UNCASVILLE, Conn. (October 19, 2017, 2017) – His induction into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) i runga i Rāhoroi po, October 28, as part of the six-member Class of 2017, will cap the boxing career of retiring judge Clark Sammartino i 13^TH ā-tau Dinner CBHOF Gala te Arataki i te ballroom Uncas i Mohegan Sun.

The other new CBHOF inductees are pioneer boxer “Professor” Charles Hadley, ring physician Dr. Tony Alessi, referee/judge Dick Flaherty, kaituhi mekemeke Dan Parker and boxer/boxing contributor Hugh Devlin, Sr.

A graduate of Brown University, the now 80-year-old Sammartino has enjoyed two other careers as an oral surgeon and investment advisor at Blue Fin in Providence, in addition to his role as an international boxing judge since 1985.

“I first got into boxing because Joey Angelo married my cousin,” Sammartino explained. “He fought back in the early forties. Joey fought Willie Pep twice and Sandy Saddler. That’s what got me started. We used to have the great Rāhina Night Fights at Rhode Island Auditorium and I remember watching Rocky Marciano fight “Tiger” Ted Lowry there.”

Because he was a successful oral surgeon, Clark could take long weekends to judge fights all over the world. His first and most memorable world title fight was Vinny Paz-Greg Haughn I. Through his long career, Sammartino judged more than 400 pro whawhai, whai wāhi 50 major world title fights.

The list of boxers whose fights Sammartino judged reads like a Who’s Who of Boxing during the past 32 tau: Mike Tyson, Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Julio Hiha Chavez, Johnny Tapia, Naseem Hamed, Chris Eubank, Marco Antonio Barrera, Mark Johnson, Wayne McCullough, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennady Golovkin, Anthony Joshua, Sergey Kovalev, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Lopez, Nonito Donaire, Acelino Freitas, Ivan Calderón, Pirika Trinidad, Tommy Morrison and many more.

Sammartino, who proudly says he never missed a day of work in 40 tau, has decided to retire, although he’ll remain a boxing fans for the rest of his life. “I started slowing down at my age, doing local shows and maybe three or four world title fights a year, mostly WBO and IBF,” Sammartino remarked. “I had a tough bout with pneumonia the past 5-6 months and that made working difficult.”

His CBHOF induction is a fitting ending and tremendous tribute to Sammartino and his career in boxing. “I’m humbled to be inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame,” ka mea ia. “This is a great way to end my career.”

Limited tickets for the CBHOF 13^th ā-tau Dinner Gala Induction, āhua utu i $90.00, are still available to purchase by calling Kim Baker i Mohegan Sun(1.860.862.7377) ranei Sherman Kaina i te Manchester Journal Inquirer (1.800.237.3606 X321). Doors tuwhera i 5:30 p.m. AND, cocktails from 6:00- p.m. AND (cash bar), followed by a full sit-down dinner.

Haere ki ipurangi ki www.ctboxinghof.org mō ngā mōhiohio tāpiri e pā ana ki te Connecticut Mekemeke Hall o te Rongonui, its 13^th ā-tau Dinner Gala Inductee, whai wāhitanga hui tautoko, ranei inductees CBHOF mua.

MŌ CBHOF: The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 ki te whakahōnore me te whakanui i te mahi o te mau taata tino whai wāhi i roto i te hākinakina o te mekemeke. Ko tōna Ceremony Arataki tuatahi & I tū Dinner i roto i 2005. E kore i taea e kua tupu hītori mekemeke taonga o Connecticut ki te kahore i reira mo nga whakatutukitanga o te hunga tohutohu i roto i te Hall o Rongonui. The CBHOF’s new location is in the Sky Casino at Mohegan Sun.

Ka rite ki te whakahaere pai-kore, Ko te hohonu mahi hoki ki te haapa'oraa i te wairua whawhai o Connecticut ahu i roto i ngā takoha aroha te Connecticut Mekemeke Hall o Rongonui.