FLORIDA BOXING HALL OF FAME
PREVIOUS INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2011Fighter: Muhammad Ali - What can you say about Muhammad Ali that hasn’t already been said? His boxing career is legendary and his personality and character have made him one of the most well-known figures in the world. Fighter: Yama Bahama, whose real name was William H. Butler, Jr., was born in the Bahamas in 1933 and at the age of 6 began to fight in Battle Royals, which involved six blindfolded boys battling in the ring, the last boy standing declared the winner. Fighter: Gomeo Brennan started his boxing career in January 1956 and didn’t step away from the ring until April 1972. Fighting out of the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, he was trained by Angelo Dundee and managed by Chris Dundee. During his long career, he fought 110 fights.Fighter: Barbara Buttrick - Known as the “Mighty Atom,” Barbara Buttrick fought in the first televised women’s boxing match in 1954 and in 1957 became the world‘s first women‘s champion. Born in the United Kingdom and a resident of Miami Beach, she began her boxing career in 1948.Fighter: Bobby Dykes was a welterweight contender out of Miami in the early and mid-1950s, losing majority decisions to world champion Kid Gavilan in 1951 and to Sugar Ray Robinson in a non-title fight in 1950. Some of the fighters he beat included Joey Giardello, Joey Giambra, Gavilan Fighter: Eddie Flynn was one of the top amateur fighters in the world in the early 1930s, winning the Gold Medal in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles as a welterweight. He was also the National AAU champion in 1931 and 1932, and finished his amateur career undefeated with 144 wins and no losses. Fighter: Tommy Gomez - Tommy Gomez, whose nickname was “Tampa Tommy,” was born in Tampa, Florida in 1919 and turned pro in 1939. Though he never fought for a major title, he went up against some of the top fighters of his era, including Jersey Joe Walcott. Fighter: Frankie Otero, whose family fled Cuba to escape Fidel Castro’s revolution, was among the world‘s top lightweights from 1970 to 1973, pursuing a boxing career while a student at Miami-Dade Community College. Training at the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, Fighter: Willie Pep - Born Guglielmo Papaleo but known around the world as Willie Pep, the Italian-American featherweight fought for 26 years and had 242 fights, winning 229 of them. Nicknamed Will O’ The Wisp, Pep was 52-0 when he finally got a shot at the title.Fighter: Elmer “Violent” Ray was a heavyweight contender known for his hard punching. Born in Federal Point, Florida, he fought from 1926 to 1949, but never got a title fight. He did, however, fight some of the top heavyweights of his era, including Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott. Trainers/Managers: Dan Birmingham - Considered one of the top trainers in the fight game, Dan Birmingham was named “Trainer of the Year” in both 2004 and 2005 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Birmingham started his amateur boxing career in 1968 .Trainers/Managers: Al Bonanni does a little bit of everything for Don King Promotions. He trains fighters, works corners, serves as a cut man and watches for talented fighters who DKP might want to sign up. He began hanging around the boxing gyms of Miami in the 1960sPromoters: Phil Alessi has played a big role in the fight game since 1967, promoting fights in such boxing meccas as Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Nashville, Chicago and New Orleans, along with his hometown of Tampa. In all, Alessi Promotions has promoted more than 300 fight cards.Promoter: Don King - One of the top promoters in the world, Don King has promoted some of the most famous fights in history, including the “Rumble in the Jungle,” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, and the “Thrilla in Manilla“ between Ali and Joe Frazier. Historian: Enrique Encinosa - Boxing historian Enrique (Rick) Encinosa is a former amateur light-heavyweight and Indiana State champ who has worked as a fight manager for more than 20 fighters and was a matchmaker from 1981 to 2006, working more than 100 pro boxing cards.Official/Commission: Don Hazelton - A past president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, Don Hazelton served as director of the Florida State Boxing Commission for almost nine years. Presently director of the Miccosukee Indian Tribe’s Athletic Commission, Non-Participant: Bob Alexander - Everyone in the fight game in Florida knows Bob Alexander, one of the top ring announcers in the entire country. Born in Detroit, he graduated from Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda in 1981 and began his radio career the next year. Non -Participant: Jay Edson - One of boxing’s all-time good guys, Jay Edson refereed 49 world championship fights in his career, always hoping to get number 50. After retiring as a ref in 1979, he worked as site coordinator for Bob Arum and Top Rank, overseeing most of the daily operations.Non-Participant: James “Smitty” Smith is a former professional boxer turned boxing commentator who is host of “In This Corner“, America’s only syndicated half-hour boxing interview show. Non-Participant: Lou Viscusi, also known as Mr. Lou, was born in Schenectady, NY in 1909, but grew up in Tampa, Florida. Both a manager and a promoter, he made his mark in the New England area promoting boxing, wrestling and anything else people wanted to see. A
CLASS OF 2010
2010 HONOREES
Honoree: Mike Birmingham - Boxing trainer Mike Birmingham died unexpectedly at his Sunset Beach apartment on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009 at the young age of 49. Along with his brother Dan Birmingham, Mike helped train hundreds of fighters over the 25 years he was involved in the fight game .Honoree: Boxing has always been a passion for Ramiro Ortiz. It was "interesting" to be a banker by day and a boxing promoter by night," Ramiro Ortiz said. In 2006 he was asked by then Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the Florida State Boxing Commission. Honoree: Attorney Steve Yerrid of Tampa has been one of the strongest supporters of the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame since its inception, Yerrid was been involved in both amateur and professional boxing in the Tampa Bay Area for several years.
CLASS OF 2009
Inagural Class of 2009Fighter: Luis Manuel Rodriguez - Born in Cuba on June 17, 1937, Rodriguez is considered by many to be one of the greatest welterweights of all time. His four fights with Emile Griffith were all extremely close. His style was so appealing that Muhammad Ali adopted many of his moves.Fighter: Ralph Dupas - One of 11 children born to a New Orleans fisherman, Dupas turned pro at the age of 14 and was taken to Miami to train by Angelo Dundee. A win over Armand Savoie in 1953 moved Dupas into the rankings and he was the top-ranked lightweight in the world by 1955. Fighter: Willie Pastrano - Fighting out of Miami Beach just like Dupas, he boxed in every division from welterweight to heavyweight. Turning pro at 16, he was a smooth fighter with quick hand who would often spar with stablemate Muhammad Ali. Pastrano won the light-heavyweight championship.Fighter: Florentine Fernandez Born on March 6, 1936, in Santiago de Cuba, Florentino “The Ox” Fernandez was a left-hook artist who fled to Miami Beach when professional boxing was outlawed in his home country. Often appearing on TV on fight cards promoted by Chris Dundee.Fighter: Pinklon Thomas Undefeated with a record of 24-0-1, Known for his solid chin, a great left jab, and his pink boxing trunks, Thomas boxed his way to the heavyweight championship by a majority decision. Ten months later, he defended his title against ex-champion Mike Weaver. Fighter: Wilfredo Vazquez, Sr. Born in Puerto Rico, Vazquez didn’t start boxing until he was 18. He became one of the few fighters in the world to win world titles in three divisions (bantamweight, super-bantam and featherweight).Trainers;/Managers: Angelo Dundee He’s one of the few trainers in boxing who can boast of being a household name. A trainer for world champions like Carmen Basilio, Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard, he has also been in the corner with world champions such as Willie Pastrano, Jimmy Ellis.Trainers;/Managers: Steve Canton has been involved in every aspect of boxing for more than 52 years, or since he was a small boy. Along with his own successful amateur and professional boxing careers. Considered a world-class cutman and trainer, he has worked with some of the best fighters.Trainers;/Managers: For more than 60 years, Jimmy Williams has been one of the most highly respected teachers of the sweet science. A professional dancer by trade, Williams is the man behind former world light-heavyweight champion Antonio TarverPromoter: Chris Dundee Along with bringing big-time boxing to South Florida and opening the famous Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, Dundee was responsible for breaking some barriers that needed to come down in the fight game. In a career that spanned six decades, Dundee promoted hundreds of fights, Promoter: Tuto Zabala Sr. . A Miami-based boxing promoter and manager, Tuto worked with more than 50 fighters over 40 years, including many champions and top contenders. A Cuban, Zabala fled his country in 1961 and after several odd jobs he became a boxing promoter in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Historian: Irv Abramson A native New Yorker who retired to Florida, Abramson was a fighter’s best friend. Playing a big role in the formation of the Florida State Athletic Commission, Abramson helped establish a medical plan for Florida boxers, staged fund raisers for needy fighters.Historian: When the movie makers needed some sound advice on making a boxing picture for the big screen, they usually called Hank Kaplan. Considered one of the world’s foremost boxing historians, no one knew or loved the fight game better than Hank Kaplan and no one could match his collection of boOfficial/Commission: Brian Garry - After more than 25 years as a referee, Garry officially retired from the ring in January 2009, ending a career that saw him officiate more than 1,300 pro bouts, including 59 world title fights Considered to be one of the best referees in the world.Official/Commission: Parker traveled the world “calling fights,” as he liked to tell it. Over his 22 years as a referee, he called hundreds of fights, sharing the ring with fighters like , Antonio Tarver, Junior Jones, and Roy Jones Jr. He also served as the Florida Boxing Commission’s assistant exeNon-Participant: Mark Berio Coming out of West Tampa, Beiro started his announcing career at a young age, doing play-by-play for the West Tpa Little League. But it was in the boxing ring that he got his big break. Doing the announcing for some of the bigger fights all over the world.Non-Participant: Marty Cohen did a little bit of everything in the boxing world. Along with being an amateur fighter at the age of 13, he was also a promoter, a manager, a trainer, a judge and, maybe most important, he was a friend of the fight game. Non-Participant: Johnny Bos: Matchmaker extraordinaire with his Fu Manchu moustache and dark shades, Bos has always been one of boxing’s true characters. Moving to Florida in 1989, he became a writer for Boxing World and Boxing International before turning to matchmaking in 1977. Non-Participant: Bobby Goodman One of boxing’s most highly respected executives, Goodman has worked as a matchmaker, promoter, publicist and manager for more than 50 years. Non-Participant: Dr. Allan Fields a resident of Hollywood, Fla., Fields has been a surgeon since 1973, specializing in general and pelvic surgery. Physicians, and was named Physician of the Year, in 2004, by the AAPRP, he was also chief physician for both the Florida Kickboxing and Karate AssociatNon-Participant: Born in Ybor City in Tampa, Dr.Pacheco (also known as the “Fight Doctor”) has been a part of boxing history since the early 1960’s. That’s when he began working with Muhammad Ali, Dr. Pacheco was also a personal physician who became a boxing analyst in the late 1970’s.Non-Participant: Rick Folstad - A former amateur and professional fighter, Folstad has been involved in boxing for over 43 years as a fighter, promoter, trainer, cornerman and journalist. His boxing columns have won several writing awards, including three first-place awards
2009 HONOREES
Honoree: Phil Alessi Sr.Honoree: Pete FernandezHonoree: Terry Trekas
Fighter: Tyrone Booze-Born in Hartford, Conn. in 1959, had a tough start in the professional ranks, suffering early losses to top-contenders and future world champions like Evander Holyfield, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bert Cooper, Dwight Braxton (later known as Dwight Muhammad Qawi) and Henry Tillman.Fighter: Roland LaStarza-Roland La Starza: Originally from the Bronx, will always be remembered as the fighter who came the closest to beating undefeated and legendary heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. In their fight on March 24, 1950, La Starza lost a split decision to Marciano. Fighter: John Mugabi-Was one of boxing’s most feared and ferocious punchers, scoring 39 knockouts in his 42 career wins. Born in Uganda, he was one of the top junior-middleweights and middleweights in the world during one of boxing’s richest times.Fighter: Elisha Obed-Middleweight is considered one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of the Bahamas. Born in Nassau in 1952, he started fighting as an amateur at the age of 12, running up a record of 46-0 with 16 knockouts. He decided to turn pro at the age of 14.Fighter: Freddie Pendelton-. Pendleton won his first title in October 1985 when he knocked out Darryl Martin in the sixth round to win the Pennsylvania junior-welterweight title. In March 1986, holding onto an “opponents” record of 14-13, Pendleton took on Roger Mayweather (23-3) at the Sahara HotelFighter: Manuel Quintero-Cuban born was a welterweight fighter out of Tampa during the early 1930s. A southpaw with great skills, Quintera faced most of the toughest fighters in his weight division in a short, but unbelievably busy career. Fighter: Holman Williams-started boxing as an amateur bantamweight in 1928, fighting 38 matches before turning pro in 1932 at the age of 20. As a pro, he was considered one of the smartest welterweights and middleweights of his era. Trainer: Pete Fernandez-Fernandez returned to the ring as a trainer/promoter in 1995. Six years later, he started up Starfights Productions, Inc., promoting such fighters as former lightweight champ Nate Campbell and top contender Edner Cherry. Trainer: Alton Merkerson-Working as a trainer for almost 40 years, Merkerson helped train the 1988 US Olympic Boxing Team and has also worked as a professional trainer in Las Vegas under Hall-of-Fame trainer Ken Adams. Along with Adams and trainer Hank Johnson, Merkerson won the nationals five timeTrainer: Dwaine Simpson-. It was as a pro that Simpson shined, fighting from 1956 to 1970, finishing his pro career with a record of 113-22-7. From 1970 to 1977, Simpson trained and managed fighters as a hobby. Promotr: Pete Ashlock-Was an Orlando businessman who was also a cowboy, a boxing promoter and a rodeo champion. A one-time owner of the Orlando Sports Stadium which he built in 1967, he kept boxing, wrestling and rodeo alive in the city in the 1970sMedia: Karl Freitag-Karl was a boxing writer who launched fightnews.com in 1999 when he saw a need for more updated and timely boxing news. His website is the first place many boxers and boxing fans go when they fire up their computers to see what the latest is in the world of boxing. Media: Col. Bob Sheridan-Boxing announcer nicknamed “The Colonel,” has broadcast more than 10,000 fights on radio and TV, including 890 world title fights. Offical/Commission: Eddie Eckert-Referee, officiated his first pro fight in June 1961 and refereed his last fight in June 1995. In that 34-year spanParticipant: John Daddono-In 1988 at the age of 25, founded the International Boxing Organization, becoming the youngest founder and chairman of any of the world’s sanctioning bodies in the sport of boxing.Participant: Frank Freeman-He became involved in the fight game in the 1920s. competed in the first ever Golden Gloves tournament in New York City in 1927. Due to an eye injury,had four fights, but trained fighters in the 1940s. He later combined his love of boxing with his knack for announcingParticipant: Hackie Reitman-: is an anomaly in the fight game. He’s a former professional heavyweight who’s also an orthopedic surgeon.helps explain why his nickname in the ring was the “Boxing Doctor“. Participant: Ramiro Ortiz-Ortiz has always found time for boxing, either promoting the sport or celebrating it as a boxing historian. A former amateur boxer, Participant: Tommy Torino-After a pro career, in which he finished with a record of 18-7-2, turned to promoting and matchmaking, becoming involved in just about every aspect of the fight game. Participant: Steve Yerrid-Yerrid played a major role in keeping boxing in Tampa with his involvement in two huge promotions at the former Ice Palace in Tampa. In November 1996, Roy Jones Jr.,
CLASS OF 2011
2011 HONOREES
Dana Jamieson-Has been one of Don King’s top lieutenants for the past 25 years and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Boxing Operations at Don King Productions. She has received numerous awards including being named “Executive of the Year,” Jim McLoughlin-A boxing trainer and manager opened the St. Pete Boxing Club in July 1982 on Fourth Street North in St. Pete. He spent the next several years working with fighters and he helped promote amateur boxing throughout the Tampa Bay area. Leo Thalassities-Thalassites was taught to put Jesus first, and to take care of his body. He’s worked with fighters such as Hector “Macho” Camacho, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran. He was awarded three purple hearts for his service in World War II and Korea.