Boxing Stars Converge on AC for Annual Hall of Fame Weekend

By Matt Ward

The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame is set to celebrate and honor the Class of 2023 this weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame (ACBHOF) returns to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on September 29, 2023. The star-studded weekend will feature the induction of 24 fighters, trainers, and contributors who have had significant impacts on the boxing scene and community in Atlantic City.

The seventh annual installment of the Awards & Induction Weekend kicks off with the Opening Bell VIP Cocktail Reception from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on September 29th at Hard Rock's DAER Club. An evening of professional boxing, presented by Hard Hitting Promotions, will close out Friday night’s festivities. The first bout on this card is scheduled for 8:00 PM at Bally’s.

The weekend continues Saturday, September 30th with the Fight Fan Experience at Hard Rock, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Awards & Induction Ceremony at Hard Rock’s Sound Waves Theater, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

The weekend's festivities shift from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to the Flagship Hotel on Sunday, October 1st with the Brunch with Legends at the Blue Water Grille, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

This year’s induction class includes 24 of boxing’s finest, ranging from fighters to ringside reporters, with connections to the seaside resort town. This year's class is also significant in that it includes a new category of inductees, the Pioneers, a group of boxing people who made significant contributions to the city’s rich boxing scene in the pre-casino era.

The following individuals will be inducted into the ACBHOF this weekend:

George Foreman

George Foreman needs little introduction in the world of sports and grilling. The legendary two-time world champion reigned supreme as undisputed world heavyweight champion between 1973 and 1974, scoring victories over Joe Frazier, José Roman, and Ken Norton. His reign as champion was halted by sports icon Muhammad Ali in the October 30, 1974 showdown dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle. In the 1990s, Foreman held the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Union (WBU) world titles in the heavyweight division. The big man, whose career spanned nearly 30 years (1969-1997), fought in AC five times against notable heavyweight opponents such as Gerry Cooney, Evander Holyfield, Lou Savarese, and Shannon Briggs. Prior to his professional career, Foreman won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. Non-sports fans became familiar with the former world champion for his namesake, fat-reducing, and portable grill, the George Foreman Grill.

Shannon Briggs

Two-time world heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs fought professionally from 1992 to 2016. A veteran of 68 professional fights, Briggs fought ten times in AC. Two of these contests in the city were for world titles. On March 28, 1998, he challenged Lennox Lewis for the World Boxing Council (WBC) world heavyweight title at the Convention Center. Briggs later unsuccessfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) world heavyweight title against Sultan Ibragimov at Boardwalk Hall. Other notable opponents in Atlantic City included fellow 2023 ACBHOF inductees Darroll Wilson (1996) and George Foreman (1997). A native of Brooklyn, Briggs was inducted into the New York State and Florida Boxing Halls of Fame in 2022.

David Tua

A Samoan-New Zealand former heavyweight boxer, David Tua achieved international notoriety after capturing the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. His December 1, 1992 debut marked the beginning of a nearly 21-year professional boxing career. Over the course of his career, Tua fought 14 of his 59 bouts in Atlantic City. On March 15, 1996, he defeated John Ruiz for the WBC International heavyweight title at Convention Hall. He went on to successfully defend this belt the following year on April 5th against Oleg Maskaev at Bally's Park Place. Other notable opponents in AC included Michael Moorer (2002) and Monte Barrett (2010).

Pinklon Thomas

A professional fighter from 1978 to 1993, Pinklon Thomas held the WBC world heavyweight title from 1984 to 1986. A veteran of 51 fights, he appeared on seven boxing cards in Atlantic City. Notable opponents in the city included Gerrie Coetzee (1983), Alfonso Ratliff (1983), and Evander Holyfield (1988), all of whom held world titles at some point in their careers.

Tracy Harris Patterson

The adopted son of former world heavyweight champion, Floyd Patterson, Tracy Harris Patterson had a career that spanned over 15 years. A two-division world champion in the super bantamweight and super featherweight divisions, Tracy and his father became the first father and son duo to win world titles in boxing. Out of his 73 professional fights, Patterson fought in Atlantic City 14 times. Notable opponents in the city included Hector Acero Sánchez (1994) and Arturo Gatti (1997). Patterson fought his last professional fight in 2000, and retired with a record of 63 wins, eight losses, and one draw.

Doug DeWitt

Doug DeWitt fought professionally from 1980 to 1992. Over the course of his long career, the Yonkers-based pugilist fought 22 times in Atlantic City. Notable fights in AC included capturing the WBO middleweight title with a victory over Robbie Sims on April 18, 1989, and a defense of this title against Matthew Hilton on January 15, 1990. DeWitt also fought his last fight in AC, a loss to James Toney at Trump Taj Mahal, on December 5, 1992.

Darroll Wilson

A professional fighter in the heavyweight division between 1993 and 2006, Darroll Wilson was a respected, and at times, dangerous gatekeeper fighter for young prospects and world champion hopefuls for much of his career. A veteran of 16 professional fights in Atlantic City, notable opponents in the city included Shannon Briggs (1996) and Ray Mercer (2005). In his March 15th bout against Briggs, Wilson knocked out the rising star in the third round of the contest, handing him his first career loss. Wilson was well-liked by AC boxing fans, having fought out of Pleasantville for much of his career.

Shamone Alvarez

A graduate of Egg Harbor Township High School, Shamone Alvarez was one of the Atlantic City area’s most popular professional fighters during the early 2000s. A welterweight boxer, who fought professionally from 2002 to 2012, Alvarez was featured on 16 boxing shows in AC. On June 2, 2007, he won the vacant WBO – North American Boxing Organization (NABO) welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Jose Luis Cruz at Boardwalk Hall. Alvarez successfully defended this title in the same venue later that summer on August 31st with a victory over Germaine Sanders. He retired with a record of 21 wins and six losses. Alvarez was honored by the New Jersey Boxing of Fame last fall when the fighter joined the 2022 induction class at a ceremony in Garfield.

Jamillia Lawrence

Jamillia Lawrence fought professionally from 1998 to 2001, compiling a record of seven wins and five losses. Three of her professional contests were on Atlantic City cards, with another fought in nearby Pleasantville. Her December 8, 2000 bout at Bally’s Park Place against Marlene Keyes was on the undercard of Leavander Johnson versus Sean Fletcher.

Arnold Robbins

Arnold Robbins is an Atlantic City-based manager and trainer. Several fighters with connections to the area have worked with him over the course of his career, including the late Leavander Johnson, Shamone Alvarez, Patrick Majewski, Alfred Kinsey, and Osnel Charles. Robbins serves as a boxing coach at the Atlantic City Police Athletic League (PAL).

Matt Howard

Matt Howard is a boxing advisor, manager, trainer, and casino executive from New Jersey. Over the years, he has trained and advised several notable fighters, including Ray Mercer, Tracy Harris Patterson, Donovan "Razor" Ruddock, Arturo Gatti, and Virgil Hill. Howard has served in a variety of roles in the casino industry for locations such as Harrah's, Tropicana, Resorts, and Foxwoods.

Joe Hand Sr.

Joe Hand Sr. is the founder and chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. Hand, a former Philadelphia Police Officer and Detective, started his long career in boxing when he became a charter shareholder of Cloverlay Corporation in 1967. This organization gained notoriety as a guiding force behind Joe Frazier's march to the world heavyweight title. His work with Cloverlay taught him valuable lessons about sports promotions and led him to establish Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. in 1971. Over the years, the company has established itself as a leader in the distribution of pay-per-view boxing, UFC, and special events on the east coast, especially in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Hand's previous honors include inductions into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1992), Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (2012), and Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2013).

Rudy Battle

Longtime chairman of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission Rudy Battle started his career as a professional boxing referee in 1977. Until his retirement from refereeing in 2004, he was the "third man in the ring" for bouts involving a "who's who" list of boxing royalty. He refereed over 500 matches that included world champion fighters such as Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Matthew Saad Muhammed, Roberto Duran, Vinnie Pazienza, Bernard Hopkins, and Bobby Czyz. A native of Philadelphia, Battle was a fixture at Atlantic City boxing cards ranging from world title fights to club shows. The biggest assignment of Battle’s career came on April 19, 1991, when he refereed the Evander Holyfield versus George Foreman world heavyweight championship fight at Convention Hall in AC.

Benjy Esteves Jr.

Benjy Esteves Jr. has served as professional boxing referee since 1992. Arguably one of the most active referees in New Jersey boxing history, Esteves "cut his teeth" in boxing officiating club shows in the Garden State. Many of his early fights were held in the casinos and convention spaces of Atlantic City. Since then, Esteves' reputation as an outstanding official has landed him refereeing jobs in mega fights such as the September 15, 2018 middleweight world title showdown between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Lee Samuels

A native of Pennsville, New Jersey, Lee Samuels is best known for being the longtime publicist for boxing promotion, Top Rank, Inc. Apart from a short break from the company between 1993 and 1996, Samuels served as the promotion’s PR man from 1983 to 2017. Since 2017, he has worked as a coordinator with Top Rank. Besides working as a publicist, Samuels also wrote for the Pennsville Progress, Penns Grove Record, Camden Courier-Post, and Philadelphia Bulletin. Samuels was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York in 2019.

Joseph Santoliquito

The longtime president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter from the Philadelphia area. He has written feature stories for several major media outlets, including SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin, The Ring, and The Philadelphia Daily News. Santoliquito’s 2006 ESPN.com story, “Love at First Beep,” was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Buster Drayton

Philadelphia's Buster Drayton held the IBF super welterweight title from 1986 to 1987. A veteran of 21 fights in Atlantic City, Drayton unsuccessfully challenged Julian Jackson for the WBA super welterweight title on July 30, 1988 at Harrah's Marina Hotel Casino in the city. This was Drayton's final appearance as a fighter before an AC crowd. He retired from boxing in 1995 with a record of 40 wins, 15 defeats, and one draw. Drayton died at the age of 70 on November 20, 2022.

Marty Feldman

Broomall, Pennsylvania’s Marty Feldman wore many different hats during a lifetime in boxing. A professional boxer, manager, trainer, and gym owner, Feldman is well-known for his work with fighters Frank "The Animal" Fletcher, Prince Charles Williams, and Dave Tiberi. Feldman fought professionally in the middleweight division between 1953 and 1962, compiling an impressive record of 20 wins and three losses. To kick-off his career, he won by fourteen consecutive knockouts between 1953 and 1955. Over the course of his boxing career, he fought once at Convention Hall in AC on July 1, 1961. Feldman died at the age of 83 on February 14, 2017. He is the father of boxing promoters David and Damon. Feldman was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rocky Castellani

Rocky Castellani lived and fought out of Northeast Pennsylvania over the course of his professional boxing career, with the exception of a stint in the Marine Corps during World War II. He was considered a top contender for the world middleweight title, fighting boxing greats such as Bobo Olson in 1954 for the world middleweight title, Sugar Ray Robinson in 1955, and Gene Fullmer in 1956. Following his long boxing career, Castellani retired with his family to Atlantic City where he trained young fighters and owned Rocky Castellani and Sons taverns in AC and Galloway Township.

Frankie Polo

A native of Philadelphia, Jerry Anzalone fought professionally under the moniker Frankie Polo from 1930 to 1934. An AC transplant, the lightweight fought 20 of his 37 recorded professional fights in AC. On July 8, 1930, Polo squared off against Philadelphia’s Eddie Roberts on the first boxing card held at AC’s Convention Hall. A veteran of 16 fights at the legendary Waltz Dream Arena in AC’s Northside, Polo retired with a record of 21 wins, 11 losses, and five draws. Following his retirement from prizefighting, Polo ran many local boxing shows for churches and charities, and trained amateur fighters at the AC, Pleasantville, and Somers Point PALs. His grandson, Guy Loggi, owns and serves as the senior instructor at International Karate Academy in Somers Point.

Joe Miller

A promoter of several hundred boxing cards, Joe Miller was arguably one of the most important figures in AC during the pre-casino era. He purchased the Waltz Dream Arena, a 3,000-seat venue on the city’s northside, in 1925. Miller turned the former jazz club on Ohio Avenue into the most consistent and important AC boxing venue during this era. Miller offered high quality shows featuring rising prospects, club fighters, and visiting stars. Miller also welcomed African American fighters and allowed “mixed-race” matches between Black and White boxers. He sold the Waltz around 1941 and opened a newsstand and sandwich shop on the Boardwalk.

Horace M. Leeds

Horace M. Leeds was born in AC on November 1, 1865 to a notable family in the area. Known as the “Fighting Quaker” during his bare-knuckle boxing career, Leeds is credited with fighting the first boxing main event in the history of AC, a February 1887 loss to Willie Clark. He fought and trained with notable fighters of his day including Willie Clark, Al O’Brien, Billy Leedom, Professor John H. Clark, Dominick McCaffrey, and James J. Corbett. Known as a particularly aggravating fighter in the ring, Leeds had excellent footwork, speed, and defense that helped him to avoid punishment in amateur and professional contests. In 1929, Leeds, a lifelong resident of AC, died at the age of 64 and is interred at the Atlantic City Cemetery.

"KO" Becky O'Neill and Willie O'Neill

The O’Neills, “KO” Becky and Willie, are considered boxing legends in the city of Philadelphia and beyond in large part thanks to their work with WBA bantamweight world champion Jeff Chandler. The O’Neills’ connection with Chandler began in the mid-1970s when the then rising Philadelphia prospect approached his friend Willie to help guide his career. Willie, under the impression that past legal issues would hinder his ability to get a manager license from the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission, turned to his wife Becky to officially take on the role of Chandler’s manager. With Willie as his trainer and adviser, and Becky as his manager, “Joltin’” Jeff Chandler went on to capture the WBA bantamweight title in 1980 with a victory over Juan Solis in Miami. Willie passed away in 1994, with Becky dying after a long illness in 2005.

Founded in 2014, the ACBHOF is committed to preserving the rich boxing history of Atlantic City, through live historical curation, exhibits, legendary boxing stars, and personality appearances.

Visit the ACBHOF website for tickets, room accommodations, and a full schedule of this weekend’s events.

Matthew H. Ward is a historian and journalist who specializes in boxing, Jersey Shore, and Philadelphia history. He is the co-author of the Arcadia Publishing books BOXING IN ATLANTIC CITY with John DiSanto, and THE RARITAN BAYSHORE with John Allan Savolaine.

This story also appeared on Patch.

New Jersey's journeyman fighter: Rocky Tomasello

By Matt Ward

Check out my latest article on New Jersey's journeyman fighter, Rocky Tomasello for MaxBoxing.com. 

New Jersey's journeyman fighter: Rocky Tomasello

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Boxing at the Red Bank Armory

By Matt Ward

The Red Bank Armory is located at 76 Chestnut Street in Red Bank. The historic building dates back to 1914, and was the home of the New Jersey Army National Guard’s Troop B of the Cavalry. A major feature of the armory was the 100x144-foot equestrian riding hall. By the 1950s, the armory was used as a storage space for old tanks. In 1998, the armory was purchased from the state and converted into an ice rink. The rink is home to a number of local hockey teams including the Red Bank Generals of the New Jersey Youth Hockey League and the nearby Red Bank Catholic High School Casey’s hockey team. The facility’s rinks are also used for ice skating lessons. I had the opportunity to tour the building in May of 2017, and was amazed by how wonderfully preserved the building is. It is a standing testament to the value of repurposing historic buildings for the sake of preservation!

Red Bank Armory in Modern Times

Other than for military and ice hockey purposes, the building has also hosted a series of professional and amateur boxing matches. The most notable professional bouts occurred in 1925 and 1948.

A charity card for disabled children was put on by the Asbury Park and Long Branch Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at the Red Bank Armory on August 7, 1925. The card was arranged by John Leon, a matchmaker for Coney Island Stadium in Brooklyn. This event attracted over 4,000 fans that enjoyed an evening of thrilling fights. The main event of the card featured flyweight boxing champion Frankie Genaro and bantamweight pugilist George Marks, who agreed to fight at bantamweight.

George Marks

Frankie Genaro was a boxer from New York City who fought professionally from 1920 to 1934. Prior to turning professional, the five foot and one inch boxer captured a gold medal at the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games as a flyweight boxer representing the United States of America. Over the course of his long career, he fought over 100 times and captured titles in the flyweight division. Following his long boxing career, Genaro pursued a career as a horse jockey in France. He died in 1966 at the age of 65. Genaro was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Frankie Genaro (front) with Primo Carnera

His opponent that summer night in Red Bank was an English born fighter billed out of Los Angeles, George Marks. Marks was a contender in the bantamweight division who captured the Pacific Coast Bantamweight title during his nine year professional career that lasted from 1917 to 1926. In 1933, Marks was tragically killed at the young age of 32 in an automobile accident in Azusa, California. 

This was the second encounter between the two men in the squared circle. Genaro had defeated Marks in June of 1925 at Coney Island Stadium in Brooklyn. The actual events of the contest, that was billed as “one of the most stirring boxing events ever carded in the state of New Jersey”, differed based on what local newspaper you read. According to The Red Bank Register, Genaro took five rounds and Marks won two. The two fighters split the other three rounds. Reporters from the Asbury Park Press were also in the press section that evening. They reported that Marks won every round with the exception of possibly the ninth “when Genaro probably conscious that Marks was getting the better of the breaks attempted to make a desperate try to even things up.” 

Because reporters from both papers saw the fight differently, the fight was ruled a newspaper decision draw. A newspaper decision was utilized in the early 20th century after a fight ended with no decision from the judges and referee. In this scenario, reporters from a local newspaper(s) would decide who won the fight. As you can imagine, these decisions were, at times, heavily lopsided in favor of a hometown fighter. This method of scoring is no longer utilized in modern boxing. 

The evening also had three other boxing matches featuring Tommy Jordan versus George Levine, Rene De Vos versus Lew Ferry, and Willie Dillon versus Erwin Bige. Belgian middleweight champion Rene De Vos, who is often listed as one of the greatest boxers not in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, took on Lew Ferry of Newark, New Jersey. Ferry was a veteran of the Jersey Shore fight scene, having fought there on numerous occasions. De Vos walked away the winner via newspaper decision after both The Red Bank Register and the Asbury Park Press scored the bout in favor of the Belgian.

Rene De Vos

Brooklyn based boxer Tommy Jordan and California’s George Levine squared off in a welterweight contest. The fight was described by the local media as having “all the earmarks of a championship bout from the start.” Levine won the bout via newspaper decision after The Red Bank Register scored the contest a draw, and the Asbury Park Press scored the fight for Levine. 

The opening bout of the evening featured Omaha’s Erwin Bige, who weighed in at 121 pounds, and New York’s Willie Dillon, who weighed seven pounds heavier than his opponent. The weight advantage had no impact on the fight’s outcome, as Bige cruised to a newspaper decision over his opponent after ten rounds of boxing. Both The Red Bank Register and Asbury Park Press scored the fight in favor of the Nebraskan. 

Professional boxing returned to the Red Bank Armory on October 12, 1948. This card had far less star power than the show 13 years earlier, and featured a card loaded with fighters from the tristate area such as Philadelphia’s Danny McCall, Newark’s Jimmy Stamford, and Asbury Park’s Don Layton. The main event featured middleweights Milton Lattimore and Billy Ellison. Lattimore, a New York City fighter, was originally supposed to face Tony Rose. Rose was replaced prior to the bout by Billy Ellison of Newark. The six round main event ended in favor of the replacement fighter, Ellison, who won by points. Before retiring in 1949, Ellison fought three of his final four bouts in Atlantic City. Lattimore retired in 1951 with an even professional record of 26-26.   

This venue was also the site of numerous amateur boxing shows from the 1930s to 1970s. These cards often pitted local Police Athletic League (PAL) chapters against one another, including the Red Bank and Middletown PALs. The rich sports history of this building coupled with the building’s current position in the world of hockey will ensure that the Red Bank Armory will be an important part of the Red Bank community for many years to come. 



Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Drew Stone Interview

By Matt Ward

Check out my recent interview with producer, director, artist, and musician, Drew Stone! Stone is the executive producer of "Ali: Me Whee." 

You can stream the interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Drew Stone Interview with Matt Ward on SoundCloud

Drew Stone Interview with Matt Ward on iTunes

"Ali: Me Whee" was shot in 1975 by Arny Stone and his crew in and around Ali's training camp in Deer Lake, PA and in Las Vegas. This documentary captures an incredible moment in time in Muhammad Ali’s life. At the peak of his career his love for kids and general philosophy of life shine thru with appearances by luminaries from the boxing and entertainment world. Highlights include his legendary 1975 commencement speech at Harvard University.

The 25 minute documentary was beautifully shot on 16 mm film, and features appearances by Muhammad Ali, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Lewis, Angelo Dundee, B.B. King, Drew “Bundini” Brown, Jim Brown, Walter Youngblood, Lloyd Wells, and Gene Kilroy.

On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the world will have the opportunity to get an intimate look into the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali thanks to father and son filmmakers, Arny and Drew Stone.

After over 40 years Arny's son, Drew Stone, of New York based Stone films NYC, was the force behind bringing this precious artifact of boxing cinematic history back to the people. Drew painstakingly restored and reassembled the film from the original elements and has spent the last year screening it to audiences in New York, Philadelphia, Long Beach, and Atlantic City. The Stone Family want to thank and express gratitude to all the crew and personnel who worked on the film and to all independent film makers everywhere. In that spirit they feel that it’s the right time to make this documentary available to the public for streaming, free of charge, through the Stone Films NYC official YouTube page. (Subscribe today!)

The Stone Family: (Left to Right) Director/Producer Drew Stone, Director Arny Stone, and Director/Director of Photography Evan B. Stone

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Arny Stone Interview

By Matt Ward

Check out my recent interview with Academy Award winning director Arny Stone! Stone is the executive director of "Ali: Me Whee." 

You can stream the interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes:

Arny Stone Interview with Matt Ward on SoundCloud

Arny Stone Interview with Matt Ward on iTunes

"Ali: Me Whee" was shot in 1975 by Arny Stone and his crew in and around Ali's training camp in Deer Lake, PA and in Las Vegas. This documentary captures an incredible moment in time in Muhammad Ali’s life. At the peak of his career his love for kids and general philosophy of life shine thru with appearances by luminaries from the boxing and entertainment world. Highlights include his legendary 1975 commencement speech at Harvard University.

The 25 minute documentary was beautifully shot on 16 mm film, and features appearances by Muhammad Ali, Phyllis Diller, Jerry Lewis, Angelo Dundee, B.B. King, Drew “Bundini” Brown, Jim Brown, Walter Youngblood, Lloyd Wells, and Gene Kilroy.

On Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the world will have the opportunity to get an intimate look into the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali thanks to father and son filmmakers, Arny and Drew Stone.

After over 40 years Arny's son, Drew Stone, of New York based Stone films NYC, was the force behind bringing this precious artifact of boxing cinematic history back to the people. Drew painstakingly restored and reassembled the film from the original elements and has spent the last year screening it to audiences in New York, Philadelphia, Long Beach, and Atlantic City. The Stone Family want to thank and express gratitude to all the crew and personnel who worked on the film and to all independent film makers everywhere. In that spirit they feel that it’s the right time to make this documentary available to the public for streaming, free of charge, through the Stone Films NYC official YouTube page. (Subscribe today!)

The Stone Family: (Left to Right) Director/Producer Drew Stone, Director Arny Stone, and Director/Director of Photography Evan B. Stone

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Pancho Villa

By Chris Mealey

Arguably one of the greatest flyweights to ever lace up gloves, Pancho Villa (Francisco Guilledo) is known as a real balanced fighter, originating from the Philippines. Villa was the 110 lb version of a classic Smokin' Joe, or an old-school Jack Dempsey with less KO power. Boxing's first "Asian star to make a name within America," Villa, had tremendous heart and practically unrivaled respect for the sport of boxing which makes him a significantly likable boxer.

The honor and pride he carried into the ring was nothing short of admirable, on top of his performances in the ring. Weary if his opponents were about to fall, Villa would even go to his own or neutral corner once he had his opponent on the canvas. This fact is interesting, because it was not an official rule in the early 1900s. You could stand anywhere in the ring after a knockdown occurred during this era of pugilism. The game-plan and style was pressure, yet Villa knew how to back up and utilize generalship when needed.

The notable, yet critiqued fights here, are with legends Jimmy Wilde and Jimmy McLarnin.

The Wilde fight would be Pancho's "greatest" critiqued KO victory, as Jimmy decided to take another tough fight, after a dramatic loss to Pete Herman. Wilde had close to a two year layoff, which was out of the norm for his taste, but decided to take the fight out of confidence, as well as to [please his fans. Jimmy had huge heart like Pancho and was a well known legend in the ring, yet this fight proved to be too much, as well as his last. Pancho would batter him almost as bad as Herman and ended up dropping Wilde in the seventh round.

McLarnin - Villa is filled with conspiracy, due to Pancho's wife releasing a certain statement decades later. Before the fight, Villa had an infected tooth extracted the morning before his match with Jimmy McLarnin. Villa entered the ring with a badly swollen jaw to face McLarnin, and despite this, Villa survived a bad beating and lost on points. The conspiracy began months after this fight, when he had several more teeth pulled from the same infection. Blood poisoning caused Pancho to cancel his last fight, and sadly, he passed from the disease.

Pancho's wife gave birth to their son right after his passing, and she stated his death was caused by an intentional overdose of anesthesia. She insinuated that this was the result of a gambling conspiracy to murder Villa for losing to McLarnin, as Villa was highly favored to win the fight.

A Closer Look at Pancho Villa:

Height/Weight - 5'0/110 lb. 

Division - Flyweight Champion

Career Record - 77 - 4 - 4 (22 KO victories) (Never been knocked out)

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

Gene Pantalone Interview

Check out my interview with boxing writer and historian Gene Pantalone! Gene is the author of the brand new book on fighter and war hero Lew Jenkins, From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins. 

Gene Pantalone is an expert on the golden age of boxing—1920 to 1950—and Madame Bey’s boxing camp, which hosted fourteen heavyweight champions and no fewer than eighty International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. He is a contributing writer to the boxing website The Weigh-In and author of Madame Bey’s: Home to Boxing Legends.

PODCAST:

Gene Pantalone Discusses his New Book on Fighter and War Hero Lew Jenkins on SoundCloud

Gene Pantalone Discusses his New Book on Fighter and War Hero Lew Jenkins on iTunes

Book Summary from Amazon.com:

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins
GENE PANTALONE - FOREWORD BY JOHN DISANTO

World champion boxer Lew Jenkins fought his whole life. As a child, he fought extreme poverty during the Great Depression in the depths of the Texas Dust Bowl. In his twenties, he fought as a professional boxer and obtained the pinnacle of his vocation—a world championship. Jenkins fought in World War II and the Korean War, and in his later years, he fought the ravages from the aging of an abused body.

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins details for the first time the extraordinary life of Lew Jenkins, from his difficult childhood to his death in 1981. Despite his talent for boxing, Gene Pantalone reveals that Jenkins often fought and trained through drunken stupors. After wasting his ring title and all his money, Jenkins found purpose during World War II and the Korean War. He fought in major battles that included D-Day, Bloody Ridge, and Heartbreak Ridge, and his efforts earned him one of the highest decorations for bravery, the Silver Star. Unable to find meaning in life at the peak of his boxing success, Jenkins discovered values to which he could cling during war.

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield features exclusive interviews with Lew Jenkins’ son, grandson, and Medal of Honor recipient Ronald E. Rosser who fought with Jenkins in the Korean War, providing a personal perspective on the life of this complicated war hero. The first biography of Jenkins, this book will fascinate boxing fans and historians alike.

Reviews and Endorsements:

"Too often the history of boxing boils down to tales about heavyweights, as if the exploits of Sullivan, Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Ali, and Tyson are all that matter. Well, Lew Jenkins—lightweight champion, war hero, and a danger to himself as much as any opponent—mattered. His is the story of survival in the ring, in two wars, and in life. Gene Pantalone’s biography of Jenkins richly recounts a fascinating life. ‘Only in America,’ as the great Don King always said."
-Randy Roberts, professor of history, Purdue University, and co-author, A Season in the Sun: The Rise of Mickey Mantle

"The life of Lew Jenkins is the stuff of boxing legend. From his Depression era upbringing and carnival barnstorming to winning a world title and squandering it all before becoming a war hero, Jenkins is an epic pulp novel come to life. In the capable hands of Gene Pantalone the story brims with all the hardscrabble detail you want in a great boxing book. This is a must-read for fans of the squared circle's history."
-Chad Dundas, sportswriter and award-winning author of Champion of the World

"I served in combat with Lew Jenkins during the Korean War when he received his Silver Star. Jenkins was a brave soldier who cared for his men. It was an honor to have served with him."

-Sergeant Ronald E. Rosser, Medal of Honor recipient, Korea 1951-52

"Lew Jenkins had a howitzer of a right hand and sometimes fought drunk. What more could you ask for?"

-Nigel Collins, ESPN Boxing analyst and columnist, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, and former editor-in-chief of The Ring magazine

"Until the publication of Gene Pantalone’s biography, the annals of boxing have been missing a chapter—a chapter on Hall-of-Famer Lew Jenkins. Jenkins was a bony Texan who, as a world lightweight champion, mastered the stylized warfare of the ring as well as the real thing—WWII and the Korean War. A must-read for all students of the history of the sweet science, Pantalone’s richly-documented biography presents an arresting portrait of a boxer and soldier who was as wild as a pirate and as courageous as Achilles."

-Gordon Marino, veteran boxing trainer and award-winning boxing writer for the Wall Street Journal and HBO Inside Boxing

"A full-length biography of boxer Lew Jenkins has been long overdue, and here Gene Pantalone does a good job of connecting Jenkins’ hardscrabble upbringing in rural Texas to the bright lights of Broadway to the grim realities of the battlefield. It’s an exceptional story of a fighter’s struggle, success, disgrace, and a sincere and hard-earned redemption."

-Clay Coppedge, author of Texas Singularities and Forgotten Tales of Texas

"Gene Pantalone has done a remarkable job bringing lightweight champ and Hall of Famer Lew Jenkins to life in this most entertaining and informative biography. "The Sweetwater Swatter" was one helluva hard puncher... so's his biographer."

-Clarence George, boxing writer and historian  

Purchase the Book:

Amazon.com

*DISCOUNTED* from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Ward and Pantalone

MW

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!

The Making of the First Great Boxing Promoter: Tex Rickard

George Lewis “Tex” Rickard was one of boxing’s greatest promoters. In the early years, he ushered in the golden age of prizefighting, the period from the 1920s through 1950s. He was a gambler who would wager on anything.

Tex Rickard

In 1921, the sporting world had its first million-dollar gate. It was a boxing match held in Jersey City, New Jersey. The public paid $1,789,238 to watch Jack Dempsey retain the world heavyweight title with a fourth-round knockout over world light heavyweight champion Frenchman Georges Carpentier. Jack Dempsey, heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926, his manager, Jack “Doc” Kearns, and promoter Tex Rickard, grossed $8,400,000 in five fights between 1921 and 1927. Rickard would also form the National Hockey League, which included his New York Ranges, named after the lawmen from his home state—the Texas Rangers.

Rickard was a slender, finely dressed man. His attire included a vested suit with a pocket watch chain above the belt, hat, and cane. He was thin lipped with a half-smoked, chewed cigar protruding from the corner of his mouth. He thrived on exhilaration, saying, “… I’ve never been far away from excitement …” His stoic expression was unmistakable on his lined, weathered face. It showed the wear as a cowboy from the Midwestern plains of his youth. He had an imperturbable disposition. He neither laughed, except for a fake forced laugh, nor wept. Rickard acquired these traits during his years as a boy and young adult.

He was born on January 2, 1870, in Kansas City, Missouri, to a poor family. He had the infamous outlaws Frank and Jesse James, along with their mother, as his next-door neighbors. He was four years old, but Rickard remembered the James brothers and Jesse’s thick, rough beard. They would flip coins to Rickard and other kids.

His family moved to Sherman, Texas, when Rickard was still a child. When he was eleven, his father died. He took a job as a cowboy on the plains of Texas with the East Ranch to support his mother and many brothers and sisters. By the age of fifteen, he had ridden through fifteen states on horseback working for the ranch. Not long after, word spread that Rickard was one of the best shots in Texas. An injury from a longhorn ended Rickard’s days as a cowboy. At the age of twenty-three, he became the marshal of Henrietta, Texas, and gained the nickname “Tex.” In 1894, he married and had a child. Both his wife and child died within a year. Many of his siblings died shortly after. With nothing to keep him in Texas, he went to Alaska. It possessed the potential of fortune that he desired—the gold rush in the Klondike.

In Alaska, Rickard and a partner, George Cormack, claimed an area, which they sold. Rickard received $60,000 in gold dust. “I thought I was fixed for life,” Rickard said many years later. Rickard opened a saloon with Tom Turner, and it became the biggest saloon and gambling house in Dawson City. After four months, his gambling took his fortune. In four hours, he lost $150,000, which included the saloon. In St. Michaels, he met Jim White and opened a new saloon in Nome. Here, Rickard promoted his first fight as entertainment for his patrons. After they attracted a packed house, Rickard saw the potential in the sport.

Rickard had recouped almost everything he lost in Dawson City. He left Alaska and went to San Francisco where he accepted a job of promoting the world lightweight title fight between Battling Nelson and the champion Joe Gans. Rickard chose the Casino Amphitheatre in Goldfield, Nevada, to stage the fight. Rickard acted as Gans’ manager. He had heated discussions with Nelson’s manager, Nolan, about the purse distribution. Rickard never held fight managers in high regard after this. When the townspeople heard what was happening, they gave their support to Gans. Nelson’s popularity waned. They guaranteed manager Nolan that if Nelson did not fight, Nolan would be going home horizontally. Nolan withdrew his demands and settled for $22,500. That allowed Rickard to pay Gans $11,000. He would have received nothing if not for Rickard. As much disdain as Rickard had for managers, he sympathized with the prizefighters. In later years, when Gans had no money, Rickard staked him, so he could fight. Rickard would repeat the practice with other prizefighters throughout his career.

On September 3, 1906, the fight took place. The large crowd, which included Teddy Roosevelt’s son Kermit, paid $69,715 to see the fight. They were decidedly behind the black Gans, not the white Nelson, an unusual occurrence for that time. Joe Gans, the Old Master, lived up to his ring name by out-boxing Nelson despite breaking his hand in the thirty-third round. Nelson reverted to many flagrant fouls that infuriated the crowd to near riot. After forty-two grueling rounds in the searing Nevada heat, Gans took a left hook to the groin that sent him to the canvas. He could not get up. They awarded Gans the fight by disqualification because of the foul.

With this prizefight, Rickard saw the fervor it caused among the people. Rickard did not expect to make money from the fight but had a $13,000 profit. He would be in the fight game for the rest of his life. Two philosophies that were used in the bout Rickard would apply to other fight promotions—you must provide money to make money, and it attracted attention if you promoted one fighter as the villain and the other a hero. When people would tell him he spent too much, he continued to prove them wrong with increased gates.

Joe Gans vs. Battling Nelson

Tex Rickard, now a promoter for prizefights, found that he had competition for big fights with other promoters who had realized the financial rewards from successful bouts. Rickard often conceived an angle to outmaneuver his competitors. This became clear when the Jack Johnson and Jim Jefferies fight was announced; everyone wanted to promote it. Rickard befriended Johnson, who told him the highest bid would be $100,000. The principles opened the bids in Hoboken, New Jersey, with Johnson present. A certified check accompanied each bid except one. Rickard’s bid contained $101,000 in cash. Rickard had outmaneuvered his competitors. The principles awarded him the fight. He would soon regret the victory.

From the onset, Rickard went through a barrage of protests for allowing a black man to fight a white man, despite Johnson having defended his title in America four times against whites. Given the success and complete opposite sentiment Rickard had experienced when he promoted the black Gans against the white Nelson in a lightweight championship, he did not foresee the fervor with which white America would object to the bout.

Economics overshadowed racism as cities competed to host the event. Rickard had a stadium erected in San Francisco. Governor Gillette canceled the match due to the ongoing pressure of hosting a mixed-race bout. Rickard lost the money he spent and had to refund the presales. He decided to hold the fight in Reno, Nevada, the same state he had so much success with the Gans-Nelson bout. He built another stadium, costing even more than the one in San Francisco. It became the first time someone erected an arena to hold a bout. When neither fighter could agree on a referee, someone from Johnson’s camp suggested that Rickard take the job. To Rickard’s surprise, Jeffries agreed, and Rickard with no choice became promoter and referee.

Before a crowd of 15,600 paying $275,000 on July 4, 1910, Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson entered the ring under the blazing Nevada sun. It was Jeffries’s first fight in five idle years away from boxing. At thirty-five, Jeffries lost close to a hundred pounds to get to his fighting weight. Jeffries took the shaded corner. An official reminded him that they had agreed to flip a coin to determine the corner. When Jeffries’s manager, Sam Berger, went to Johnson’s corner to flip the coin, Johnson told him, “That’s all right Sam. You just stay right where you are. This here corner’s good enough for us."

Johnson destroyed the undefeated Jeffries. Rickard stopped the scheduled forty-five-round fight in the fifteenth round while simultaneously Berger entered the ring with a towel to end it. Jeffries received $50,000 plus over $66,000 for the movie rights. Johnson received $70,600 plus another $51,000 for the movie rights. They estimated the motion picture money at $270,000.

Among those in attendance was a young fifteen-year-old by the name of William Harrison Dempsey, better known as Jack Dempsey. The youngster came via a Pullman train car for the expressed purpose of watching the championship bout. Days before the bout, he would stalk Rickard in awe of the promoter. He attended the fighters’ training camps. Many years later, the two would be formally introduced, producing an epic business association. 

Jack Johnson vs. Jim Jeffries

In 1925, Tex Rickard built the new Madison Square Garden, which did not officially open until December 15, but held a boxing match before then. It was the third building to hold the Garden name. The current Madison Square Garden that opened in 1968 was the fourth. The Garden of 1925 was the creation of Tex Richard. He financed it with a group he called his “six hundred millionaires,” a number of wealthy friends. He built it at a cost of $4,750,000 in 249 days. The media called it the "House That Tex Built."

The new 1925 Garden held many historical events through its existence, but its main purpose was to host boxing events for which it could accommodate 18,500 fans, with seating on three levels. It measured two hundred feet by three hundred seventy-five feet. Though designed by noted architect Thomas W. Lamb, it had poor viewing for some seating. Deficient ventilation would give a hazy appearance inside, especially in the upper seats, due to permitted smoking.

Tex Rickard arrived in Miami Beach on December 28, 1929. He was there to arrange one of his heavyweight elimination bouts between Jack Sharkey and Young Stribling and discuss with Jack Dempsey his proposed comeback. Early on New Year’s Day, he complained of pains, and the doctors rushed him to Allison Hospital for an emergency operation. On New Year’s night of 1929, Tex Rickard was operated on and his appendix removed. The next day, he showed signs of a quick recovery. Despite the early optimism of the doctors, Rickard’s health deteriorated.

“Practically the same condition existed tonight as this afternoon. Mr. Rickard’s resistance was possibly slightly lower. His temperature remained at 103, and his pulse had increased from 132 at 4 p.m. to 140 at this time.” Signed Dr. E. H. Adkins.

The hospital allowed Dempsey, who had arrived in Palm Beach, to see Rickard for a moment. When he left the hospital, he said the promoter told him, “‘Jack, I’ve got this fight licked.’”

Before lapsing into a coma from which he never rallied, he turned to his wife and friends who gathered at his bedside with the assertion that he was “getting a tough break, but I’ll fight.” Then he grasped the hand of his wife and in a concerned, feeble voice inquired about his eight-year-old daughter, Maxine. When told that Maxine was all right and wanted her father to get well, Rickard said, “Help me over this, sweetheart, I’m fighting my …” He did not finish the sentence, and in two hours the man who was not just associated with boxing, he was boxing, was dead at fifty-nine.

The body of Tex Rickard came to New York in a great $15,000 bronze casket. Jack Dempsey and Walter Fields, brother of comedic actor W. C. Fields, were among the pallbearers. The casket lay in state at Madison Square Garden, "Rickard’s own Temple to Fistiana," where Max Schmeling had fought just days before. Huge crowds came to pay their last respects.

“My sympathy goes out to Mr. Rickard’s family,” Gene Tunney said from a vacation spot. “I feel his death keenly as one of his myriad of friends. The world of sport has undoubtedly lost a genius. There probably never will be another promoter so capable of stirring the public interest. It might truly be said that whatever his hands touched turned to gold.”

“My best pal is gone!” Jack Dempsey said. “Quietly and nobly he slipped away. His greatest fight was lost … Ten minutes before the end Tex opened his eyes. His hand lay in mine. … His eyes carried the message that meant only one thing. He knew then that the battle was over … For twelve years Tex was my loyal friend.”

With the death of Rickard died any thought that Jack Dempsey would make a comeback.

“The secret pact that we had made ended with his tragic passing,” Dempsey said. “My conditional promise to fight again so that he might perhaps realize his final ambition of ‘Just one more million-dollar gate’ is automatically shattered.”

Rickard’s planned match between Sharkey and Stribling occurred on February 27, 1929, at Flamingo Park, Miami Beach, Florida. Sharkey won the ten-round decision.

People line the streets of New York for Tex Rickard’s funeral

Rickard died one of the wealthiest men in sports at the time. His estate was estimated at $2,000,000. For a man who started with nothing from the Missouri plains, it was a sizable sum. The New York Trust Company, executor, refused to divulge the exact amount. The will provided for his widow, daughter, mother-in-law, sisters, nieces, nephews, and a cousin of his first wife. His estate included properties in Boston, Miami Beach, South America, securities in South American corporations, the Cattle Company of Paraguay, and brokerage accounts and bank accounts in New York and Florida.

Tex Rickard's Oil Company

Promoters thought to take Rickard’s place were Humbert Fugazy, Jim Mullen, Jimmy Johnston, and Paddy Harmen. None would obtain the stature of Rickard, but one man who had worked closely with Rickard in his biggest promotions would wield the power in boxing that Rickard had. He would not get involved in boxing promotion for another five years. When he did, it would be with absolute power. Mike Jacobs would be a man who would rival Rickard’s accomplishments.

Tex Rickard is Buried in New York

Gene Pantalone

Author of From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins

Available for pre-order on Amazon and from Rowman and Littlefield

“The life of Lew Jenkins is the stuff of boxing legend. From his Depression era upbringing and carnival barnstorming to winning a world title and squandering it all before becoming a war hero, Jenkins is an epic pulp novel come to life. In the capable hands of Gene Pantalone the story brims with all the hardscrabble detail you want in a great boxing book. This is a must-read for fans of the squared circle's history.”

-Chad Dundas, lead MMA sportswriter for the Bleacher Report and award-winning author of Champion of the World

Support The Weigh-In: Your Home for Combat Sports by Shopping World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Products!