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2011 International Boxing Hall of Fame NomineesBelow are biographical capusles on the 2011 candidates for entry into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. First Time Nominees
Thomas Hearns At 6-1, and armed with a 78-inch wingspan, Hearns was one of the most physically intimidating specimens of his era as well as among the most versatile. Hearns was the first man to win titles in five weight classes, beating rival Leonard to the feat by a mere three days. As the "Hit Man," Hearns' blinding hand speed set up a devastating right hand that scored dozens of highlight-reel knockouts spanning six weight classes. For all his power, however, Hearns was also an excellent boxer. He went toe-to-toe with the sluggers, producing all-time classic knockouts of Pipino Cuevas and Roberto Duran along the way, and he went thought-for-thought against Wilfred Benitez and Leonard. Some remember Hearns best for tough defeats against Leonard, Hagler and Iran Barkley (twice), as much as for his 61 wins and 48 knockouts. But win or lose, Hearns almost always provided compelling fistic theater. Mark Johnson Dariusz Michalczewski Fighting largely out of Germany, Michalczewski would win his first 48 professional contests, winning three major belts and a claim to the lineal throne at Light Heavyweight along with a belt at Cruiserweight. His 23 consecutive defenses of the WBO belt at 175 lbs., win from Kronk product Leeonzer Barber in 1994, are a division record. 14 defenses of his claim to the lineal title, traced to his defeat of Virgil Hill in a unification contest in 1997, ties the record of Bob Foster at Light Heavyweight…for those who saw Michalczewski as the rightful lineal king. Michalczewski was shorn of the WBA and IBF belts he won from Hill in large part because of boxing politics. Those belts would ultimately end up with Roy Jones Jr. The two never fought, leaving an enduring source of debate about the statistical accomplishments of Michalczewski and what might have been. Return Nominees Horacio Acavallo One of the best of the 1960s, the southpaw Accavallo never lost in his native Argentina. Of course, fighting mostly in Argentina meant a lot of non-descript opposition, but he squeezed in a fair share of quality. Accavallo won two of three non-title affairs against Burruni, all of them going the distance, with wins in Burruni’s native Italy and his own Buenos Aires. In 1966, he traveled to Japan to narrowly outpoint Katsuyoshi Takayama for the vacant WBA belt and then brought one of Japan’s best home three fights later, posting a unanimous decision over Ebihara in his first defense. A couple of years before Efren Torres would begin his epic rivalry against Chartchai Chionoi, Accavallo gave him his first shot at gold, retaining via unanimous decision. In a shocker, Accavallo would follow the Torres win with a non-title sixth round TKO loss in Japan. It would be, in his 81st professional start, the only stoppage defeat in his career, which would hold only two more starts. In his farewell bout, Accavallo would retain his crown for the second time against Ebihara, a debated split decision in Buenos Aires which convinced Accavallo to hang up his gloves just shy of his 34th birthday. Georgie Abrams
Career: 1937-1948 World Championships: None Hailed from: Roanoke, Virginia Record: 48-10-3 (9 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 5-4-1 Champions faced: Fred Apostoli, Lou Broulliard, Marcel Cerdan, Izzy Janazzo, Sugar Ray Robinson, Billy Soose, Teddy Yarosz, Tony Zale Champions defeated: Yarosz (SD10), Soose (W8, W10, UD10), Broulliard (W10). Abrams – whose middle name was “Freedom” – was a top middleweight contender during the early 1940s who used mobility and excellent defensive maneuvers to offset his lack of power. Sugar Ray Robinson once said that Abrams had given him one of his toughest fights as he took the reigning welterweight king to a 6-4, 6-4, 4-6 split decision in May 1947 – a decision that, according to the Associated Press, “was accompanied by a solid round of boos.” He was the opponent in Cerdan’s American debut in December 1946 and took him 10 bloody rounds before dropping the decision. Besides the men listed above, Abrams defeated tough contenders like Cocoa Kid and Steve Belloise during his decade-plus in the game. Joey Archer He was much more than just the man who retired Sugar Ray Robinson. Though he lost twice on close decisions to Emile Griffith for the world middleweight championship, Archer was nonetheless a classic boxer, well-schooled in the New York City gym system of the 1950's. The lack of a substantial punch proved a hindrance in gaining a crown, but his ring skills made up for much of his natural disabilities. His craftiness and ring generalship were first-rate, and though he would have been lost in the shuffle of today's more eye appealing TV sluggers, he was a captivating student of the sweet science. His points win over the famed left hooker Rubin “Hurricane” Carter is a testament to his “wise owl” approach. Joey was a mainstay of the “Friday Night Fights” of the 1960's who had wins over Don Fullmer and Jose Gonzalez. Jose Becerra
Career: 1954-1960 World championships: World Banatamweight (February 4, 1960-August 30, 1960) Hailed from: Guadalajara, Mexico Record: 72-5-2 (43 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 3-0 (3 KO) Champions faced: Mario D’Agata, Alphonse Halimi Champions defeated: D’Agata (KO10), Halimi (KO8, KO9) Turned pro at 17, Becerra underwent an apprenticeship that encompassed six years and 55 fights. He first earned world-level attention by upsetting the more experienced Manuel Armenteros over 10 rounds in January 1957 before notching three decision victories over perennial contender Jose Medel. Becerra then stopped former bantamweight champion Mario D’Agata in 10 rounds to earn a crack at D’Agata’s conqueror, Halimi, three fights later. Beccera broke open an even contest by decking Halimi twice in the eighth to post a TKO and capture the belt. Following three non-title wins against Frankie Duran and Walt Ingram (who died of his injuries two days later), Becerra met Halimi again, overcoming a second round knockdown to stop Halimi in nine. Just as Becerra was gaining popularity in Mexico and a solid foothold as a champion, Eloy Sanchez stopped Becerra in eight and at 24 he announced his retirement. Perhaps sparked by his memories of the Ingram fight, Becerra made one final ring appearance a six round win over Alberto Martinez, at a charity event for Rudy Coronado who had been seriously injured in a recent contest. Johnny Bratton Bratton was the sort of fighter who lost more than he won to the best, only to work out as a compliment to the men who beat him. A popular attraction is his day, “Honey Boy” possessed ending power and ring savvy which kept him afoot in all but three of 87 contests. At the height of his prowess, Bratton defeated perennial contender Charley Fusari in a rugged affair to capture the NBA share of the Welterweight title vacated by Sugar Ray Robinson in 1950. He would not hold the distinction long, losing the crown to Kid Gavilan in his first defense. On his way up the ranks, he faced some of the best Lightweights of any era, managing a knockout of future champion Joe Brown, and later held Gavilan to a draw in a non-title rematch of their title affair. Jimmy Carruthers
Career: 1950-1962 World Championships: World bantamweight (November 15, 1952-May 2, 1954) Hailed from: Paddington, New South Wales, Australia Record: 21-4 (13 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 2-0 (2 KO) Champions faced: Vic Toweel Champions defeated: Toweel (KO1, KO10) Carruthers was a member of Australia’s 1948 Olympic team but had to withdraw before the quarterfinal round after sustaining an eye injury. Upon turning pro he achieved instant success by winning the Australian bantamweight title in 1951 and added the British Commonwealth title the following year. A highly skilled southpaw speedster, Carruthers became Australia’s first universally recognized world champion with a startlingly savage assault against longtime champ Vic Toweel, who he dispatched in 139 seconds. Carruthers repeated the triumph four months later and registered defenses against Henry “Pappy” Gault and Chamroen Songkitrat before retiring as an undefeated champion (19-0, 11KO). The Songkitrat defense remains famous due to the monsoon-like conditions that forced them to fight in bare feet. Carruthers launched a six-fight comeback seven years later and lost four of six fights before hanging up the gloves for good. Donald Curry
Career: 1980-1997 World Championships: WBA welterweight (February 13, 1983-September 27, 1986), WBC welterweight (December 6, 1985-September 27, 1986), IBF welterweight (February 4, 1984-September 27, 1986), WBC super welterweight (July 8, 1988-February 11, 1989) Hailed from: Fort Worth, Texas Record: 34-6 (25 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 6-5 (2 KO) Champions faced: Lupe Aquino, Lloyd Honeyghan, Rene Jacquot, Mike McCallum, Milton McCrory, Michael Nunn, Terry Norris, Gianfranco Rosi, Carlos Santos, Marlon Starling Champions defeated: Aquino (W12), McCrory (KO2), Rosi (KO9), Santos (DQ5), Starling (W12, W15) Nicknamed “The Cobra” for his lightning quick and powerful counters, Curry survived a challenging early gauntlet (Mike Senegal, Bruce Finch, Adolfo Viruet and Starling) to earn a crack at the WBA belt vacated by the retiring Sugar Ray Leonard. After outclassing fellow unbeaten Jun Suk Hwang, Curry zoomed up the pound-for-pound rankings with six defenses and five knockouts. He stopped Roger Stafford, the 31-0 Elio Diaz, the 59-1 Nino LaRocca, perennial hard man Colin Jones, Pablo Baez, and added an impressive decision defense over Starling. Curry unified the belts with an electrifying two round destruction of WBC champ Milton McCrory. Curry was poised to challenge Marvin Hagler for pound-for-pound supremacy but a weight-weakened Curry was overwhelmed and stopped by Honeyghan in one of the decade’s most shocking upsets. After rising to 154, he was stopped by McCallum in a challenge for the WBA belt but beat Rosi for the WBC belt. He lost it in 1989’s Upset of the Year to Jacquot. Curry lost subsequent title challenges to Nunn and Norris before launching a two-fight comeback in 1997 in which he went 1-1. Hiroyuki Ebihara Ebihara became the third Japanese boxer to ever win a world title with a first round knockout of Kingpetch. This durable champion may have lost five times, but he was never stopped, going fifteen rounds in defeat on four occasions, two coming in relatively close decisions to Horacio Accavallo in Buenos Aires. His style was entertaining, something that the rather unsophisticated early Japanese fans appreciated in its bang for the buck. He met Harada when both were in the professional cradle, dropping a six-round decision, only to match his countryman’s feat of besting, and then losing, the crown to Kingpetch. It would take three tries to taste championship gold again Tommy Farr Tommy Farr was an icon of the United Kingdom boxing world back in the 1930's. He was always on the front line of the sport in those days. An idol of the Welsh people, Farr was a tactical man inside the ring. Though he dropped four straight bouts to Louis, Braddock, Baer, and Lou Nova, Tommy went the full route in each of them. The bout with Louis was particularly dramatic as Louis was in his prime and coming off a knockout win for the Heavyweight crown. Farr was the first in a still-record streak, in any weight class, for consecutive title defenses (25), After a ten-year retirement, he came back and won the Welsh heavyweight title at age 37. He had also held this title in 1936. Tiger Jack Fox Learning his trade on the barnstorming circuit, “Tiger” often fought like one; cunning and quick. Along with a clowning style, you could say he was difficult to pin down on a good night. He was also known as a counter puncher with a tight defense. That defense helped early in his career as he lasted the distance while giving up seventy pounds to Hall of Fame Heavyweight George Godfrey. He learned as he went against the slick Rosenbloom, capping their rivalry with a win. Walcott couldn’t get past him in two tries years before Walcott would win the Heavyweight crown. Though he fought many of his bouts in Spokane, Jack wasn't one to fear going on the road. He was the kind of world-class fighter of the era who was a bonafide opponent. His winning record against top fighters proves that. Ceferino Garcia The originator of the “bolo punch,” later made famous by Kid Gavilan, the hard-hitting Filipino faced a who’s who in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. He lost Welterweight title fights to Armstrong and Ross (the latter being part of the historic “Carnival of Champions” in 1937) before capturing the NYSAC Middleweight belt from Apostoli in October 1939. He defended the Middleweight title three times against Glen Lee (KO 13) and Armstrong (a draw in ten most thought Armstrong won) before losing it to the slick Overlin. His most powerful weapon was a right cross that scored multiple knockdowns in many fights, and a knockout in the second of two wins over Hall of Famer Lloyd Marshall. Garcia was vulnerable to cuts and shifty boxers. His 102 wins are the most of any Filipino champion and his initial defense against Lee was the first championship fight ever staged in the Philippines. Betulio Gonzalez Yoko Gushiken Veteran trainer and manager Masaki Kanehira described Gushiken as "a genius who appears once in every 100 years.” A southpaw with textbook punching technique, Gushiken patiently probed for openings for his tremendously powerful left cross. Once he hurt an opponent, Gushiken became the personification of his nickname "kanmuriwashi" ("fierce eagle") as he swooped down on his foes and hammered them into submission. Of his 13 successful title defenses, eight ended in knockout (including six in succession). Gushiken won the WBA title in his ninth bout, an indication of both his talent and the lack of depth in the 108-pound class that was created the year Gushiken won the belt. His main weakness was a leaky defense and that was exploited in his final fight (and only defeat) against Flores, from whom Gushiken won a unanimous decision less than four months earlier. Gushiken retired at age 25 following the 12th round TKO defeat. Naseem Hamed The fountainhead for a new economic order in the Featherweight arena, Hamed at his best was lightning fast, unorthodox, and possessing of lethal power…and that doesn’t even account for some of boxing’s more theatrical ring walks. Hamed won the EBU Bantamweight title in only his 12th start and downed Steve Robinson to begin a long WBO title run in his 20th. Through the remainder of the nineties, Hamed would defeat the reigning, or most recently stripped, titlist of the IBF, WBA, and WBC to cement his place atop the Featherweights. Notably, while Wilfredo Vasquez had been stripped of the WBA belt prior to the Hamed fight, he was the lineal champion of the division traced to the days of Eusebio Pedroza. Hamed would ultimately defend the WBO belt 15 times, the lineal crown five, and vacate the WBC and IBF belts after winning them. After almost six years as a champion, Hamed was outboxed by Marco Antonio Barrera for the title in 2001. He would fight only once more, defeating Spain’s Manuel Calvo in 2002. Carlos Hernandez Hernandez was a power puncher who could come from behind and win a fight with just one punch. He had over twice as many stoppage wins as by decision. He took on many of the tough opponents of the era who were never champs or Hall of Famers, scoring wins over Kenny Lane, Doug Vaillant, Bunny Grant, Percy Hayles (title defense), Alfredo Urbina, Vicente Derado, Lennox Beckles, and L.C. Morgan. Hernandez won his lone world title with a decision over Hall of Famer Eddie Perkins, an awkward split decision in Venezuela that saw Hernandez win on both judges cards but lose almost every round on the referee’s. Hernandez defended twice before a majority decision loss on the road in Italy to Sandro Lopopolo. He wouldn’t receive another title shot until 1969, outboxed by the Nicolino Locche. Harry Jeffra A two-division world champion when it still really meant something, Jeffra was an intelligent craftsman previously enshrined in the now defunct Ring magazine Hall of Fame. Unbeaten in his first 26 contests, Jeffra beat the great Sixto Escobar twice before he could nail him down for a title shot at Bantamweight. He won there too, with a unanimous decision as part of Mike Jacbobs’s Carnival of Champions at the Polo Grounds. He would lose the title back to Escobar in his first defense and fall short, in 1939, of the Featherweight crown in his first crack at Joey Archibald. Most in attendance felt Jeffra had been robbed and a rematch was made, Jeffra exiting the champion less than a year later. Jeffra made it four out of five against Escobar in a non-title affair, retiring the Puerto Rican in December 1940, before losing a split decision rubber match with Archibald to lose the Featherweight crown. Jeffra would continue on until 1950 but without another title shot despite a non-title win over Archibald in their fourth fight and wins over Phil Terranova and former Bantamweight king Lou Salica. Rafael Herrera One of the best in a fantastic pool of Bantamweight talent in the 1960s and 70s, Herrera honed his craft in the ring, building on a 10-3 start to reel off almost five years unbeaten before a knockout loss to Chuco Castillo. He would lose once more before a decision over undefeated future titlist Rodolfo Martinez and a revenge win over Castillo set him on a course to the crown. Herrera dominated Ruben Olivares en route to an eighth round stoppage win for the title but lost it in his first defense, by decision, to Enrique Pinder. Herrera defeated Olivares again, by decision, before winning the vacant WBC belt with a knockout of Martinez and added two defenses against former Flyweight king Venice Borkhorsor and, by knockout, against future champion Romeo Anaya. Herrera was controversially stopped in a third bout with Martinez in the fourth round and would not become a champion again. Herrera made a one fight comeback after a decade away in 1986, winning a four round decision. Al Hostak Peter Kane The U.K.’s Kane battled often with a scale that wanted him at Bantamweight and the long shadow of Scotland’s great Benny Lynch. Kane won his first 42 professional bouts to secure a 1937 shot at an aging Lynch, losing a classic October battle in front of over 40,000 in the thirteenth frame. An intended title rematch ended up a non-title affair when Kane came in just shy of eight pounds over the limit in March 1938; Kane earned a fifteen-round draw. When Lynch vacated the crown, Kane was matched with Jackie Jurich for the title and left with a points win but largely focused on the Bantamweights from there. He would net a decision win over former 118 lb, champ Baltazar Sangchili, only to briefly return to Flyweight in 1943, stoned out of his crown by the heavy handed Jackie Paterson in one. In the latter days of his career, he would earn a points win over future Flyweight king Dado Marino and completed his career halting a three fight losing streak with a knockout win in 1951. Cocoa Kid A professional before he was fifteen years old, this fighter’s career spanned all three decades of boxing’s Golden Era. Cocoa Kid stands tall among the great road warriors of history. He was prolific and fearless – traveling by train from coast to coast to fight the best around. In the mid-30s he went down to New Orleans and distinguished himself as the only man to master a prime Holman Williams, defeating him eight times and drawing twice in a thirteen-fight feud. He was ranked by The Ring for eighty-one months between 1933 and 1947. Henry Armstrong didn’t dare give him a title shot, despite the fact that Cocoa Kid was the number one contender from April through September of 1940. Sugar Ray Robinson broke not one but two agreements to fight him in 1949 though Robinson was in his prime and Cocoa Kid long past his. Avoided by champions and the victim of many well-documented bad decisions, he sacrificed more than anyone knew: While serving in the Navy during WWII he was honorably discharged after being diagnosed with Dementia Pugilistica by military doctors. He kept it secret and fought on. Pone Kingpetch Kingpetch was the first World champion in the rich history of Thai boxing. Though Kingpetch had only 40 professional matches, he was on center stage for what seemed like nearly a decade. He was a three-time Flyweight world champion, beating Perez, Harada, and Ebihara for his crowns; Perez and Harada have both previously been elected to the Hall of Fame. Kingpetch’s chin was a liability but he showed resilience in avenging defeats and was a tough out at home. Kingpetch relinquished the Orient Flyweight title before stepping up and taking the world title from the great Pascual Perez via decision in Bangkok, later proving it was no fluke when he KO'd the great Perez in an immediate return bout in Los Angeles. Santos Laciar Laciar is one of the unsung greats from the land of Carlos Monzon, Argentina, and one of the more dominant titlists of the 1980s. Possessing both skill and pop, Laciar had a great beard and was never stopped in more than 100 contests. He held the WBA belt twice at Flyweight, with all of his nine successful defenses coming in the second reign. Laciar would win his first belt from Peter Mathebula by knockout, only to lose it in his first defense, versus Luis Ibarra. He bounced back less than a year later to stop Ibarra’s conqueror, Juan Herrera, in thirteen and would hold the title until a move up to Jr. Bantamweight. His move to Jr. Bantamweight brought less time as a champion and an early setback. In the first of three fights with Roman in August 1986, the reigning WBC and lineal champion at 115 lbs., he settled for a draw. Six straight wins set up a rematch just as evenly contested through the first ten rounds, but cuts suffered by Roman awarded Laciar the title in the eleventh round. It would be his last title victory, as Laciar would be soundly outboxed by Rojas in his first attempted defense. He continued until 1990, losing the third Roman fight in 1989 by decisive scores and finally retiring following a loss to future titlist Hugo Soto. Tippy Larkin Larkin briefly resuscitated a dead Jr. Welterweight title, the sole claimant to the 140 lb. throne between 1935 and 1959. A slick boxer-puncher, Larkin’s chin was a draw back as ten of 15 losses came via knockout. It must be noted many of those knockouts came at the hands of the best, men like Ike Williams, an undefeated Charley Fusari, Henry Armstrong, Beau Jack and Lew Jenkins. He mastered future Welterweight champion “Red” Cochrane five out of five and outboxed Hall of Famer Billy Graham over the route. His lone title came when matched with veteran contender Willie Joyce whom he defeated on points for the title and in his lone defense. Jose Legra A two-time WBC titlist, Legra was part of a long line of great Cuban born boxers who left their homeland with the arrival of Fidel Castro. He took his talents to Spain, and fashioned a lengthy and productive career. His speedy, slashing style made him a fan favorite. Besides his bouts with champions and Hall of Famers, Jose defeated top-rated boxers such as Love Allotey, Joe Tettah and Don Johnson. He also held the European Featherweight title for nearly six years. Legra briefly held his first title, avenging a previous loss to Winstone by knockout only to lose his first defense against Johnny Famechon. Legra reached a final peak with his title win over Clemente Sanchez. The thrill was short lived. Months later, Legra would lose the title to the great Jofre by decision and, later in the year, suffer a first round knockout at the hands of Alexis Arguello to end his career. Miguel Lora Nicknamed “Happy” for his cheery demeanor even while fighting, Lora showed power early in his championship time by decking Zaragoza five times and stopping Enrique Sanchez and former WBC Flyweight king Avelar. As his reign lengthened, Lora depended heavily on lively legs and quick hands to outclass opponents. Lora defended only twice in his native Colombia, beating Davila before 50,000 in Barranquilla and defeating the capable Lucio Lopez over 12 in Cartegena. All but one of his other defenses were in Miami, his rematch win over Davila was tainted when sugar water was confiscated from his corner. Despite concrete evidence of tampering, the WBC allowed Lora to keep his belt. Lora’s quality of opposition was fairly strong as wins over Zaragoza, Davila, Lopez, Sanchez and Vazquez show. Lora lost his belt to the vastly taller Perez and was stopped in a two-round shootout with Canizales for the vacant WBO belt. He made another attempt at the WBO strap against Del Valle, but after a comprehensive loss Lora retired at 32. Raul Macias Though his career did not last very long, "El Raton" was right in the thick of things during his heyday. Roaring right out of the 1952 Olympics, Macias captured the North American Bantamweight title in only his 11th pro bout. In his very next outing, he won the vacant NBA title. He had two successful defenses before losing to Halimi for the world title, a split decision at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field. Macias would fight on sparingly, winning five straight from 1958 to 1962 but never again competing for a championship Ernesto Marcel Marcel was hatched from the standard mold of Panamanian boxers. Speed and fancy footwork were their calling cards, though he did produce 24 stoppage wins in his 47-fight career. Except for his initial title fight – a draw with Shibata – in Japan, he did all his boxing in South and Central America. Marcel would suffer only one knockout loss, at the hands of Roberto Duran in 1970, before going on to capture gold two years later. Marcel had four successful title defenses before his premature retirement at age 25. He went out on a high note, scoring a decision over future the future Jr. Lightweight champion Serrano and posting a final title defense in a schooling of a young Alexis Arguello. Freddie Mills “Fearless” Freddie lived up to his nickname with a style of get or get got that thrilled fans on both sides of the Atlantic. A pair of wins over British exemplars Jock McAvoy and another over Len Harvey portended a future as champion. It would not come easy as the first of two title fights with Gus Lesnevich ended with Mills dropped four times in a classic brawl before being stopped in ten in 1946. Mills was stopped again the following year in five by Hall of Famer Lloyd Marshall but opportunity would knock with Lesnevich one more time. He earned a chance for revenge in 1948, forcing Lesnevich to the floor twice en route to a unanimous decision win. He would manage only one successful title defense before losing the crown to Joey Maxim by a tenth round knockout in his final fight. Mills would go on to be a nightclub owner in London, found dead of a gunshot wound in 1965 ultimately ruled a suicide. Rinty Monaghan John Joseph “Rinty” Monaghan of Belfast, Ireland, was as popular outside the ring as he was fearless in it. Monaghan became a national flyweight champion in 1945 and within months he avenged the only knockout loss of his career against Scotland’s Jackie Paterson. A disqualification loss in a non-title bout against Dado Marino in July 1947 led directly to a rematch three months later for the vacant NBA title, and Monaghan again avenged himself with a victory. He dropped an eight round non-title decision to Terry Allen between his first two defenses and escaped with a draw against Allen in his second title defense. It would be his last bout. A chronic lung condition forced his retirement, but his legacy began the night he took the lineal flyweight championship by knocking out Paterson in their third match. Rinty stood triumphant in the ring at King’s Hall and sang “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” The whole crowd joined him. They would for the rest of his life. Masao Ohba Masao Ohba is to Japan what Salvador Sanchez is to Mexico –a young master on the path to all-time greatness before his tragic death at age 23. Ohba was a good technician and counter-puncher who set up combinations behind a strong jab. He was not hard to find with punches, but was never stopped in 38 professional bouts. His last fight was against future lineal champion Chartchai Chinoi. It showed us who he was. In the first round, Chinoi landed an overhand right and knocked Ohba down. Ohba landed on his right ankle and injured it. Though forced to limp and hop in the ring to keep the weight of it and despite absorbing excessive punishment, he still managed to demonstrate how a great fighter overcomes adversity by scoring a twelfth round stoppage. Sven Ottke Immensely popular in his native Germany, Ottke had a style for the purists to admire. Using quick combinations and deft head movement, Ottke was a master of space who befuddled more dangerous opponents. Ottke never fought outside of Germany and this has cast a shadow on a few of his professional bouts. Decisions in his favor over Mads Larsen, both wins over Charles Brewer, and a late career win over Robin Reid, were marred by questionable officiating. To his credit, wins over Glen Johnson, Silvio Branco, and Byron Mitchell were hard fought and well-earned. In perhaps his most surprising performance, Ottke was behind on the scorecards to Anthony Mundine but managed to summon a single shot to save his title. Ken Overlin They called him the ‘King of the Cocktail Lounge’, but Overlin was great despite his distaste for training. Known for his physical and mental agility –he would typically bound in and around his opponents, swiping, grabbing, and baffling many during the Golden Era. A win over future titlist Fred Apostoli set up a crack at Freddie Steele for NBA honors in 1937, Overlin was stopped in the fourth round. It would take 39 more fights before he was granted another title opportunity. The second time was the charm for Overlin;who he scored a unanimous decision over Ceferino Garcia. A highly disputed non-title loss to Billy Soose came before two defenses against tough Steve Belloise and, finally, a title loss to Soose. Overlin followed that defeat with a career highlight, winning a unanimous decision to hold off a 15-0 Ezzard Charles. Overlin continued until 1944, adding wins over Al Hostak, a draw versus Apostoli and holding Charles to a draw in a 1944 rematch. Gustave Roth Roth’s 137-bout career lasted over seventeen years and spanned all three decades of boxing’s Golden Era. He was, however, strictly a European phenomenon, particularly in Belgium where he won the national middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight crowns. He was only 20 years old when he captured the EBU welterweight title and would successfully defend it a dozen times. Within a few years he captured two more European championships with lineages that began with the legendary Georges Carpentier –the EBU middleweight and light heavyweight titles. Lou Salica Salica won a slew of national amateur titles before taking a bronze medal at the 1932 Olympics. Not blessed with great power, Salica’s good jab and solid footwork complemented his courage and determination went 1-1-1 with Midget Wolgast en route to dethroning Sixto Escobar (Puerto Rico’s first world champion) in a disputed decision in August 1935. Salica’s reign lasted just 79 days as Escobar regained the crown over 15 rounds and Salica lost a subsequent challenge to him in February 1937. He defeated future champs Manuel Ortiz and Richie Lemos among others to gain another shot, this time for the vacant NBA crown against Georgie Pace. Their first fight was a draw but Salica won the rematch six months later. His second reign saw him defeat Tommy Forte twice and Lou Transparenti before Ortiz dethroned him for the last time in 1943. Historian Herb Goldman ranks Salica 18th on his list of bantamweights. Dave Sands The Aborigine warrior was a middleweight who held the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight crowns. Although he fought most of his contests in Australia and the United Kingdom, Sands managed a trip to the U.S. in 1951 after luring Hall of Famer Bobo Olson to Australia to Sydney in 1950. Sands won the first encounter and repeated the feat in Chicago, winning a unanimous verdict over ten rounds on national television. Stopped only twice in 110 bouts, Sands had a solid chin, a big left hook, and a style that was a study in grace and power. Sands was closing in on a shot at Sugar Ray Robinson’s middleweight crown, when he was killed in an auto accident in 1952. He was only 26 years old. Petey Scalzo Petey Scalzo was a native New Yorker back when it meant something in the fight game. Though his career spanned only eight years, he was able to pack in over 100 fights when the New York area was chock full of club shows as well as big arena cards. He wasn't averse to traveling either, and would criss-cross the continent on a dime to get fights. Like a lot of boxers toward the end of their boxing days, he had a spotty record of 11-11-2, but he went undefeated in his first 40 bouts before dropping a decision to tough Mike Belloise (who once held a lightly regarded claim to the Featherweight crown in New York). After retirement, he couldn’t stay out of the ring and so became an active referee in New York from 1947 until 1959 when he was appointed to the New York State Athletic Commission. Samuel Serrano Serrano was a long-armed boxer who used lateral movement and knowledge of the darker arts to enjoy a lengthy stay as WBA junior lightweight champion, one that was made longer since he never unified against Alexis Arguello or Alfredo Escalera. Twelve defenses over two reigns were among the most prolific in the division’s history and he wasn’t afraid to defend on the road as he fought in Chile, Venezuela, Japan, South Africa and the United States. Serrano fought then-champion Ben Villaflor to a disputed draw in the titlist’s adopted hometown of Honolulu, spawning a return match in Serrano’s home area of San Juan, where he won by unanimous decision. Serrano amassed nine defenses over the next three-and-a-half years against a string of mostly nondescript mandatory challengers and was on his way to another easy win when Uehara starched him with a single right in the sixth. A more cautious Serrano regained the belt via decision eight months later and notched three more defenses before Roger Mayweather ended his reign. Yoshio Shirai Call him the Godfather of the vibrant, modern Japanese fight market. Shirai was the first world champion from the Land of the Rising Sun, also holding the Japanese flyweight and bantamweight crowns. He lost 3 of his first 13 bouts before beginning his rise through the ranks. He would not lose again until 1951. After dropping two straight from March to May of 1951, he avenged both; critically, he avenged a non-title split decision loss to champion Dado Marino via knockout, earning a shot at the crown. He defeated Marino twice more by decision, the first time for the title and also posted a successful defense over former champion Terry Allen. Shirai retired in the corner in a shocking non-title upset versus a 7-4 Leo Espinosa and narrowly found revenge in a split decision title fight. He traveled to Argentina for a draw against the undefeated Pascual Perez in a non-title affair but fell to Perez twice for the World championship in his native Japan, first by decision and then by knockout in his final fight. Kid Tunero “The guy is decent and elegant,” Ernest Hemingway once said of this Cuban expatriate. “He never hits in excess.” For twenty years, Tunero’s elegant efficiency saw him defeat champions and great fighters including Marcel Thil, Anton Christoforidis, Holman Williams, Ken Overlin (in a match where he was brought in as a substitute), and a rising legend in Ezzard Charles. Charles called him a “wizard in the ring.” This fighter was more than a mere “road warrior” – twenty nations all around the globe witnessed his mastery. He was comfortable at close quarters as much as he was at range and could slip and counterpunch with “with great aim,” remembered trainer Luis Sarria. Sarria ranked him over Muhammad Ali when asked about the greatest fighters he had ever worked with. “Kid Tunero,” he said, “made it look easy.” Wilfredo Vazquez
Career: 1981-2002 World Championships: WBA Bantamweight (October 4, 1987-May 9, 1988); WBA Super Bantamweight (March 27, 1992-May 13, 1995); WBA Featherweight (May 18, 1996-March 24, 1998; relinquished title) Hailed from: Bayamon, Puerto Rico Record: 56-9-2 (41 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 8-7-1 (5 KO) Champions faced: Antonio Avelar, Orlando Canizales, Antonio Cermeno, Israel Contreras, Khakor Galaxy, Naseem Hamed, Thierry Jacob, Miguel Lora, Luis Mendoza, Takuya Muguruma, Chan Yong Park, Juan Polo Perez, Raul Perez, Eloy Rojas, Champions defeated: Canizales (W12), Jacob (KO8, KO10), Mendoza (W12), Park (KO10), Perez (W12), Perez (L10, KO 3), Rojas (KO11) Vazquez began learning the fundamentals of the sweet science two weeks after his father died. To honor his memory, 18-year-old Vazquez wanted to win a title like his father’s hero Wilfredo Gomez. After 17 amateur fights he turned pro with a four-round decision loss but quickly developed into a two-fisted bomber. He lost his first title shot and then came up short in a shootout to Avelar but rebounded and won his first title at bantamweight with a knockout. His reign was underwhelming. He fought a draw with Muguruma and lost to Galaxy, but soon hit his stride as a 122-pounder. He avenged a previous loss to Perez by bombing him out in three rounds and piled up nine defenses. Presumed to be past his prime when he lost the belt to Cermeno at age 35, Vasquez confounded experts when he stopped lineal and WBA featherweight champ Eloy Rojas in come-from-behind fashion the following year. He notched four defenses of the belt before relinquishing it to fight Naseem Hamed instead of taking a rematch with Cermeno. Vasquez gave a credible effort before Hamed stopped him in seven. He retired at age 42 after winning his last four fights. Myung Woo Yuh Though many believe Olivo should have gotten the decision against Yuh, the South Korean proved himself a worthy champion by establishing a divisional record for length of reign (six years) and consecutive defenses (17) that has stood the test of time. The South Korean used a bustling offense to grind down opponents and his defense was dependable given his prodigious output. His first fight with Argentine Mario DeMarco is a forgotten classic as the pair swapped more than 3,000 blows over 15 savage rounds. The fact that he never met fellow champions Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez, Jung Koo Chang, or Michael Carbajal in potential big-money unification showdowns is his biggest negative, in addition to engaging a long string of obscure Oriental challengers instead of fighting outside of his native land. Yuh retired at age 29 after making the only defense of his second reign. He is considered one of the greatest fighters ever produced in South Korea.
Hilario Zapata
Career: 1977-1993 World Championships: WBC Light Flyweight (March 24, 1980-February 6, 1982; July 20, 1982-March 26, 1983), WBA Flyweight (October 5, 1985-February 13, 1987) Hailed from: Panama City, Panama Record: 43-10-1 (14 KO) Boxrec record Record against champions and Hall of Famers: 12-6-1 (4 KO) Champions faced: Fidel Bassa, Freddie Castillo, Jung Koo Chang, Juan Antonio Guzman, Santos Laciar, Alfonso Lopez, Sung Kil Moon, Shigeo Nakajima, Joey Olivo, Dodie Boy Penalosa, Juan Polo Perez, Tadashi Tomori, German Torres, Amado Ursua, Netronoi Sor Vorasingh Champions defeated: Castillo (W12), Chang (W15, KOby 3), Guzman (W10), Nakajima (W15, KO11), Olivo (KO13), Penalosa (W15), Perez (W10), Tomori (W15, KO8), Torres (W15), Vorasingh (KO10) A mantis-like southpaw, Zapata towered over his opponents and he used surprising agility to avoid shots like he was on a spring. His long jabs to controlled distance though he preferred mixing it up on the inside, Zapata decisioned former WBA 108-pound king Guzman in his fifth pro fight and first 10 rounder. He lost to Lopez in his seventh professional bout but beat Castillo in his ninth. Zapata captured his first world title in his 12th fight. After he lost his belt by knockout loss to Ursua, Zapata regained the belt five months later by beating Ursua’s successor, Tomori. Weight issues played a big role in his rematch KO loss to Chang. After winning Won eight of nine fights to earn a crack at a third title at age 34, Zapata was stopped in the first round and finally hung up those busy gloves. Biographies compiled by: Lee Groves, Maxboxing.com * Boxrec records are unofficial and may not always agree with career records given here. |
The BWAA and the INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAMEOne of the perks and responsibilities of being a full BWAA member is voting on candidates for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. The IBHOF mails ballots to voters after October 1 each year. Winning inductees are announced in December and enshrined in the Hall during annual Hall of Fame weekend festivities in Canastota the following June. For a list of all IBHOF inductees click here. For general information about the Hall click here. In 2009 the BWAA created a Hall of Fame Committee, which has written these capsule biographies of all HOF candidates to assist voters. The Hall of Fame Committee consists of Cliff Rold (Chairman), Lee Groves, Jack Obermayer, and Springs Toledo.
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