Champs at National Boxing Hall of Fame Day
The stage was set for a knockout day with generations of boxing champs all under one roof.
The “15 Rounds Down Memory Lane” event was hosted by Bill and Linda Young and their National Boxing Hall of Fame (NBHOF) organization. The luncheon took place on Saturday, October 14 at Steven’s Steak House in the City of Commerce. The Southern California boxing group was joined by guests who flew in from all over the U.S. and Mexico too.
Here is my recap from the get-together which featured a room full of prizefighters, a live jazz (Matthew Lake and Band), photo displays, highlight fight reels, a charity auction, a raffle and more as the patrons dined on a delicious steak and chicken meal. There were plenty of fun photo ops with an extra large World Boxing Council (WBC) belt on display too.
The Youngs paid tribute to some of boxing’s Hall of Fames of the past including the Cauliflower Alley Club, the California Boxing Hall of Fame, the Golden State Boxers Association, etc. It was a true celebration of boxing history in the Southland with many of the fight venues no longer standing. The afternoon was also a chance for the spectators to reconnect with their peers and reminisce with old friends. And along the way, they got to meet new acquaintances with the common thread of the sweet science connecting everybody there.
In attendance were many champions, contenders, cornermen and boxing luminaries including Israel Vazquez, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Carlos Palomino, Gabriel Ruelas, Rafael Ruelas, Yaqui Lopez, Paul Vaden, Eva D. Jones-Young, Larry Young, Sumya Anani, Nancy Rodriguez, Mike Weaver, the Weaver Triplets (Lloyd, Floyd, Troy), Zack Padilla, Frankie Duarte, Andy Price, Art Frias, Herman Montes, Greg Puente, Rocky Pepeli, Steve Harpst, Jimmy Gambina, Chris Smith, Mando Muniz, Diane Fischer, Mathew Porcellino, Benjamin Rendon, David Avila, Gene Aguilera, Elvis Grant Phillips, Alan Santana, Janie Bracero, Rudy Tellez, Burney Spencer, Dee Collier, Barry Becker, Gary Ballin, Larry Covin, and so many more.
There were several very special moments as the banquet proceeded. Eva Jones-Young sang a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, Gene Aguilera introduced all the fighters in attendance for a group photo, the crowd serenaded Andy “The Hawk” Price’s for his 70th birthday and Carlos Palomino was invited on stage to talk about of the new movie being made about his life called “Palomino.”
Additional highlights included an honorary WBC belt presentation to Eva Jones-Young who was known as “Sweet Magic” during her pro career. Boxing promoter Diane Fischer (Dee Lee Promotions) traveled from New Jersey to surprise Eva at the gala. Her team of friends, family and supporters all wore eye-catching new “Sweet Magic” jackets designed by Jay Torres.
There was also a moving video tribute from Mauricio Sulaiman and Pepe Sulaiman before the WBC’s Nancy Rodriguez unveiled the green and gold belt. This sparkling new strap has medallions with Eva’s photo right next to Muhammad Ali’s legendary mug! Eva’s husband Larry beamed with pride as the Indiana pugilist thanked everyone for this honor.
“Good times! I love this so much,” Eva Jones-Young remarked about the gathering, “God blessed us with one beautiful celebration.”
The ceremony continued with Gary Ballin speaking about the Cauliflower Alley days and Alan Santana gifting Bill Young with a framed photo featuring Bill’s father, referee Dick Young in the ring with Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton.
The fans and fighters enjoyed this intimate gathering (150 guests) in a storied eatery in SoCal. Many of the champs expressed to me what a great time it was to be able to socialize with one another. As time goes by in the blink of an eye, it was the best time to celebrate and show appreciation for one another and especially for the warriors who gave it all in the ring.
“15 Rounds Down Memory Lane” made a lasting impression on everyone. The guests were still raving about the fiesta days after the party took place.
“What a great event and WOW. The opportunity to meet great champions in and out of the ring,” commented Sumya Anani (who came in from Kansas City) when seeing the epic group photo of her with her fellow fighters. “Thank you, Michele, for capturing and sharing this moment.”
And the fighter known as “Island Girl” also added: “My only regret is that I didn’t get to connect with everyone. Bill and Linda need to do ‘100 Rounds Down Memory Lane.’ Pull an all-nighter!”
Jokes aside, just like Sumya, all of us would’ve gladly spent several more hours visiting with one another and talking about boxing!
The National Boxing Hall of Fame’s next event is scheduled for April 28, 2024.
Thanks again to Bill, Linda and Drew Young for a KO day with the champs!
Photos by Michele Chong