Arthur Mercante, Jr. was the third man in the ring for the March 13, 1999 world heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Louis that ended in a draw
Sunday, Plaub Hlis Ntuj 28, Induction noj
Don King, Jimmy Cannon, Jimmy Carter & Wilfredo Benitez headline Class of 2019 inductees
TSHIAB YORK (Lub peb hlis ntuj 20, 2019) – International boxing referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. will join his father, lub lig Arthur Mercante, Sr., in the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) to become the first father-son inducted into the NYSBHOF.
The 24-member Class of 2019 will be inducted at the eighth annual NYSBHOF induction dinner on Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. THIAB), Plaub Hlis Ntuj 28, ntawm Russo lub Rau Bay nyob rau hauv Howard Puam, New York.
Mercante, Jr. was an amateur boxer who lost in the 1976 New York Golden Gloves to Juan LaPorte (NYSBHOF inductee, Class of 2014). “I felt I beat him, and I wanted to turn pro,” Mercante, Jr. explained how he got into officiating. “My father said no as long as I lived in his house, but he suggested I try referring.”
Mercante, Jr. started refereeing in 1979 in the amateurs and moved up to the pro ranks in 1984. He has referred 336 fights, kuj muaj 72 title fights. Mercante, Jr. has some wonderful memories, including a humorous story in which he was accidentally punched.
“I was referring a fight (unified world super middleweight title fight, on Jan. 14, 2017 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn) ntawm Badou Jack thiab James DeGale,” Mercante, Jr. remembered. “I heard the 10-second warning at the end of the sixth round and started counting 5-4-3-2-1. Nyob rau tib lub sij hawm, Jack hit me in the face with a left hook, and I slipped. Beau asked me if I was alright. I said I was fine. Tom qab ntawd, he said that he had hit me with a good shot and that I owned him a good shot. Tom qab kev sib ntaus, he told me I can take a good shot.”
Mercante, Jr. believed the key to be a good referee is breaking apart fighters in clinches and staying out of the picture, because a fight isn’t about the referee.
One of his most memorable moments of his career was working the same show as his father, uas yog 81 lub sij hawm, for the first time in 1981 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Father worked the main event between Roy Jones, Jr. thiab David Telesco, Mercante, Jr. handled a fight between David Izon thiab Derrick Jefferson.
Tam sim no, Mercante, Jr. is heading into the NYSBHOF to join his father. “I never thought I’d be in any Hall of Fame,” Mercante, Jr. commented. “When the call came January 27th (2019) los ntawm Bob Duffy (NYBHOF president), it couldn’t have come at a more special day, because my father would have turned 99 hnub ntawd.
“Nws yog ib tug yawm, especially going in with this class. I worked a fight between Michael Olajide and Iran Barkley and Michael is getting in this year. Don King, ntawm chav kawm, and I worked a lot of shows with Wayne Kelly. Nplhaib 8 has always been a great organization. I’d like to thank everyone involved.”
Nyob boxers mus rau hauv lub NYSBHOF muaj xws li (Bronx-born) three-time, ob-faib lub ntiaj teb no yeej Wilfredo Benitez (53-8-1, 31 Kos), Canastota welterweight Dick DiVeronica (44-13-1, 13 Kos), (Hempstead) WBO super featherweight world championRogelio Tuur (46-4-1, 30 Kos), (Bronx) 1968 U.S. Olympian Davey Vasquez (19-15, 6 Kos), WBO super middleweight world title challenger Michael Olajide (27-5, 19 Kos), of Manhattan, thiab poj vaj’ world heavyweight title challenger Monte Barrett (35-11-2, 20 Kos).
Posthumous participants being inducted are (Bronx) three-time lightweight world championJimmy Carter (84-31-9, 34 Kos), Brooklyn welterweight Al “Bummy” Davis (65-10-4, 46 Kos), (Schenectady) lub ntiaj teb no Welterweight champion Marty Servo (47-4-2, 14 Kos), (Bronx) world heavyweight title challenger Roland LaStarza (57-9, 27 Kos), Brooklyn world lightweight champion Paddy DeMarco (75-26-3, 8 Kos )and Manhattan’s Lower East Side lightweights Sid Terris (94-13-5, 12 Kos) thiab Leach “The Fighting Dentist” Cross (35-10-4, 22 Kos).
In addition to Mercante, Jr., other living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are New York City-based promoter Don King, Flushing judge John McKaie, Brooklyn sportscaster Steve Albert, and Bronx trainer Bob Jackson.
Posthumous non-participant inductees are Utica matchmaker Dewey Fragetta, Crown, Queens referee Johnny LoBianco, Garden City referee Wayne Kelly, Flushing sportsman Harry Hill, award-winning journalist Jimmy Cannon, of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and NYSAC official/former NABF president Joe Dwyer, ntawm Brooklyn.
Txhua mus kawm inductee (los yog ncaj xeeb leej xeeb ntxwv ntawm) yuav tau txais ib tug kev cai tsim siv signifying nws los yog nws induction mus rau hauv lub NYSBHOF.
Lub 2019 inductees raug xaiv los ntawm cov NYSBHOF nominating pawg neeg:Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, thiab Neil Terens.
Tag nrho boxers yuav tsum tau mus yuav tsaug zog rau tsawg kawg peb lub xyoos yuav tsum tau tsim nyog rau NYSBHOF induction, thiab tag nrho cov inductees yuav tsum tau nyob rau hauv New York State rau ib tug tseem ceeb feem ntawm lawv boxing hauj lwm los yog thaum lub sij hawm lub prime ntawm lawv cov hauj lwm.
NYSBHOF
HOOB ntawm 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Qab Zib” Ray Robinson, Noob Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Leej Fleischer, Bill Gallo thiab Arthur Mercante, Sr.
HOOB ntawm 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler, Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Phooj ywg” McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry ua lag luam, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Txhab Rickard thiab Don Dunphy.
HOOB NTAWM 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, Noob Moore, Angelo Prospero, Whitey Bimstein, Cus D'Amato, William Muldoon thiab Tom O'Rourke.
HOOB NTAWM 2015: Xa-u 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 thiab Al Weill.
HOOB NTAWM 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 thiab Jimmy Jacobs.
HOOB NTAWM 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “Mr.” Snipes, Doug DeWitt, “Lub Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, Dick Tsov, Jose Torres, “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, Don Majeski, Ron Katz, Stan Hoffman, Bobby Bartels, Hank Kaplan, Al Gavin, Arthur Donovan thiab Dan Parker.
HOOB NTAWM 2018: Lou “Honey tub” Valley, Jake Rodriguez, Terrence Alli, “Tus me nyuam” Joe Mesi, Kid Qhob noom xim kasfes, James J. “zoo Jim” Corbett, Jack McAuliffe, Billy Costello, Melio Bettina Ralph “Tsov” Jones, Charley Norkus, Dave Anderson, Pete Brodsky, Tshuaj ntsuab Goldman, Bobby Goodman, Melvina Lathan, Ron Scott Stevens, Johnnie Addie, Johnny Bos, Murray Goodman, Bert Randolph Sugar and Sam Taub.
Daim pib no yog luv nqi ntawm $125.00 ib tug neeg laus thiab $60.00 rau cov me nyuam (nyob rau hauv 16) thiab muaj xws li ib tug tag nrho brunch thiab cocktail teev raws li qhov nkag, pib thaum 12:30 p.m. THIAB, raws li zoo raws li noj hmo (prime tav, ntses los yog poultry) thiab qhib bar thoob plaws hauv lub hnub. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 los yogdepcomish@aol.com. Tawm rau lub NYSBHOF kev pab cuam no muaj nyob rau, xws li los ntawm $80.00 rau $200.00, los ntawm kev hu Duffy. Mus hauv on line ntawm www.Ring8ny.com rau cov lus qhia ntxiv txog lub New York lub xeev Boxing Hall ntawm koob meej.
HAIS TXOG NPLHAIB 8: Tsim nyob rau hauv 1954 los ntawm ib tug ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Nplhaib 8 ua lub yim chaw hauj lwm ntawm dab tsi yog ces hu ua tus National qub tub rog boxers Association – li no, NPLHAIB 8 – thiab hnub no lub koom haum motto tseem: Boxers Pab boxers.
NPLHAIB 8 yog tag nrho cog lus rau txhawb tsawg hmoo neeg nyob rau hauv lub boxing zej zog uas tej zaum yuav pab nyob rau hauv cov nqe lus ntawm kev them nqi xauj tsev, cov nqi kho mob, los yog txawm justifiable xav tau.
Mus rau kab www.Ring8ny.com yog xav paub ntxiv txog NPLHAIB 8, qhov loj tshaj plaws pab pawg neeg ntawm nws zoo nyob rau hauv lub tebchaws United States nrog ntau tshaj 350 neeg. Txhua xyoo ua tswv cuab dues tsuas yog $30.00 thiab txhua tus mej zeej muaj cai mus rau ib tug buffet noj hmo tom NPLHAIB 8 txhua hli rooj sib tham, tsis suav Lub Xya hli ntuj Lub yim hli ntuj thiab. Tag nrho cov active boxers, pib xyaum ua thiab kev, muaj cai mus rau ib tug complimentary NPLHAIB 8 txhua xyoo ua tswv cuab. Guests ntawm nplhaib 8 cov mej zeej yuav txais tos ntawm ib tug nqi xwb $7.00 rau ib tug neeg.