A Stellar Induction Ceremony in Hollywood
The spotlights were on. The awards all lined up. The stage was set. The location legendary.
After rescheduling due to the pandemic, the 2021 West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame’s (WCBHOF) annual induction ceremony took place on Sunday, October 17 at the LOEWS Hollywood Hotel in the heart of Hollywood, Calif. Tickets were in high demand; it had been sold out long before the weekend gala began.
The 2021 inductees were Oscar De La Hoya, Eder Jofre, Ceferino Garcia, Fighting Harada, Michael Nunn, Gabriel Ruelas, Rafael Ruelas, Johnny Tapia, Adrian Arreola, Sue “TL” Fox, Art Hafey, Richard Steele, Roberto Diaz, Roy Englebrecht, Lee Espinoza, Douglass Fischer and Alberto Reyes.
Founded in 2015 by Rick Farris and Dan Hanley, the WCBHOF award show has become synonymous with class. A festive event with every detail doted on. The group is known for paying the utmost respect to all the honorees, special guests and luminaries in attendance. It is a day to celebrate past champs and individuals that have been dedicated to the sweet science through the years.
This veritable banquet of champions had 400 lucky ticket holders there in person. It was definitely a star-studded affair with recognizable faces seated at almost every table. Joining the gathering were men and women from both the sports world and the show business world including Ryan O’Neal, Paul Le Mat, Nels Van Patten, Patrick O’Neal, Teresa Tapia and sons, Carlos Palomino, John Scully, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Shawn Hawk, Paul Banke, Richie LaMontagne, Carlos Zarate, Randy Shields, the Weaver Triplets (Lloyd, Floyd, Troy), Layla McCarter, Luis Tapia, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Jeff Bumpus, Yaqui Lopez, Eric Gomez, Frankie Duarte, Sindy Amador, Bill Caplan, Paco Damian, Steve Harpst, Sonny Shapiro, Gene Aguilera, Jack Reiss, Bob Case, Alan Swyer, Sandy “The Shark” Yard, Melanie Ley, Julius “JuJu” Ballo, Jeff Crawford, Chris Cugliari, Jeff Zimmerman, Mike Serrano, Joe Robledo, Melvin Perez, Rick Nieto, Nate Wren and more. It would be impossible to name each and every guest there!
The event was first planned for the fall of 2019, then October 2020, and rescheduled for March 2021 with health situations and COVID-19 knocking out those original plans. But showrunner Rick Farris the WCBHOF Board of Directors were never down for the count! They rose to the challenge making October 17 an incredibly well-organized, classy, fun, lively day for the audience.
The afternoon began with a step-and-repeat photo op at the grand entrance. Then spectators entered Studio B in the gorgeous LOEWS Hotel right in the middle of Hollywood. The acclaimed art of painter Jun Aquino lined the stage and screen area. The Filipino artist had powerful portraits of the awardees on display as well as one-of-a-kind gloves with the likeness of the honorees painted right on the boxing glove (and then enclosed in a lucite box). His evocative painting of the late Johnny Tapia graced the cover of the 2021 official souvenir program book. And the awardees also received beautiful hand-beaded lanyards (with their name woven in each one) made by the talented Echo Lynn.
Everyone mingled before the awards got underway–the vibe was celebratory, the mood joyous. Everybody relayed how happy they were to reconnect with each other (both locals and out-of-town visitors) especially after the pandemic had forced previous lockdowns across the globe.
And guests came from all over the world to witness this special awards ceremony. And while it is billed as the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame, the organization can certainly be called an international one as many traveled from other countries to join the fiesta.
Brazil’s superstar Eder Jofre globe-trotted with his children Andrea and Marcel to greet his fellow fighters and fans at the awards luncheon. The diminutive powerhouse was given a true hero’s welcome (Muito Obrigada!). The WCBHOF “Book of the Year” awardee author Chris Smith (Eder Jofre, Brazil’s First Boxing World Champion) guided the family to meet the masses and, in turn, everyone from boxing fans to world champs were all excited to meet the Olympian and bantamweight/featherweight superstar.
Beloved boxing legend Alberto Reyes (Cleto Reyes Gloves) was honored posthumously and many of his family members traveled from Mexico to be there in person including his children Elizabeth Reyes, Beto Reyes, Malena Reyes and his grandchildren.
While Oscar de La Hoya was not able to attend in person there was a large contingent of the Golden Boy Promotions team with Eric Gomez, Roberto Diaz, Javier Razo, Cecilia Zuniga, Marylyn Aceves and more lending support at the historic ceremony.
The induction ceremony itself was a memorable one. Emcee Jim FitzGerald took time to give each individual their due time to shine in the spotlight. Each inductee was given the utmost respect for their accomplishment in the fight game. There were some cool vintage film clips broadcast on the big screens, emotional speeches, and appreciative applause from the sold-out crowd.
The speeches were unforgettable, the lunch was delicious and the camaraderie at the tables was top notch.
Many remarked to me that they were so grateful to be healthy and strong during the pandemic and also how happy they were to share a human connection again (with the city COVID-19 protocols in place, of course). The families of the inductees were overjoyed to see their loved ones (who have sacrificed so much during their boxing careers) receive their place in the WCBHOF Honor Roll List of Legends.
The honorees thanked Farris, Hanley and the Board of Directors for bringing the amazing show to fruition, no easy task with the pandemic blowing up during the planning stages. Farris is the consummate pro–a veteran and well-respected lighting technician in Hollywood, a former professional prizefighter himself and also is a walking historian in the sport of boxing. With his vision and creativity, the WCBHOF awards show remains one of the classiest and most entertaining events out there. It was his vision, dogged determination, strong will and passion for boxing that propelled his crew to ensure a great time for the guests.
And it was great seeing those from near and far from longtime boxing buddies to brand new acquaintances. Besides the international visitors, there were so many people that came from all over the U.S. with patrons coming from Illinois, Iowa, Connecticut, Utah, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, New Mexico, Nevada, etc.
The out-of-state visitors mentioned to me that the venue site of the awards luncheon was perfect for some sightseeing in the City of Angels. The LOEWS Hollywood Hotel is located in the popular Hollywood & Highland entertainment complex and just steps away from the Dolby Theater and the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame where thousands of pink stars line the boulevards. Muhammad Ali’s star is showcased on the wall (not the sidewalk) near the Hollywood & Highland entrance.
It was a knockout day with so many highlights that will last a lifetime. The audience held a collective moment of silence as Johnny Tapia’s widow Teresa Tapia and sons took to the podium. The fight promoter gave a powerful testimony to who the “Mi Vida Loca” fighter was and how his legacy continues on in their family. It was moving, poignant, bittersweet and one to remember.
There was an abundance of great, insightful, funny, excellent speeches throughout the day as the heralded inductees expressed their thoughts on their induction.
Some of my own personal highlights was watching the indomitable Eder Jofre spontaneously shadowbox on stage at 85 years young! The São Paulo superstar gave everyone a glimpse at his past greatness with his slick moves as the crowd roared. It was an honor and a delight to meet this marvel (72-2-4, 50 KOs) who is still ranked as one of the greatest fighters ever. While chatting with him, his spirit and spark is still there; he is the definition of a living legend.
Another fun moment was seeing WCBHOF’s Jose Palacios go toe to toe, face to face versus Michael “Second To” Nunn for a steely stare-off (just for the cameras) at the beginning of the show. As the two men faced off, it wasn’t long before both ex-champion Nunn and Palacios broke into laughter and declared it a draw.
I also enjoyed seeing the spouses, children and grandchildren meeting the respective families of former opponents. Future generations will know of these inductees thanks in part to the WCBHOF.
And I was delighted to sit and break bread with a pound-for-pound cadre of champions. Sitting at the same table were heralded champions and titlists Carlos Palomino, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Rodolfo “El Gato” Gonzalez, and Jeff Bumpus. It was definitely a “goosebump” moment to dine with such heavy hitters in the sport that I’m also honored to call friends.
Some of my best memories are from moments that I actually caught from afar between the ex-prizefighters, contenders and world champs. I saw former rivals, bitter foes, past opponents shaking hands or offering a warm embrace. No longer trading punches and inflicting damage on each other, there was solidarity between the athletes. Their recollections have remained stronger than ever as the years have flown by. These are fighters and champions who left it all in the ring, some never fully recuperating but always giving it their 100% effort for the love of the game. Only the boxers know what it’s really like to lace up and seeing their nods of acknowledgment and looks of recognition was not lost on me. It was a gift to see all the interaction between the gladiators of decades past. During the October 17 festivities, these sentiments were not brushed aside but honored and paid tribute to at this boxing party.
Boxing is the sport we all love but it is, arguably, one of the most toughest and heartbreaking careers out there. We all realize the true sacrifices made from these mere mortals who become larger than life in the ring. The warriors are older now having hung up their gloves long ago. Their broken bones and battle scars have healed and softened through the years. But don’t let age fool you, that warrior spirit remains as evidenced in the interaction between the pugs.
The WCBHOF gala let us all relive history, if only for one day. And no one wanted the day to end.
And Co-Founder Rick Farris wanted to give a heartfelt shout out to his entire squad. “My WCBHOF crew is the BEST,” he told me. “From Jun Aquino’s ‘Art of Boxing’ to Dimas Hern’s power in the event planning world, Steven Frazier’s audio/visual skills and artistic mind, Blanca and Lupi Guttierez-Beagle, Chris Smith’s positive energy and ability to make things happen, Rosie Ramirez bringing her experience in boxing promotion, and Angela Stanfield and Yolanda Esparza-Valdez, our front desk crew–they have the most challenging job of all.
“Plus Echo Lynn’s Native American Art, and Jose Palacios, my valued assistant that keeps the inductees in order and ready for induction and keeping things on track, Colleen Kelly, her dad (Tom Kelly) and mine were friends, and a great friend from Chicago, our Co-Founder, Dan Hanley!”
The hard-working team is already planning next year’s big gala.
Thank you to Rick Farris and the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame for this epic event and congratulations to the Class of 2021!
Photos by Michele Chong