HALL OF FAMER “THE GOLDEN BOY” OSCAR DE LA HOYATO ATTEND 2024 HALL OF FAME WEEKENDHall of Fame’s 35th Anniversary Celebration set for June 6 – 9
CANASTOTA, NY – MARCH 18, 2024 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum, which is celebrating its 35th Anniversary in 2024, is pleased to announce that Hall of Famer “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya will attend the Banquet of Champions and other events planned for planned for the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend set for June 6-9.
“From Olympic gold to world titles in six divisions, Oscar De La Hoya captured the imagination of boxing fans around the world,” said Hall of Fame director Edward Brophy. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming ‘The Golden Boy’ back to Canastota for the Hall of Fame’s 35th Anniversary celebration.”
De La Hoya capped a 223-5 (153 KOs) amateur career by capturing lightweight gold at the 1992 Olympic Games. He turned pro the same year and captured his first world title – the WBO super featherweight – in only his 12th pro bout and would go on to win 10 world titles in six weight divisions.
Among the champions he defeated include Jorge Paez, John John Molina, Rafael Ruelas, Genaro Hernandez, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga and Hall of Famers Hector Camacho, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker and Arturo Gatti.
One of the biggest pay per view attractions in boxing history. De La Hoya retired in 2008 with a pro record of 39-6 (30 KOs). In 2002 he established promotional powerhouse Golden Boy Promotions. In 2014 “The Golden Boy” was elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
An impressive list of over 35 boxing greats from the United States and abroad, including the Class of 2024, returning Hall of Famers and special guests will participate in the Hall of Fame Weekend celebration.
The Class of 2024 to be honored includes boxers Ricky Hatton, Ivan Calderon,Diego Corrales (posthumous), Michael Moorer, Jane Couch,Ana Maria Torres, Luis Angel Firpo (posthumous), Theresa Kibby (posthumous), trainer Kenny Adams,manager Jackie Kallen, publicist Fred Sternburg, journalist Wallace Matthews and broadcaster Nick Charles (posthumous).
The Class of 2024 will be honored during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend on June 6-9, 2024, in “Boxing’s Hometown.” Many events will take place in Canastota and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino throughout the four-day celebration including ringside talks, fist casting, fight night, 5K race / fun run, boxing autograph card show, banquet, parade and induction ceremony.
Complete event details can be found on www.ibhof.com. For more information on the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call (315) 697-7095.
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About the International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame opened to the public in 1989 and is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the great sport of boxing. Located in Canastota, New York, it serves as a tribute to the world’s finest boxers and contributors to the sport, allowing boxing enthusiasts to appreciate and celebrate the rich history and tradition of boxing.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located at Exit 34 of the New York State Thruway. Hours of operation are Monday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
TURNING STONE RESORT CASINOOFFICIAL RESORT CASINO OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
The multi-year partnership between Turning Stone Resort Casino and the International Boxing Hall of Fame spotlights the entire region, garnering national attention and boosting tourism in Central New York. The partnership includes a series of nationally televised boxing events at Turning Stone, culminating every year in June with an elaborate and bigger-than-ever International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend with several exciting events in Madison County and Oneida County throughout the four-day celebration.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 23, 2020) — Multiple world title challenger and decorated amateur boxer BJ “El Peligroso” Flores never really had a chance. He was born into a boxing family and the now 41-year-old Flores has certainly made the most of it.
Flores is boxing’s all-purpose guy: boxer, television color commentator, and trainer.
His father, Ralph Flores, was a military person who earned his “boxing coaching bones” through Kenny Adams, head coach of the 1988 USA Boxing Olympic Team and assistant coach four years earlier. The ’88 USA Olympic Boxing Team included Roy Jones, Jr., Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Andrew Maynard and Kennedy McKinney.
BJ started going to the gym with his father when he was four. His grandfather and older brother were also boxers. “My father wasn’t a boxer, but he learned how to coach boxing from assisting Kenny Adams,” BJ explained. “He fell in love with boxing while working with Kenny and learned his way to teach boxing. Kenny is still like a grandfather to me.”
Flores also loved football and he was offered a full scholarship to attend Brigham Young University. He took two years off from BYU to serve a mission for The Church of Latter-day Saints in Mexico, where he lived in one of the poorest sections of Mexico in Culiacan. He began training there in the same gym where legendary Julio Cesar Chavez trained as a kid. Goodbye, football.
As an amateur boxer, Flores had a superlative 110-11 record, highlighted by gold-medal performances at the 1997 National Golden Gloves and 2000 Western Trials, in addition to the 2001 & 2002 US Championships as a heavyweight. He was the only American to win gold in 2002 at the 4 Nations Tournament in Alabama versus Germany, France and Australia.
Flores targeted a berth on the 2004 USA Boxing Olympic Boxing Team, and he was a top contender, however, he received an offer from Main Events to turn pro that BJ described as too lucrative to pass up.
“BJ’s decorated career as an amateur boxer, professional boxer, and broadcaster place him in a top tier of well-rounded USA Boxing Alumni,” said Chris Cugliari, USA Boxing Alumni Association Director. “His valuable experiences inside and outside the ring serve as great examples for the next generation of champions.”
Flores fought professionally from 2003 to 2018, compiling a solid 34-4-1 (21 KOs) record, including three major World title challenges, both as a heavyweight and cruiserweight. He captured eight regional titles, as well as the IBA and WBF World super cruiserweight championships.
During his boxing career, network officials discovered that he was a gifted boxer, as well as well-spoken, handsome and knowledgeable with a smooth delivery. More than anything else, he could effectively break down fighters and fights and instead of only noting what had happened, he explained why and what was going to happen for fans watching.
Flores’ break as an announcer came, according to BJ, after his 2008 fight against Darnell Wilson live on ESPN. “I was a 4-1 underdog against Wilson,” Flores said. “He was coming off five straight knockout victories and we were fighting in his hometown (Dover, Delaware). He was ranked No. 2 and I was No. 15. He came into the ring carrying a pillow for me, but I beat him for 10 of 12 rounds.
“I was then brought into ESPN’s studios to be interviewed. Boxing was my life! I worked withBrian Kenny and we immediately had chemistry. By the end of that year, I was an ESPN in-studio commentator every three weeks.”
Flores ended up being hired as a ringside analyst in 2012 and he became part of the PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) broadcast team on NBC. He worked with giants in boxing and media industries such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Al Michaels and Marv Albert.
Although Flores didn’t represent his country at the Olympic Games, he was a CBS Sports color commentator in 2012 and 2016. He is looking forward to calling Olympic boxing once again next year on CBS.
“Anytime you can represent the USA is a tremendous honor and great opportunity,” Flores added. “I called the 2012 Olympics (United Kingdom) and in 2016 (Brazil). We called the action from a studio, but I’d love to call next year’s Olympics from ringside in Japan. I love it. Nothing else in life matters to me versus the Olympics.”
USA Boxing Alumni Association
Created to champion lifelong, mutually beneficial relationships between USA Boxing and its alumni, –boxers, officials, coaches and boxing fans — The Alumni Association connects generations of champions, inspiring and giving back to USA Boxing’s future boxing champions, in and out of the ring.
The USA Boxing Alumni Association is open to anyone who has a love for boxing and would like to stay connected with amateur boxing. Members are granted access to a wide variety of special events hosted by the Alumni Association, including its annual USA Boxing Alumni Association Hall of Fame reception.
To join the Alumni Association, simply register at alumni@usaboxing.org for a $40.00 per year membership fee. New members will receive a T-shirt, key-chain and e-wallet.
Today, Flores is a retired prizefighter living in Arizona. He still attends amateur boxing tournaments in Las Vegas and California. For the past six months he’s been training “Internet boxer” Jake Paul and, of course, BJ remains an accomplished color commentator/analyst.
When boxing fully returns on television, BJ will serve as a color commentator for The Impact Network, which plans to promote three shows a month.
Few active pro boxers have been television announcers at the same time they were fighting like Flores. Even though he’s now moved on from fighting to teaching as a trainer, he continues to be one of boxing’s most knowledgeable and popular commentators. No doubt, BJ Flores is boxing’s all-purpose guy.
ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.
This will be my 4th official amateur boxers reunion, with the first three having taken place in Las Vegas (December 2014), New York City (June 2015) and Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut (July 2015).
Boxers who have attended previous reunions include the likes of four-time world champion Roy Jones Jr., three-time world champions Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum and Iran “The Blade” Barkley, WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster, former WBC light heavyweight champion Montell “Ice” Griffin, 1988 U.S. Olympic coach Kenny Adams.
I’ve had this idea to bring my former amateur peers together for many years and in December of 2014 at the Rival Boxing Store in Las Vegas I finally had my first amateur boxers reunion and it was a tremendous success. Since then I’ve had two more (at Jimmy’s -Glenn- Corner on W. 44th St. in NYC and at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut)successful gatherings that have seen everyone from local amateurs, regional Golden Gloves champions, National AAU champions, world champions, Olympians and every other possible level of amateur boxer.
I had originally planned to have boxers from my Olympic trials class (1988)gather for a reunion but changed it to any era or level. On that end we’ve had boxers ranging from 1976 A.A.U. National champion Bret Summers from Washington State and 1976 Jamaican Olympian Mike McCallum all the way up to 2004 U.S. Olympian Jason Estrada.
Basically it’s a chance for us to get together, reminisce, tell stories, see old friends, meet people we’ve never met before. Maybe the best example of what my reunions entail came at the 2015 event at Foxwoods when I had Hartford’s Luis Ortiz and Lawrence Clay-Bey meet for the very first time since they boxed each other as young kids at Marc Anthony’s in Hartford way back in 1977!
WHEN: July 23, 2016, 12 noon to 4 pm
WHERE: Margaritaville Restaurant inside the Mohegan Sun casino @ Uncasville, Connecticut.
WHO: Invited and expected guests include, among MANY others:
WBA welterweight and junior middleweight champion Jose Antonio Rivera
Dickie Ecklund and “Irish” Micky Ward (“The Fighter”)
1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Breland
Comp-U-Box record holder “Sucra” Ray Oliviera
“Contender Star Peter “the Pride of Providence” Manfredo Jr.
1996 U.S. Olympic team captain Lawrence Clay-Bey
Current boxing promoter (Star Boxing in NYC) and 1988 NYC Daily News Golden Gloves 147 pound Champion Joe DeGuardia
Former two-division world champion “Poison” Junior Jones from Brooklyn, NY
WBO World Heavyweight Champion Mike Bentt and 1988 U.S. Olympic alternate.
2004 U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada
ICE
Quote: “
The wait in the dressing room before a professional boxing match -that last hour- could be enough to strip a man who never boxed before of whatever pride, desire and heart he THOUGHT he had” –Iceman John Scully, April 2002
“Boxing is a tight-knit fraternity. Everybody knows everybody. But a line in the resin will forever be drawn separating those who step into the square ring and those who DON’T. Many, many people make money on a fight, but when the bell sounds, only two people answer it.” – Randy Smith, February 2003, Journal Inquirer (Manchester, Conn.) Newspaper
