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NEW YORK (March 9, 2017) – Veteran matchmaker Brad Goodman, boxing publicist Lee Samuels and former world middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo will be Ring 8’s guest speakers at this coming Tuesday night’s (Mar. 14) monthly meeting, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neill’s Restaurant, located at 64-21 53rd Drive in Maspeth, New York.
“We ae pleased to have Brad Goodman, Lee Samuels and Vito Antuofermo as our guest speakers this month,” Ring 8 president Jack Hirsch said. “Brad is one of the most experienced matchmakers in boxing, Lee is one of the most respected publicists in the business. We look forward to Brad discussing the Art of Matchmaking and Lee sharing his experiences with the great fighters he’s been associated with and events Top Rank has planned in the future.
“Vito Antuofermo was the undisputed champion of the world during an era when the best had to fight the best. He retains the charisma he had back in the day. It will enjoyable hearing him speak about his fights against the likes of Hagler, Minter, Briscoe, Griffith and the great boxers he fought.”
Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman
A native New Yorker from Queens, Goodman has been a matchmaker since 1983 for one of the top promotional companies in boxing, Bob Arum‘s Top Rank. A seven-time NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Brad will speak on The Art of Matchmaking. The first fight he ever saw was Muhammad Ali vs. Earnie Shavers.
Samuels, who was born in Pennsville, New Jersey, has worked more than two decades for Top Rank. Lee’s first leading PR assignment for Top Rank came in 1987, when he worked with the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler during the lead-up to his showdown versus Sugar Ray Leonard.
Today, the affable Samuels works with Top Rank’s stable of superstars and world champions.
 Born in Italy, Antuofermo (50-7-2, 21 KOs) moved to New York when he was 17 and became a New York Golden Gloves winner in 1970. Nine years later, he captured the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight world titles, taking a 15-round split decision from defending champion Hugo Corro, in Monaco. Antuofermo retained the titles in his first title defense, battling Marvelous Marvin Hagler to a 15-round draw in Las Vegas. The popular Antuofermo, who fought professionally between 1971 and 1985, also defeated Emile Griffith, Denny Moyer, Willie Classen, Willie Warren, Bennie Briscoe and Eugene Hart, among the more notables. Many of Vito’s early fights were at legendary Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, later at the famed Madison Square Garden. He was inducted into the NYSBHOF inaugural class in 2012.
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