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, April 28, Dinner lokungeniswa
Don King, Jimmy Cannon, Jimmy Carter & Wilfredo Benitez headline Class of 2019 inductees
I-NEW YORK (March 20, 2019) – International boxing referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. will join his father, the late 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. KANYE), April 28, at Russo On The Bay in Howard Beach, I-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 ukulwa, okubala 72 ukulwa ngezihloko. 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 uJan. 14, 2017 at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn) phakathi Badou Jack futhi 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. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, 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. Kamuva, he said that he had hit me with a good shot and that I owned him a good shot. Emva fight, 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, owayeneminyaka 81 Isikhathi, for the first time in 1981 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Father worked the main event between Roy Jones, Jr. futhi David Telesco, Mercante, Jr. handled a fight between David Izon futhi Derrick Jefferson.
Manje, Mercante, Jr. is heading into the NYSBHOF to join his father. “I never thought I’d be in any Hall of Fame,” Mercante, Jr. amazwana. “When the call came January 27th (2019) kusukela Bob Duffy (NYBHOF president), it couldn’t have come at a more special day, because my father would have turned 99 ngalolo suku.
“Kuba ludvumo, 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, kunjalo, 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.”
okwakwenza abashayi-sibhakela Ukuhlala obheke ku-NYSBHOF zihlanganisa (Bronx-born) three-time, ezimbili-division emhlabeni iqhawe 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, futhi Queens’ 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) world welterweight iqhawe 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) futhi 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, of Brooklyn.
Ngamunye inductee ukuya (noma ozalweni) uzothola ibhande adizaynwe ngokwezifiso etshengisa lokungeniswa yakhe phakathi NYSBHOF.
The 2019 inductees akhethwe amalunga ikomidi ukuqoka NYSBHOF:Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, futhi Neil Terens.
Zonke okwakwenza abashayi-sibhakela kwakudingeka ukuba kuyiminyaka okungenani ezintathu ukuze bafaneleke NYSBHOF lokungeniswa, futhi kumelwe ukuba konke inductees babehlala eNew York State, ingxenye enkulu isibhakela zabo umsebenzi wokuziphilisa noma ngesikhathi oyinhloko career abo abafanele.
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, Zo D'Amato, William Muldoon and Tom O'Rourke.
CLASS OF 2015: Saul Mamby, Joey Giamba, Johnny Persol, Harold Weston, Lonnie Bradley, Paul Berlenbach, Billy Graham, Frankie uGenaro, Bob Miller, Tommy Ryan, Jimmy Slattery, Bob Duffy, Mike Katz, Tommy Gallagher, Bruce Silverglade, uCharley Goldman, Jimmy Johnston, Cedric Kushner, Harry Markson, Damon Runyon Al Weill.
CLASS OF 2016: Aroni 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 no Jimmy Jacobs.
CLASS OF 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “UMnu” Snipes, Doug DeWitt, “I 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 nelakwaDani Parker.
CLASS OF 2018: Lou “uju Boy” Valley, Jake Rodriguez, Terrence Alli, “Baby” Joe Mesi, Chocolate Kid, James J. “Jim Gentleman” 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.
Amathikithi kuthiwa ontengo yakhe yayinqunyiwe at $125.00 omdala per futhi $60.00 izingane (ngaphansi 16) kubuye kufake zebhrantshi okuphelele futhi cocktail ihora phezu entry, ukuqala at 12:30 p.m. KANYE, kanye dinner (ubambo prime, fish noma inyama yenkukhu) futhi bar evulekile usuku lonke. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 nomadepcomish@aol.com. Izikhangiso for the uhlelo NYSBHOF ayatholakala, esukela $80.00 to $200.00, ngokuxhumana Duffy. Qhubekani line at www.Ring8ny.com ngoba ulwazi olwengeziwe mayelana New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
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