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
Søndag, April 28, Induksjon Middag
Don King, Jimmy Cannon, Jimmy Carter & Wilfredo Benitez headline Class of 2019 inductees
NEW YORK (Mars 20, 2019) – International boxing referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. will join his father, sent 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 pm. OG), April 28, på Russo On The Bay i Howard Beach, New York.
Mercante, Jr. was an amateur boxer who lost in the 1976 New York Golden Gloves to Juan LaPorte (NYSBHOF inductee, Klasse av 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 kamper, Inkludert 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, på Jan. 14, 2017 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn) mellom Badou Jack og 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. Samtidig, 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. Senere, he said that he had hit me with a good shot and that I owned him a good shot. Etter kampen, 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, som var 81 tid, for the first time in 1981 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Father worked the main event between Roy Jones, Jr. og David Telesco, Mercante, Jr. handled a fight between David Izon og Derrick Jefferson.
Nå, Mercante, Jr. is heading into the NYSBHOF to join his father. “I never thought I’d be in any Hall of Fame,” Mercante, Jr. kommen. “When the call came January 27th (2019) fra Bob Duffy (NYBHOF president), it couldn’t have come at a more special day, because my father would have turned 99 den dagen.
“Det er en ære, 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, Selvfølgelig, and I worked a lot of shows with Wayne Kelly. Ring 8 has always been a great organization. I’d like to thank everyone involved.”
Levende boksere på vei inn i NYSBHOF inkluderer (Bronx-born) three-time, to-divisjon verdensmester 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 US-. Olympian Davey Vasquez (19-15, 6 KOs), WBO super middleweight world title challenger Michael Olajide (27-5, 19 KOs), of Manhattan, og dronninger’ 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 weltervekt Al “Bummy” Davis (65-10-4, 46 KOs), (Schenectady) verden weltervekt mester 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) og 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, av Brooklyn.
Hver delta inductee (eller direkte kommer av) vil motta en spesialdesignet belte betegner hans eller hennes induksjon i NYSBHOF.
Den 2019 inductees ble valgt av NYSBHOF nominasjonskomiteens medlemmer:Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, og neil Terens.
Alle boksere som trengs for å være inaktiv i minst tre år for å være kvalifisert for NYSBHOF induksjon, og alle inductees må ha bodd i New York State for en betydelig del av sin boksing karriere eller under prime av deres respektive karriere.
NYSBHOF
KLASSE av 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Sukker” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Nat Fleischer, Bill Gallo og Arthur Mercante, Sr.
KLASSE av 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 og Don Dunphy.
KLASSE FOR 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 og Tom O'Rourke.
KLASSE FOR 2015: Saul 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 og Al Weill.
KLASSE FOR 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 og Jimmy Jacobs.
KLASSE FOR 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 og Dan Parker.
KLASSE FOR 2018: Lou “Honey Boy” Dalen, Jake Rodriguez, Terrence Alli, “Babyen” 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.
Billetter er priset til $125.00 per voksen og $60.00 for barn (henhold 16) og inkluderer en komplett brunsj og cocktail time ved innreise, starter på 12:30 pm. OG, samt middag (prime rib, fisk eller fjærkre) og åpen bar hele dagen. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 ellerdepcomish@aol.com. Annonser for NYSBHOF programmet er tilgjengelig, som strekker seg fra $80.00 til $200.00, ved å kontakte Duffy. Gå på line på www.Ring8ny.com for mer informasjon om New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
OM RING 8: Dannet i 1954 av en ex-Prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 ble den åttende datterselskap av det som da var kjent som National Veteran Boxers Association – derav, RING 8 – og i dag organisasjonens motto gjenstår: Boksere Hjelpe Boxers.
RING 8 er fullt forpliktet til å støtte mindre heldige mennesker i boksing samfunnet som kan kreve hjelp i form av å betale husleie, medisinske utgifter, eller hva forsvarlig behov.
Gå på line til www.Ring8ny.com for mer informasjon om RING 8, den største gruppen av sitt slag i USA med mer enn 350 medlemmer. Årlige medlemskontingenten er bare $30.00 og hvert medlem har rett til en buffet middag på RING 8 månedlige møter, unntatt juli og august. Alle aktive boksere, amatør og profesjonell, har rett til en gratis RING 8 årlig medlemskap. Gjestene på Ring 8 medlemmer er velkomne til en kostnad på bare $7.00 per person.