There were too many ?moments? and a just not enough capacity of word thought to describe this year?s International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
Johnny Kalbhenn, a close friend from way back and from our mutual geographical stomping ground (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) is sitting on a bench, at the side of the parking lot, Comfort Inn, Syracuse, New York, quietly enjoying a Cuban cigar late this evening post the big Saturday night Hall of Fame dinner. I probably shouldn?t interrupt a man, and his cigar, in quiet thought but I simply wanted to say ?Goodnight? to our 1984 Summer Olympian and professional Canadian Lightweight Champion.
Johnny fought the tough guys including Tony Pep, Joey Gamache, Howard Grant, Jeff Fenech, and Livingstone Bramble. He trains the younger kids at Canada?s version of a Stillman?s Gym, that being the Cabbagetown Boxing Club in Toronto, Ontario (yes, you do walk up a bunch of creaky stairs and yes, the walls are plastered with old fight posters?in short what a beautiful Gym). Johnny is also in the acting business and amongst other items has appeared in the movies Phantom Punch, Cinderella Man, Against the Ropes, and Rocky Marciano. His idol?Jake LaMotta. Johnny as well as his dad are boxing men through and through, but timing and scheduling makes this for his first visit to ?The Hall?.
?Schmiddy! That was awesome. I just wanted to sit out here and enjoy my cigar and just give thought to the whole weekend, my dad, and just give thought to Boxing and just everything. THANK YOU,? says Kalbhenn. In reply I tell Johnny a thank you back and leave him to his thoughts. THANK YOU. Those words, in their brevity, perhaps suffice.
Thank you Friday night
Friday night at the Rusty Rail Party House is always theme night. Last year it was Heavyweight Theme Night (see ?Best Place?Boxing Hall of Fame?). The previous years have included Madison Square Garden Night Tribute and Mexican Theme Night (see ?The Mexicans ?It?s in the Blood?). This year, in full tribute to the great Hall of Famer Carmen Basilio, it is Welterweight Night.
Words of tribute to the Welterweight and Middleweight Champion Carmen Basilio, he of five straight Ring Magazine Fight of Year awards, could probably be endless. A stellar line-up from Zab Judah to Shane Mosley, Carlos Palomino, Pipino Cuevas, Marlon Starling, Simon Brown, Billy Backus, Gaspar Ortega and the legendary dance partner, Tony DeMarco, appeared and gave tribute.
Mr. Billy Backus, another favorite son of this particular neck of the woods and former Welterweight Champion, was too emotional to first speak. When he finally did get started he stated, trying to maintain his emotions with some humor, ?I am the only crazy bastard that took up boxing? (in reference to his family background). When Billy paused in further emotion someone yelled out from the gallery, ?We love you Billy, take as much time as you need.? Yes, we do love you Billy, and we loved Tony DeMarco and his clear and concise praise of Carmen Basilio: ?I?m mainly glad he was my friend.? This evening, as was the whole weekend in tribute to Carmen Basilio, was pure emotion and pure heart. In DeMarco?s case what more, in the end, could a man enjoy than a memory that he had a friend such as Basilio?
What was not to like about Gaspar Ortega, considered one of the best Welterweights ever from Mexico, who fought 176 times and at the age of 77 walked smoothly to the podium and spoke fluently in Spanish of his tributes to Basilio. To the Ortega family and to Gaspar Ortega, who I had the pleasure of meeting the next day, I thank you for the autographed brand new book Friday Night Fighter: Gasper ?Indio? Ortega and the Golden Age of Television Boxing. To all of the rest of the legendary Welterweights this Friday THANK YOU.
Yes, this is still the best place to be for a Boxing fan. THANK YOU, to the following:
Thank you to Earnie Shavers for joining my friends and me for a two-hour lunch over at Graziano?s. We now know Earnie is an avid fisherman and he is welcome up to Canada any time.
Thank you to Mr. Tony Graziano for the warm embrace upon entering your restaurant. And speaking of warm embraces, thank you legendary Don Chargin (what more needs to be said for you and me this time of year Don, we embrace our memories friend), and thank you Sampson Lewkowicz. It is always a pleasure chatting.
Thank you Steve Smoger, Kenny Bayless and Vic Drakulich. It was a pleasure trading War stories with respect to our mutual recent attendance at the big fight card down in Panama. You are all gentlemen, and in that context, thank you to all the referees who showed up this weekend in full tribute to inductee Mills Lane. What could be better than having Smoger, Bayless, Drakulich, Tony Weeks, and Joe Cortez ?in the house.?
Thank you for the chat at the VIP party, Mr. Heavyweight Champion Mike Weaver. As discussed, you still look as trim and fit as the ?Hercules? that you were, and clearly still are. The graciousness of a Champion is most certainly yours held.
Thank you?Saturday Night Dinner
To each and every person who gave a speech at the big Saturday night dinner a big THANK YOU. Everyone I talked to had the same input that this year?s Boxing Hall of Fame Induction weekend had as much or more emotion and heart than ever before. Perhaps it was the legendary Champion Basilio placing his footprint on the entire weekend.
To Jimmy Lennon Jr. a big THANK YOU. I leave that invitation that I will bring the steak! I step out the door of our lakeside retreat and I am two hours away amigo. To everyone at our table in and with respect to Jimmy Lennon Jr. (and congratulations for your induction) the following thought was the same: Jimmy Lennon Jr. is indeed a classy act. Jimmy Lennon Jr. decided to fashion his speech by way of going back, in history, and doing an in-ring announcement of all the inductees as his tribute to the fighters. IT WAS SIMPLY SUPERB! We lived in the moment of yesteryear though that wonderous boxing voice!
THANK YOU to Champion Marlon ?Magic Man? Starling for the big hug over at our table as you greeted a man that worked your title fight ?back then,? Steve Smoger. The embrace and emotion said it all Champ. I could watch video of you and that great defense to offence allllll night lonnnngggg!!!
To Chuck Zito who sat at a table beside us; Chuck it was a pleasure speaking to you. I look forward to putting on my alligator boots, coming to New York, and seeing if I can match up those fine lizard boots you were wearing. Seriously, it was indeed a pleasure speaking to you and thank you for your graciousness in meeting a number of people from our table.
Thank you Ted Zale and your lovely wife for joining us Saturday night. We look forward to the new book coming out shortly on the ?Man of Steel, Champion Tony Zale.?
To Hall-of-Famer J Russell Peltz, I would simply say thank you for bringing those posters for purchase along. They have already found a home at the Schmidt Personal Boxing Museum.
To Carlos ?Cutman? Varela Sr. acknowledged, and as set out, in fellow author Christian Giudice?s book on Alexis Arguello, Beloved Warrior; The Rise and Fall of Alexis Arguello, as Alexis? first trainer from the moment he entered a boxing gym as a young boy up through his first title bout in Panama against Ernesto Marcel, a big THANK YOU. Your words early Sunday morning certainly touched the right spot for Schmidt: ?Schmeet, THANK YOU. These weekends (Hall of Fame Induction weekends) renew my faith?spirit for boxing!? Indeed Carlos this is a business that is one requiring almost a daily renewal of faith and spirit and in turn this weekend exhibited faith, spirit, camaraderie, and otherwise simply put, just a great bunch of people coming together with respect to a common interest.
Thank you George Chuvalo. A handshake and a smile is all I needed at the end of the evening Champ. I don?t think either of us needs to say more!
Thank you Ed Brophy. You are tireless Sir!
And finally, thank you to the Backus family for arranging to have Mr. Johnny Kalbhenn, meet and say hello to his favorite fighter, ?The Raging Bull? Jake LaMotta.
And to photographer Rob Cruz, I would simply say, in summary of this particular weekend, ?a picture and not enough words.? Johnny Kalbhenn had his opportunity to meet Jake and a lovely picture was taken. A picture, to be frozen in time, of a memory of a great weekend.
I could give you so many more names, moments and memories. In part, they serve as my own personal document, my diary, of a great weekend and partly, in point, they serve to let you know how accommodating, gracious, and approachable all of these legends are during this special week to and for Boxing.
Where else could a Boxing fan possibly be to celebrate the glory of Boxing and meet such legendary champions, boxing people, and fellow fans face-to-face and have such camaraderie of conversation? I assure you that it would be well worth your effort, right now, to pull out your planner and make a note for next June, for the best place to be, to celebrate the glory of Boxing!
