TSHIAB YORK (Lub peb hlis ntuj 5, 2020) – World heavyweight title challenger and two-time New York Golden Gloves champion Lou Savarese (46-7, 38 Kos) is living the dream, raws li lawv hais, preparing for his upcoming induction into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF).
As one of the 28-member Class of 2020, the popular Savarese will be formally inducted at the ninth annual NYSBHOF induction dinner, Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. THIAB), Plaub Hlis Ntuj 19, ntawm Russo lub Rau Bay nyob rau hauv Howard Puam, New York.
“I have nothing but the upmost respect and admiration for this year’s Hall of Fame honoree, Lou Savarese,” NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy hais tias. “I couldn’t be happier for this man who has given boxing his all, nyob rau hauv thiab tawm ntawm lub nplhaib. His friends and family know that this honor is well deserved.”
Savarese was a local favorite, born in the Bronx and from Greenwood Lake, who was a two-time New England Golden Gloves champion having fought at the famed Madison Square Garden.
“This is truly amazing,” Savarese spoke about being inducted into the NYSBHOF. “I’m a New York boxing historian, going back to the 1920’s of New York boxing history. It’s so nice to have fought in the best place, New York, the epicenter of boxing.
Savarese turned pro April 30, 1989, khob tawm James Smith in the fourth round of their fight in Houston. Savarese went on to win his first won his first 36 pro sib ntaus, highlighted by his 36th by a seventh-round technical knockout victory of Buster Mathis, Jr. for the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) Heavyweight title. It also set up a high profile 1997 showdown nrog George foreman nyob rau hauv Atlantic City, when Savarese lost a 12-round split decision (114-113, 112-115, 110-118) for the vacant World Boxing Union (WBU) championship.
Savarese says his opening-round knockout of former world heavyweight champion James “Buster” Douglas nyob rau hauv 1998 for the International Boxing Association World heavyweight title is his greatest accomplishment in the ring.
“I was a big underdog in the Douglas fight,” Savarese remembered. “He had a good jab. That’s No. 1f or me. Winning my first New York Golden Gloves title (1985 thaum nws nresJonathan Hill in the finals) in front of my fans, family and friends was my amateur highlight.”
In addition to the aforementioned IBA World, Savarese also won the WBO Inter-Continental, and IBA Continental championships.
Beside former world champions Douglas and Witherspoon, as well as Mathis Jr., Savarese also defeated world-class heavyweights such as David Bostice, Hmuv Whitaker and Leo Nolan.
“This is special. I know most of the guys going in and it’s an honor to be amongst them. I fought six world champions (Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Foreman, Witherspoon, Douglas, thiab Riddick Bowe nyob rau hauv lub amateurs. Max Kellerman (fellow NYSBHOF Class of 2020 inductee) once said I’m from the old-school of boxing. That’s good, I love that.”
Tam sim no 54, Savarese lives in Houston, Texas, where he runs Savarese Promotions, as well as two gyms, in which he trains white-collar boxers. “It’s going to be fun seeing family and friends from back since I first started in boxing,” Savarese concluded. “A ton of people are coming (to the induction dinner), including some from Houston. I turned pro there in 1990, moved back to New York between 2000-2008, and have lived in Houston since then.”
But Lou Savarese will always embody what it is to be a New York boxer.
Other living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include three-time World light heavyweight title challenger Jorge Ahumada (42-8-2, 22 Kos), of Woodside, Queens by way of Argentina; (1975-78) WBC super featherweight World Champion Alfred “El Salsero” Escalera (53-14-3, 31 Kos), of New York City by way of Puerto Rico; WBC super featherweight World title challenger Freddie “The Pitbull” Liberatore (20-4-1, 11 Kos), of Bayside, Poj vaj; WBC middleweight World Champion and four-time New York Golden Gloves winner Dennis “The Magician” Milton (16-5-1, 5 Kos), ntawm Bronx; and WBA super middleweight title World title challenger Merqui “El Corombo” Sosa (34-9-2, 27 Kos), of Brooklyn by way of the Dominican Republic.
Posthumous participants being inducted are Brooklyn welterweight Soldier Bartfield (51-29-8, 33 Kos), who fought a reported 55 lub ntiaj teb no champions; Bronx middleweight Steve Belloise (95-13-3, 59 Kos); NYSAC and World lightweight champion (1925) Jimmy Goodrich (85-34-21 (12 Kos), twm; World heavyweight title challenger Tami Mauriello (82-13-1, 60 Kos), ntawm Bronx; WBA light middleweight World champion (1982-83) and four-consecutive New York Golden Gloves titlist Davey “Sensational” Moore (18-5, 14 Kos), ntawm Bronx; and World lightweight champion Freddie “The Welsh Wizard” Welch(74-5-7, 34 Kos), of New York City by way of Wales.
Living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are Oneida judge Don Ackerman, Wantah, Long Island journalist/producer Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Buffalo manager Rick Glaser, Rockaway Beach journalist Jack Lub, Bronx boxing broadcaster Max Kellerman, Ardsley ringside physician/NY Medical Director Dr. William Lathan, Orangeburg judge Julie Lederman, Hyde Park referee Ron Lipton, and Staten Island/Catskill trainer Kevin Rooney.
Posthumous non-participant inductees are Brooklyn’s Ring Magazine editor Lester Bromberg, New York City sportswriter Dan Daniel, Brooklyn’s Gleason’s Gym founderBobby Gleason, Sunnyside, Queens boxing writer Flash Gordan, Manhattan journalistA.J. Liebling, Long Island City’s NYSBHOF co-founder Tony Mazzarella and New York City manager Dan Morgan.
Each attending inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into the NYSBHOF.
Lub 2020 inductees raug xaiv los ntawm cov NYSBHOF nominating pawg neeg:Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, Jim Monteverde thiab Neil Terens.
Tag nrho boxers yuav tsum tau mus yuav tsaug zog rau tsawg kawg peb lub xyoos yuav tsum tau tsim nyog rau NYSBHOF induction, thiab tag nrho cov inductees yuav tsum tau nyob rau hauv New York State rau ib tug tseem ceeb feem ntawm lawv boxing hauj lwm los yog thaum lub sij hawm lub prime ntawm lawv cov hauj lwm.
Daim pib no yog luv nqi ntawm $150.00 ib tug neeg laus thiab $60.00 rau cov me nyuam (nyob rau hauv 16) thiab muaj xws li ib tug ua tiav brunch thiab cocktail teev thaum nkag, pib thaum 12:30 p.m. THIAB, as well as a full course dinner (prime tav, ntses los yog poultry) thiab qhib bar thoob plaws hauv lub hnub. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 los yogdepcomish@aol.com. Tawm rau lub NYSBHOF kev pab cuam no muaj nyob rau: half-page $100.00, full page $200.00 front and back inside covers are $400.00 each, thiab $500.00 for back cover. Mail checks and ads by the April 6 deadline to Bob Duffy, 1112 Whitewood Landing, Massapequa Park, NY 11762. Checks should be payable to NY Stare Boxing Hall of Fame, call Duffy to charge on a credit card.
NEW YORK STATE BOXING HALL OF FAME
HOOB ntawm 2012: Carmen Basilio, Mike McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, Emile Griffith, “Qab Zib” Ray Robinson, Noob Tunney, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Harold Lederman, Steve Acunto, Jimmy Glenn, Gil Clancy, Ray Arcel, Leej Fleischer, Bill Gallo thiab Arthur Mercante, Sr.
HOOB ntawm 2013: Jack Dempsey, Johnny Dundee, Sandy Saddler, Maxie Rosenbloom, Joey Archer, Iran Barkley, Mark Breland, Bobby Cassidy, Doug Jones, Junior Jones, James “Phooj ywg” McGirt, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry ua lag luam, Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Txhab Rickard thiab Don Dunphy.
HOOB NTAWM 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, Noob Moore, Angelo Prospero, Whitey Bimstein, Cus D'Amato, William Muldoon thiab Tom O'Rourke.
HOOB NTAWM 2015: Xa-u 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 thiab Al Weill.
HOOB NTAWM 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 thiab Jimmy Jacobs.
HOOB NTAWM 2017: Gaspar Ortega, Renaldo “Mr.” Snipes, Doug DeWitt, “Lub Bronx Bomber” Alex Ramos, Dick Tsov, Jose Torres, “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey, Don Majeski, Ron Katz, Stan Hoffman, Bobby Bartels, Hank Kaplan, Al Gavin, Arthur Donovan thiab Dan Parker.
HOOB NTAWM 2018: Lou “Honey tub” Valley, Jake Rodriguez, Terrence Alli, “Tus me nyuam” Joe Mesi, Kid Qhob noom xim kasfes, James J. “zoo Jim” Corbett, Jack McAuliffe, Billy Costello, Melio Bettina Ralph “Tsov” Jones, Charley Norkus, Dave Anderson, Pete Brodsky, Tshuaj ntsuab Goldman, Bobby Goodman, Melvina Lathan, Ron Scott Stevens, Johnnie Addie, Johnny Bos, Murray Goodman, Bert Randolph Sugar and Sam Taub.
HOOB NTAWM 2019: Wilfredo Benitez, Dick DiVeronica, Rogelio Tuur, Davey Vasquez, Michael Olajide, Monte Barrett, Jimmy Carter, Al “Bummy” Davis, Marty Servo, Roland LaStarza, Paddy DeMarco, Sid Terris, Leach “The Fighting Dentist” Cross, Don King, John McKaie, Steve Albert, Arthur Mercante, Jr., Bob Jackson, Dewey Fragetta, Johnny LoBianco, Wayne Kelly, Harry Hill, Jimmy Cannon, and Joe Dwyer.
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