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New York State Boxing Hall Of Fame Induction
Dinner Displayed Pride, Emotions & Grateful Thanks
The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame’s (NYSBHOF) Class of
2122 was inducted this past Sunday at a special ceremony,
sponsored by Ring 8, in front of 360 attendees at Russo’s On
The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.
“This was the most emotional NYSBHOF induction dinner ever,”
NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said. “Several inductees cried
during their acceptance speeches and that really made
everything more exciting for everybody. You could see how
really proud each of the inductees were as they proudly
displayed their belts. This is all about honoring New York
boxing people for their accomplishments and contributions.
It was another knockout!”
One of the largest ovations was for Master of Ceremonies
Dave Diamante for his remarkable recovery from a near-death
accident that left him with a broken back.
Living boxers inducted into the NYSBHOF included Brooklyn
WBO Heavyweight World Champions Jamaica’s Michael Bentt
(11-2, 6 KOs), also a 4-time New York Golden Gloves gold
medalist, and Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs);
Albany’s 3-time World light middleweight titlist Verno
Phillips (42-11-1, 2 KOs), WBC Light Heavyweight World
Champion Donny “Golden Boy” Lalonde (42-11-1, 21 KOs),
Staten Island’s WBC World Light Heavyweight Champion Johnny
“The Heat” Verderosa (41-5-1, 33 KOs), Mount Vernon’s 2-time
World title challenger and No. 1 ranked welterweight
contender Larry “No Fear” Barnes (44-3-1, 17 KOs), and
Brooklyn’s welterweight Johnny Turner (42-6-2, 32 KOs)
Posthumous participants inducted were World Lightweight
Champion Bronx’ Al Singer (62-9-2, 26 KOs), World’s Colored
Light Heavyweight Champion Kid Norfolk (88-25-7, 49 KOs),
Brooklyn’s lightweight Pasquale Patsy Giovanelli (44-7-1, 14
KOs), Brooklyn’s World Bantamweight Champion Cannonball
Eddie Martin (81-12-4, 29 KOs), New York City’s World Light
Heavyweight title challenger Battling Siki (60-24-4, 31
KOs), Brooklyn’s Novice New York Golden Gloves and Intercity
Golden Gloves champion Solly Krieger (82-25-6 , 54 KOs), New
York City’s No. 1 world ranked middleweight contender Herbie
Kronowitz (55-23-5, 10 KOs), Buffalo’s World featherweight
champion Tommy Paul (80-28-10, 26 KOs), and Brooklyn’s World
Bantamweight Champion and US Olympian Lou Salica (67-17-12,
13 KOs).
Living non-participants who were inducted the NYSBHOF were
judge Queens New York Golden Gloves finalist, inspector and
licensed judge Ron McNair, promoter/manager/matchmaker Don
Elbaum, New York City journalists Ed Schuyler of New York
City and Bill Verigan, New York City author/journalist Tom
Hauser, Queens author/journalist/ Mike Silver, and
Brooklyn’s Jill Diamond, Secretary of the World Boxing
Council and International Chair or WBC Cares.
Posthumous non-participant inductees now in the NYSBHOF are
Brooklyn’s trainer and Stillman’s gym owner Lou Stillman,
New York City’s promoter/manager Bill Cayton, NYC Mayor
James Walker who legalized boxing in NY, publicists John
Condon, of Queens, and New York City’s Irving Rudd,
Brooklyn’s journalist Richard K. Fox, and trainer Victor
Valle.
Each attending inductee (or direct descendant of) received a
custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into
the NYSBHOF.
The 2021 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating
committee members Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski,
Jim Monteverde and Neil Terens.
All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years to
be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must
have resided in New York State for a significant portion of
their boxing careers or during the prime of their respective
career.
CLASS OF 2021 INDUCTEE QUOTES & PICTURES
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remaining"!
Bill Verigan: “Whether a boxer is in the Hall of Fame or
not, they train hard, compete hard and have overcome hard
losses. I’m very, very thankful to be here today. Thank you
so much.”
Shannon Briggs: “Let’s go champ! Let’s go champ. Let’s go
champ. This is amazing. I grew up in Brooklyn and lived in
Brownsville. I weighed less than 2 pounds when I was born
and asthmatic. I was bullied growing up in Brownsville, but
I made it. We lost our home. Tough times growing up. I had
to fight. I can’t believe I’m in the Hall of Fame. My aunt
said, ‘We going to make it.’ She’s here today.
“I fell into boxing. I was never into sports. I can’t catch
and still can’t dribble. But when I put gloves on, something
about me changed, and nobody could do anything to me. No
more bullying. I went from sleeping on the train or in the
gym to traveling around the world. Nobody believed in me
until Vito Antuofermo said, ‘This kid can be something.’ I
just turned 50 and I’m up here with Vito. I won the Golden
Gloves when I was homeless. This is all unexpected. I never
though I’d be a boxer. I put gloves on and got busy. I
started winning. Boxing helped me stay out of jail, selling
drugs, or running the streets. I became heavyweight champion
of the world. Shout out to everybody who believed in me. A
lot are here today. Thank you, guys. Let’s go champ!”
Johnny Turner: I want to thank everyone for having me here
today. I want to thank my trainers and Joe DeGuardia for
believing in me. My most prestigious fight was with Wilfredo
Benitez, and I was in the move, ‘Raging Bull.’ I’m a very
lucky guy.”
Larry Barnes: “I’m going to be short; I can’t match Shannon.
Let’s go champ! I’m very excited to be here with all these
champions. I want to thank all the people in boxing for
believing in me. I never gave up. Most of all, I want to
thank me for putting in all the hard work.”
Michael Bentt: “It’s wonderful to be back in New York. I
didn’t get here by myself. I want to thank four groups: my
mentors, sponsors and facilitators, boxers who inspired me,
and my allies. I was captain of the USA Boxing Team and got
a call to be in the movie ‘Ali’ (he played Sonny Liston).
Young people should seek people like those who inspired me:
Muhammad Ali, Mark Breland, Mike McCallum, Shannon Briggs,
Evander Holyfield, Ronald Turner and Monte Barrett. They
fueled my flame.”
Jill Diamond: “I want to thank my two biggest mentors, Jose
Suliaman and Joe Dwyer. I’d like to thank my New York family
who still think I go to the Golden Globes instead of the
Golden Gloves. And thanks to my WBC family that embraced me,
especially Mauricio Suliaman, who said to come join us. I do
know that in the big boxing family, if anybody hurt
somebody, they would always help. I wish, especially with
what’s going on today, others settled things in the ring
like us. The world would be a better place.”
Mike Silver: “I’m very humbled and appreciative to the New
York State Boxing Hall of Fame selection committee to
receive this honor. It’s so gratifying coming from peers.
Boxing is the most colorful sport. In my books I give my
perception to be informative, educational, and entertaining.
I used to check newsstands for the new Ring magazine and
Boxing News. I respected boxers and fell in love with the
sport. One thing will never change in boxing. In the ring
it's about hitting without getting hit, the science of the
sport. Boxers’ stories are not written. It takes their
blood, sweat and tears. And that will never change.”
Don Elbaum: “I’m honored and thankful by this. What a run
it’s been running shows. I’m still doing it. I remember
putting shows on at Madison Square Garden. No sport has
1-on-1 world champions like boxing. Many countries have
kings, but there is only one in boxing, and that’s the world
heavyweight champion.”
Donny Lalonde: “I would be here without Bobby Cassidy. Bobby
Cassidy, Sr. was the number one light heavyweight in the
world. He was also a trainer who taught me what it took to
be a boxer. Now, I’m in the New York Hall of Fame with him
and his son, Bobby Cassidy, Jr. I was from Canada, and I was
told that being a champion from there was worthless. When
you grow up in a broken home, you really need somebody to
believe in you. Don Majeski believed in me. Tommy Gallagher
and Bobby Cassidy made my spirit rise high. I was ready to
take on the world. Everybody said I had no business being in
the wring with Eddie Davis, after he went 15 rounds with
Michael Spinks. I knocked him out 22 seconds into the second
round to win the world title. Thanks to the New York State
Boxing Hall of Fame for having me here.”
John Verderosa: “I appreciate the accolades. This is
fantastic. Forty years later, it blows my mind that people
remember me from so long ago. I’m so honored. Thank you so
much.”
Verno Phillips: “New York Hall of Fame, baby. I made it! I
put in the work. Like my grandmother said, ‘You got to go
out and run.’”
_____________________________________________________________________
NYSBHOF
CLASS of 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson,
Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo,
Emile Griffith, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny
Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto,
Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill
Gallo and Arthur Mercante, Sr.
CLASS of 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler,
Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland,
Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Buddy”
McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel,
Tony Graziano, Larry Merchant, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs,
Tex Rickard and Don Dunphy.
CLASS OF 2014: Floyd Patterson, Tracy Harris Patterson,
Billy Backus, Kevin Kelley, Juan LaPorte, Gerry Cooney,
Mustafa Hamsho, Howard Davis, Jr., Lou Ambers, Jack Britton,
Terry McGovern, Teddy Atlas, Lou DiBella, Steve Farhood,
Gene Moore, Angelo Prospero, Whitey Bimstein, Cus D’Amato,
William Muldoon and Tom O’Rourke.
CLASS OF 2015: Saoul Mamby, Joey Giamba, Johnny Persol,
Harold Weston, Lonnie Bradley, Paul Berlenbach, Billy
Graham, Frankie Genaro, Bob Miller, Tommy Ryan, Jimmy
Slattery, Bob Duffy, Mike Katz, Tommy Gallagher, Bruce
Silverglade, Charley Goldman, Jimmy Johnston, Cedric
Kushner, Harry Markson, Damon Runyon, and Al Weill.
CLASS OF 2016: Aaron Davis, Charles Murray, Vilomar
Fernandez, Edwin Viruet, Hector “Macho” Camacho, Rocky
Graziano, Rocky Kansas, Joe Lynch, Joe Miceli, Ed Brophy,
Joe DeGuardia, Randy Gordon, Dennis Rappaport, Howie Albert,
Freddie Brown, Howard Cosell, Ruby Goldstein, and Jimmy
Jacobs.
CLASS OF 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “Mr.” Snipes, Doug
Dewitt, “The Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, Dick Tiger, Jose
Torres, “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, Don Majeski, Ron Katz,
Stan Hoffman, Bobby Bartels, Hank Kaplan, Al Gavin, Arthur
Donovan, and Dan Parker.
CLASS OF 2018: Lou “Honey Boy” Del Valle, Jake Rodriguez,
Terrence Alli, “Baby” Joe Mesi, Kid Chocolate, James J.
“Gentleman Jim” Corbett, Jack McAuliffe, Billy Costello,
Melio Bettina Ralph “Tiger” Jones, Charley Norkus, Dave
Anderson, Pete Brodsky, Herb Goldman, Bobby Goodman, Melvina
Lathan, Ron Scott Stevens, Johnnie Addie, Johnny Bos, Murray
Goodman, Bert Randolph Sugar, and Sam Taub.
No class of 2019 or 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions
CLASS OF 2021: Jorge Ahumada, Alfredo Escalera, Freddie
Liberatore, Dennis Milton; Lou Savarese and Merqui Sosa,
Soldier Bartfield, Steve Belloise, Jimmy Goodrich, Tami
Mauriello, Davey Moore, Freddie “The Welsh Wizard” Welch,
Don Ackerman, Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Rick Glaser, Jack Hirsch,
Max Kellerman, Dr. William Lathan, Julie Lederman, Ron
Lipton, Kevin Rooney, Dan Daniel, Bobby Gleason, Flash
Gordan, A.J. Liebling, Tony Mazzarella, and manager Dan
Morgan
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