Fame wasn't here, what would you people have to do?” Jones, who took a break from pro football in 1979 to embark on a brief, one year pro career as a pugilist, was also brief with his words. “I want to tell you all that you sure know how to welcome an old Cowboy from Texas. This is my first time here, but I can tell you that it is great to have a place like this to honor these men who have put in the hard work over their careers. I hope you all continue to support the Boxing Hall of Fame!”
Venerable fight historian Herb Goldman then read off the list of deceased inductees:
Modern Category
Holman Williams- Williams never got a shot at a world title despite beating the likes of Charlie Burley and Archie Moore among others.
Old Timers Category
Len Harvey- Harvey fought for and won British Empire titles from Middleweight to Heavyweight and won British recognition as world light heavyweight champ.
Frank Klaus- Won World Middleweight championship and held wins over Billy Papke and Georges Carpentier.
Harry Lewis- Won recognition as world Welter and Middleweight champ. Battled the likes of Georges Carpentier and Frank Klaus.
Pioneers
Dan Donnelly- The first Irish Heavyweight champion, Donnelly died in 1820 at the age of 32. His body was stolen by grave robbers and sold to a surgeon, who then severed the arm, which now rests in a glass case in Hideout Pub in Kilcullen, Ireland.
Non-participants
Bill Gore- Rhode Island native Gore trained the likes of Willie Pep, Bob Foster and Joe Brown to world titles. He also trained Tony Licata, Cleveland Williams, Roy Harris and Manuel Gonzalez to title shots.
IBHOF president Don Ackerman the introduced the living inductees:
Joe Koizumi- Koizumi has done it all starting as a school boy boxing at Kobe Boxing Gym. He began as The Ring magazine's Japanese correspondent at age 17 and continuing on as a boxing manager, match maker, trainer, T.V. Commentator, fight film collector and distributer.
Mogens Palle- Denmark's Palle recently celebrated 50 years as a boxing promoter handling such world champions as Ayub Kalule, brothers Jimmi and Johnny Bredahl, Gert Bo Jacobsen and Mikkel Kessler.
He has also staged title and non-title bouts alike in his homeland bringing over the likes of Mike Tyson, Carlos Monzon, Emile Griffith, John Conteh and Ken Buchanan. Palle is still active today running his company with his daughter Betinna.
Frank Warren- Promoting his first show in 1980, Londoner Warren has risen to the top level of the boxing game promoting the likes of Prince Naseen Hamed, Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe and Mike Tyson. Together, Warren and fellow inductees Mogens Palle staged Calzaghe-Kessler in front of 50,000 fans last year in Wales.
Dave Anderson- New York Times columnist Anderson credits fellow Hall of Famers W. C. Heinz and Jimmy Cannon as his inspiration towards writing on boxing. Winning a Pulitzer prize in 1981, the AP Sports Editors Red Smith Award in 1994, and having authored over 20 books including “Sugar Ray” and “In the Corner,” Anderson is now enshrined along with the men who inspired him.
Eddie Perkins- A two time Jr. Welter champ, Perkins took his show on the road to over twenty different countries, including his two title winning efforts in Italy and the Philippines over local champs. Perkins engaged in a trilogy with fellow Hall of Famer Duilio Loi winning, losing and fighting to a draw. He also met the likes of champions Rocky Mattioli, Jose Napoles, Angel Espada and beat Armando Muniz to win the NABF welterweight title at the age of 37.
Larry Holmes- Former WBC and IBF Heavyweight champion Larry Holmes gave the most vociferous speech and drew the loudest cheers from the crowd. Taking time to thank his promoter Don King, “When nobody else would give a dime for my career,” and his family who he told despite their protests, “I can do it, I can be the heavyweight champion of the world.” Holmes also wanted to set one thing straight that has nagged him for over twenty years. “When I said that Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jock strap, that's because he wouldn't want to! I didn't say that to tear him down, I said it because I felt good about myself. No man is better than any other man. Muhammad Ali thinks he's the greatest...THAT'S HIS OPINON!” Holmes also instructed young people to stay off the streets, get an education and not to think the world owes them anything. “You owe the world!”
To that, the crowd stood in ovation to Holmes and his fellow 2008 IBHOF inductees, who then posed with their IBHOF rings on their clenched fists. The rain had broken, the sun was once again shining, and fans began to ruminate about next year in Canastota, New York, the showplace of boxing.
Comment