Comments Thread For: The International Boxing Hall of Fame at 35: Is it time to update the process?

[CPNUTKnockoutFreshMart]

I love the fact that it's in Canastota, NY, home of Carmen Basilio and Billy Backus. Football HOF is in Canton, OH, not exactly a metropolis. Basketball is in Springfield, MA. Baseball is Cooperstown, NY. The problem is that most of the current day activities no longer are in Canastota, but at Turning Stone Casino about 10 miles away in Verona, NY. Why? Probably due to finances, probably due to Canastota, losing Graziano's Bar/Restaurant, which was demolished a few years ago. It was the Toot Shors of Canastota--not for its elegance but because everyone hung out there and traded war stories. Years ago we lost the Dinerant, a diner a few blocks in back of the Days Inn. We also lost Casatinas, where we'd go on Friday night with Don and Lorraine Chargin and family for a terrific meal. We always had a pre-banquet get together at Greystone Castle and that's no longer on the schedule. Everyone would mingle and get autographs. The actual induction ceremony on Sunday, always held outdoors on the HOF grounds, no longer is held there. Instead, it's in the austere ballroom of Turning Stone which has none of the gaiety of the outdoor function. However, I do not know the finances of the HOF and I am sure that is a major reason why Turning Stone APPEARS to be taking over. My class of 2004 was the last to have the Saturday night banquet at the Rusty Rail restaurant in Canastota. It was small but it was great. In the early years, we used to climb over tables to get autographs, especially the first year when Ali and Walcott and Billy Conn and Floyd Patterson were there. The first year we had the memorabilia show in Graziano's Restaurant. There were about 10 or 12 of us who had tables with items to sell. It was more folksy back then and, to me, that's a good thing. I simply don't feel the energy at Turning Stone that we had at Canastota, but, again, I don't know the finances.

Bring Back The Blue !!
Thanks for sharing those memories. You must have a lot of really great stories to tell.

[CPNUTKnockoutFreshMart]

Well... This is kind of a red herring of an issue. The real issue is the gravitas of boxing's HOF. Most real boxing fans don't take it seriously compared to ATG status. This is in contrast to baseball where the Hall of Fame really means something outstanding.

They just let in a lot of mediocre fighters and don't include a lot of very special fighters. I mean Gatti was a very special fighter in many respects but his ability?

A hundred years from now a lot of guys with more ability will be forgotten , but Arturo Gatti will always be remembered as long as there are boxing fans around.

[billeau2]

A hundred years from now a lot of guys with more ability will be forgotten , but Arturo Gatti will always be remembered as long as there are boxing fans around.

That is the crux of the dilema... I personally have no problem with things as they are because boxing has enough fan base to understand the difference. It is the same reason "Rocky" is in the Hall!

[Punching Diva]

Can someone please tell them to update their website? My goodness their site looks like it was built in 1999. Our sport deserves better, please their website is ancient and looks ridiculous. As far as manny, he’s a first ballot hof’er for sure.

[landotter]

They need induction weekend to keep it relevant. Of course, allowing "B" level fighters in makes induction weekend irreverent unless a major star is among them.

The circle of stoopidity (misspelled to allow in the comments because that is apparently that is a word that makes people cry) continues. It is boxing after all.