Inaugural Awards at Monte Carlo
The final countdown begins as boxing’s best from around the world will all converge in the “Mecca of Boxing” for the inaugural Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF) dinner and awards ceremony taking place Saturday, August 10 at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Here’s an exclusive update from the “Chatter Box” as the historic event nears. There will be 19 honorees (in eight induction categories) as well as Nevada’s male and female “Fighter of the Year,” “Fight of the Year,” and “Prospect and Amateur of the Year.” This will truly be a star-studded bash as the list of special guests and VIPs keep coming in. As the highly-anticipated ceremony is fast approaching, the finishing touches are being laid out by the the NVBHOF Founder/CEO Rich Marotta (renowned radio host and ringside commentator), Joseph Marotta (Director of Digital Strategy) and their accomplished Board of Directors, Honorary Advisory Committee, sponsors and more. They have also received generous support from Jägermeister, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the UFC. Heading into the final stretch, Rich says the event has already SOLD OUT.
Over 400 attendees will get a chance to bump fists with an ever-growing pound-for-pound list of those planning to attend in person including Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Larry Holmes, Leon Spinks, Earnie Shavers, Floyd Mayweather, Mike McCallum, Wayne McCullough, Layla McCarter, Ana Julaton, Don King, Freddie Roach, Bob Arum, Mills Lane, Joe Cortez, Richard Steele, Al Bernstein, Michelle Corrales (wife of champ Diego Corrales), Eva Futch (wife of trainer Eddie Futch), and many, many others planning on coming out to this prestigious event in the “Battle Born” State.
The NVBHOF is a new nonprofit organization already making a splash in the boxing world and beyond. They held a fan-friendly May 2 “A Night with Boxing’s Legends” event at the MGM Grand. Now comes the historic first-ever Induction Ceremony for the Silver State’s newest Hall of Fame. In what promises to be a memorable weekend, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner and induction ceremony with the ring immortals.
While the gala will pay tribute to its 2013 awardees, the gathering will also serve as a fundraiser for the charitable organization. Donations to UNLV’s Boxing Program, the Jimmy Olivas Foundation with UNR Boxing, Truckee Meadows Boys & Girls Clubs, the Retired Boxer’s Foundation, Barry’s Boxing Gym and more have already been given or are on tap for future donations.
For boxing veterans, it’s a chance to reconnect with the fight community. For fans, it’s an opportunity to see some of the fight game’s biggest and brightest stars all gathered in one place at the same time. Inaugural Inductee Mills Lane (who suffered a stroke in 2002) will be there with his family in what I expect to be just one of the highlights of the show. His sons Terry Lane and Tommy Lane have successfully carried on with their Let’s Get It On Promotions (their next show is August 24 in Fallon, Nevada) and they are just one of the families I’m looking forward to seeing.
“My dad feels honored to be inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame,” Terry Lane says (on behalf of his father, Mills Lane). “It is even more special that he is part of the inaugural class. From fighting to refereeing, the vast majority of my Dad’s career in boxing took place in our great state. My Dad lives in Nevada. It is where he made his home, and boxing brought him here.”
Another second-generation team that I’m also looking forward to catching up with are WBC Bantamweight Champ Wayne McCullough and his daughter Wynona Leigh McCullough (Wy Mac), who will be there Saturday night. “Pocket Rocket” and his wife Cheryl have raised a very talented young lady in teen sensation Wy Mac, who will perform the National Anthem. I have heard Wynona sing several times and the guests are in for a real treat when she belts out Star-Spangled Banner!
With the live entertainment, an all-star lineup of champs and the historic unveiling of the first-ever NVBHOF awards, this sold-out affair will be a special one for the lucky ticket holders.
With the induction ceremony just around the corner, I caught up with Team Marotta, the father and son pair that have been instrumental in organizing this knockout night. I asked Rich Marotta (a California Boxing Hall of Famer) and his son Joey Marotta what they’re expecting next weekend, what they will look forward to the most, and what level of support have they received from the fans and the fight community.
Michele Chong: Hi guys! Congratulations on your upcoming event. What are you most looking forward to at the dinner and inductions?
Rich Marotta: Just that it actually happens and the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame becomes real with an induction ceremony will be the most meaningful. To see all those Nevada boxing people together in one room, celebrating a sport we love will an awesome experience. There will be a lot of past and current rivals, but at least for one night anyway, we can all celebrate those who gave us so many thrills in the ring, and those outside of the ring that make it all happen.
Joey Marotta: I think I’m most looking forward to seeing all the planning and coordination which has been poured into this event finally come to fruition. The NVBHOF team has been working diligently for months, across several states, to pull together something really tremendous for our organization’s inaugural Induction Ceremony. We’re honoring some of the greatest in the industry
that night, and they deserve a gala worthy of champions. Because of my dad’s work as a boxing broadcaster, I grew up around the sport, and have attended countless fights and boxing-related events. But I can honestly say that I’ve never attended a function that will have this caliber and this quantity of boxing superstars all at once.
MC: Tell me about the support from boxing fans worldwide. Also, what was the reaction from the boxing community itself?
RM: The interest in the NVBHOF, and the encouragement from both fans and the boxing community has been there from the start. The reaction of the inductees has been amazing, where nearly every inductee has made it point to attend in a state that meant so much to their legacies, and some are coming from very far away. Not everything has been perfect. There have been cases of resistance, or at least skepticism from possible sponsors and donors that has made it financially difficult at times. We did however receive a significant donation earlier this year from Jägermeister which had featured our inductee Freddie Roach in its campaign called “A Brother In Your Corner.” That really helped us. Then as we got closer to the event we received help from the WBC, and UFC stepped up as a sponsor, and the demand for tickets grew to the point where we sold out.
JM: There’s been a nice buzz building up, especially in the last few weeks. Being in Reno, and hearing of people in L.A. talking and asking about it–that is really exciting. The community has been great, from the industry folks to the fans to the inductees themselves, many have expressed across a variety of channels their support for the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame and our August 10th first annual Induction Ceremony. Media interest and inquiries have also been impressive, and we expect to have a nice press presence on Saturday night, and coverage for those who were unable to be at the event.
MC: Any other last thoughts or shout outs in regards to August 10th?
RM: I’ve had some core people who have aided me immeasurably in putting it all together. My son Joey, relocated to Reno where I live, and has worked this past year for FREE in many areas, especially social media, helping make this project a reality. Saville Kellner, an extremely successful businessman, CEO of Lake Industries in Henderson, has spent many months as our CFO, giving us his time and energy, doggedly providing guidance. Katie Lewis has served free of charge as our event planner and been indefatigable. Famed boxing publicist Fred Sternburg has donated his services, while respected boxing writer and Board member Kevin Iole has written all of our press releases. In the last month Chuck Williams, who has created many events in the past, added additional wisdom and guidance.
MC: Congrats again and here’s to a KO night!
RM: Thank you for all your help Michele!
JM: Thanks!
The boxing stars will collide at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas on August 10th.
History will be made as the champions and the illustrious participants in the sweet science will become the very first inductees in the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame!
For more info: www.nvbhof.com
Congratulations to all the honorees that will be part of the Boxing Hall Of Fame. For your names to be even mentioned as some of the best in the sport of boxing means a lot. Boxing may have changed a little outside the ring, but once the bell sounds it’s all the same.The legends of boxing will always play an important role in the future of boxing. The young fighters will always have people to look up to and a reason to become the best at what they do. So once again, congratulations to the honorees!
Comments are closed.