Busy Weekend with the Champs!
National Boxing Hall of Fame’s (NBHOF) “Salute to the World of Boxing” Induction Ceremony was held on April 28 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California. The whole weekend was filled with many boxing get-togethers with guests coming in from all around the world.
The Class of 2024 ushered in Sumya Anani, Marco Antonio Barrera, Barbara Buttrick, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, Arturo Gatti, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., Reggie Johnson, Manuel Medina, Shane Mosley, Micky Ward, Winky Wright, Hilario Zapata, Stephen Blea, Joe Botti, Bill Clancy, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Roy Englebrecht, Diane Fischer, Jimmy Finn, Don McGuire, Bernardo Osuna, along with special awardees Rocky Herron, Eddie Futch, Eiji Yoshikawa, Mark Wahlberg, Dr. Jim Nave and Diego Aviles.
NBHOF President Bill Young, Vice President Linda Young and Executive Vice President, Producer Drew Young and their team presented a KO day full of awards, vintage film clips, souvenir booth, etc. (more on the awards in the next article). And since everyone was in town for the big awards show, the weekend of April 27 and April 28 was also filled with several Meet & Greets.
On Saturday, noted authors/historians Gene Aguilera and Chris Smith held a special event at Steven’s Steak House in the City of Commerce. This was well attended with many champions making an appearance, signing boxing gloves and 8×10 photos for the fans. And on Saturday night, the new inductees, former honorees, boxing aficionados and family members got together for a VIP cocktail hour at the Hilton Garden Inn in Montebello. On Sunday, the inductees got their accolades with approximately 700 guests at the awards show held in the Crystal Ballroom at the Quiet Cannon.
There were so many former fighters, past champions, cornermen, officials, trainers, managers and more that it would be nearly impossible to list each and every special guest that was there in person!
Everyone said it was so nice to reconnect with ex-rivals and friends from afar while also meeting new fans at the various gatherings. What makes the sport of boxing stand out is the camaraderie in the community, the shared passion for the sweet science and the respect given to the heroes in the ring who give it their all for our entertainment.
The NBHOF’s yearly inductions are a way to celebrate and honor those who made a difference in the sport with many of the inductees still working in the business.
Visitors came from all over the U.S. including Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Nevada, Colorado with others flying in from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, the Philippines, and Mexico.
It was a joyous occasion for the both visitors and the Southern California locals.
And after the April 28 gala ended, many of the new inductees and boxing pals met again at the Hilton Garden Inn to relax, chat about the awards and bond with their fellow prizefighters.
It is this generous spirit that bonds us though the sport of boxing. There was so much joy at all of the pre-festivities and the after party too.
Bill and Linda Young will continue to work tirelessly to bring forth the best NBHOF ceremony for all. Each year gets bigger and bigger and the organization continues to grow and think outside of the box.
“Our NBHOF is a journey of love,” Linda comments, “and we look forward to 2025!”
It was truly a weekend to remember. Congratulations to the National Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024!
Photos by Michele Chong