A Special “Trilogy” Event on April 24th
April 24 will be a very memorable day for hundreds of champs, inductees and guests attending the National Boxing Hall of Fame’s (NBHOF) Banquet of Champions.
Here’s my exclusive preview of the upcoming ceremony that will honor THREE years of awardees!
The NBHOF’s Bill and Linda Young founded their organization in 2015 but due to the pandemic, the couple could not hold their yearly awards luncheon.
So, on April 24, there will be the long-awaited official induction ceremony for the Class of 2020, 2021 and 2022 receiving recognition from their peers. Tickets are on track to be a complete sellout, so be sure to purchase yours now at: www.nationalboxinghalloffame.com
The gala promises to be a knockout day with a room full of some of boxing’s best. There will also be surprise presentations, special awards, and photo ops to please each and every fan.
I caught up with Linda Young to hear the exciting details about the event, how the pandemic affected the previous years and what ticket holders and honorees can expect at the NBHOF “Trilogy” induction ceremony!
Michele Chong: Hi Linda! Your event is coming up soon. This one is called “The Trilogy” and combines three years (2020, 2021, 2022) of inductees. And, obviously, the pandemic affected all of us. How, specifically, did it affect all of your Hall of Fame planning?
Linda Young: Our National Boxing Hall of Fame has a very challenging event coming up this month. With the pandemic, it certainly has been disheartening as we had to cancel our events in 2020 and 2021 which was difficult with our inductees, flights in place, hotel arrangements, banquet reserved, awards with dates already made, and the list goes on.
Our inductees and attendees understood the dilemma and have been wonderful to work with especially those who had to cancel several flights and hotel arrangements. A shout out to Ernie Brown in Chicago. Ernie showed his support and determination to keep his group on board. Hello Michigan, our Frank Garza, kind and understanding said hold onto the monies and tables, we will see you at the next event. So much to say. We find ourselves appreciating the support and great friendships boxing family has brought to the stage. The two-year gap didn’t stop the spirit or boxing family.
With deep appreciation, it is overwhelming to have this kind of response for the “Trilogy”.
MC: With so many inductees, is there an extra challenge scheduling all the stage time with speeches, film clips, highlights, etc.?
LY: The program will be presented with a precise time slot for each Inductee as short video clips will play as they approach the podium. The printed program is filled with information and interesting trivia on each inductee. With the printed program it gives detailed information and gives way to a personal presentation of each Inductee. The jam-packed program is inserted with a flood of ads and congratulations from wonderful sponsors and family members of Inductees. A huge thank you to everyone sponsoring our program as it’s vital to our event.
The ceremony will open with the National Anthem performed by Eva Ray Young (daughter of Inductee Eva D. Jones-Young) who has performed for many events in Indiana boxing events, etc. We look forward to the Evas!
After the event, we will have about an hour on the patio to say our goodbyes.
MC: You had mentioned to me that people from all over the U.S. will be coming in for your awards?
LY: East Coast, Midwest, and New Zealand meets the West Coast….We are excited! There will be guests from New York, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, Mexico and New Zealand!
MC: Can you tell us some of the special guests that will be in attendance?
LY: We have many “guest” champion boxers reserved including Terry Norris, Michael Nunn, Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Yaqui Lopez, Tony Baltazar, Carlos Palomino, the Weaver brothers, Andy Price, Herman Montes, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Art Frias and more. We also have boxers coming from out of state including Craig Houk, and Sugar Ray Seales. More surprises but I will just keep quiet until then.
MC: What else can boxing fans and guests expect on April 24? You will have rare boxing memorabilia and collectibles on display too?
LY: We are working on our room displays and one of a kind will be Frank Aragon with the display of robes worn by the great champions. Due to space, two or three robes will be on display on each side of the NBHOF banner by the stage.
As the door opens, we have six lovely hostesses with clipboard/table chart to help our guests find their seats. A meal ticket and program will also be handed to each ticket holder.
The National Boxing Hall of Fame is growing and it’s a challenge. We added more tables due to the number of inductees and requests for tables. We are at 500+ guests and will have to announce soon “sold out”. A will call desk is set by the front door for a few requests as the bulk of the tickets are being distributed by mail. A table chart will be on display by the entrance and we will have a team of young men to help with our large crowd.
We will have a Cleto Reyes booth and a Creative Charities silent auction along the back wall. We will also have a banner/red carpet inside the banquet room and
a banner on the patio for pictures so grab your iPhone!
Our wonderful photographer/videographer have been hired for the event as we love capturing those candid moments, the hugs and smiles of our boxing community. The ceremony will also be taped and photos taken of each inductee.
MC: And, in closing (on a personal note), you are a “Super Mom”! Besides planning/organizing your NBHOF event, you and Bill are happily busy with your large family of kids and grandkids.
LY: My wonderful husband, Bill is the rock of the NBHOF. My heart is full as I am so blessed with my husband, family, and 13 wonderful grandchildren. The pandemic has brought us to deep appreciation for family, friends and our great “boxing family”.
MC: Thanks, Linda and good luck on a great event!
LY: Thank you lovely “Sweetheart of Boxing” Michele Chong for your hardwork and dedication to the sport of boxing.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE INDUCTEES!