NEWS ON: NYBHOF, Ward, Manfredo

NEW YORK (March 6, 2013) – Golden-era heavyweight champion of the world, Jack Dempsey, and legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum lead a star-studded cast of 20 inductees into the second-year New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF)

The second annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.n. ET), April 28, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

“This is an exceptional group of inductees,” NYSBHOF and Ring 8 president Bob Duffy said. “We are inducting legitimate New Yorkers in the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. All of these inductees have a significant impact on New York State boxing during their respective times. There are many other potential inductees but this is only our second year. We’re confident that any deserving people who haven’t been inducted yet will be inducted in due time. There’s a process we’re following. New York State was the driving force in boxing for more than a half-century and remains a major player in the sport, so we’ll have many, many great boxing people to choose from over the years.”

Posthumous participants being inducted along with Dempsey (61-6-9, 50 KOs) are the first great Italian boxer based in America, featherweight Johnny Dundee (83-32-20, 17 KOs); two-time world featherweight champion Sandy Saddler (144-16-2, 103 KOs) Sandy Saddler, who is best known for his epic rivalry with Willie Pep; and world light heavyweight champion Maxie Rosenbloom (207-39-26 (19 KOs).

Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF are Bronx middleweight Joey Archer (61-6-9, 50 KOs), three-division world champion from the Bronx, Iran Barkley (43-19-1 (27 KOs); Brooklyn’s Mark Breland (35-3-1, 25 KOs),1984 Olympic gold medalist and two-time world welterweight titlist, Levittown light heavyweight Bobby Cassidy (59-16-3, 27 KOs); world heavyweight challenger Doug Jones (30-10-1, 20 KOs), Brooklyn’s world bantamweight and super bantamweight champion Junior Jones (50-6, 28 KOs), Brentwood’s light welterweight and welterweight champion James “Buddy” McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), Brooklyn’s world light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (50-8-1, 39 KOs).

Non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF with Arum (Top Rank) are Shelly Finkel, manager of a NYSBHOF inductee from last year, Mike McCallum, as well as Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker; Tony Graziano, who managed last year’s NYSBHOF inductee, Carmen Basilio, and world welterweight champion Billy Backus; Brooklyn’s Larry Merchant, arguably television’s greatest boxing analyst; posthumously: Teddy Brenner, longtime matchmaker for Madison Square Garden (1959-1973), boxing’s premier blow-by-blow announcer on television and radio, Don Dunphy; powerful promoter Mike Jacobs, and Dempsey’s promoter, Tex Rickard.

Each inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his induction into the NYSBHOF. Plaques are on display at the New York State Athletic Commission and Waterfront Crabhouse. Duffy also has revealed that Ring 8’s plan calls for a monument to be built in Long Island City with every NYSBHOF inductee’s name inscribed.

The inductees were selected by NYSBHOF nominating committee members, including Jack Hirsch, Steve Farhood, Don Majeski, Henry Hascup, Ron McNair and Neil Terens.

“I believe the people on our nominating committee are second to none for any nominating committee in boxing,” Duffy added. “They’re all very knowledgeable and passionate about boxing in New York State.”

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years, in order to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers.

Last year’s Inaugural Class included Basilio and McCallum, Mike Tyson, Jake LaMotta, Riddick Bowe, Carlos Ortiz, Vito Antuofermo, and Emile Griffith, as well as the late “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Gene Tunney, Benny Leonard and Tony Canzoneri.

Non-participant inductees from the Class of 2012 included judge/HBO analyst Harold Lederman, coach/instructor Steve Acunto, trainer/cut-man Jimmy Glenn and, posthumously, trainers Gil Clancy and Ray Arcel, Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer, New York Daily News boxing reporter/cartoonist Bill Gallo, and referee Arthur Mercante, Sr.

Tickets are priced at $150.00 per adult ($125.00 for Ring 8 members in good standing) and $50.00 for children, and includes a complete brunch and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 PM/ET, as well as dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout the evening. Tickets are available to purchase at the Waterfront Crabhouse (2-03 Borden Ave in Long Island City), or by calling Mazzarella at 718.729.4862 or Ring 8 president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available, ranging from $50.00 to $250.00, by contacting Mazzarella and Duffy.

Go on line at www.Ring8ny.com for additional information about the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

Andre Ward was back in the ring for the first time in a long time. Check out this video of the P4P ace. this video of Andre Ward’s first day back in the gym.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRIffe6xhes&;feature=youtube

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 6th, 2013) — Aside from being a little older, and perhaps a bit wiser, the Peter Manfredo Jr. you see today is much different than “The Pride Of Providence” who rose to fame nearly eight years ago as a fan-favorite on the hit, reality television series The Contender.

As he continues his comeback, which began in November with a victory at Twin River Casino, Manfredo Jr. (38-7, 20 KOs) finds himself balancing life both in and outside of the ring, first as a husband and father, and then as a professional boxer.

Nowadays, each morning begins at 4 as Manfredo Jr. commutes to Boston for his day job. Then it’s back to Rhode Island to hit the gym in preparation for his Friday, March 15^th, 2013 showdown against fellow Contender alum Walter Wright (14-3, 7 KOs) before finally heading home to Connecticut with his wife and three children.

The mileage adds up, but it’s worth putting in the extra work moonlighting as a laborer and boxer as long as Manfredo Jr. can avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many fighters in the aftermath of their professional careers.

“I would never put my kids in this game,” said Manfredo Jr., whose 10-round bout against Wright will headline Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Unfinished Business” boxing card next Friday at the Twin River Event Center.

“There are no happy endings, not even for some of the best fighters in the world. Joe Louis died broke. Sugar Ray Robinson died broke. Muhammad Ali is like a vegetable now. There are no pensions or retirement funds. Why do we keep fighting? We’re living within our means when we’re fighting. When you’re not fighting, how do you make ends meets?

“At the end of the day, when you’re 30-something years old and you’ve put your whole career into boxing and now you have to get up to go to work, it’s tough to keep up. There aren’t any happy endings in this business, but maybe someday when I’m retired I can be a spokesperson for kids.”

Since he announced his comeback last year, Manfredo Jr. has made it clear he’s fighting to provide for his family. Asked what he would consider a “happy ending,” he said, “I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do in boxing.

“I’m probably the one percent who’s made it to where I’ve been. I’ve fought some of the best fighters in the world. I fought Joe Calzaghe in front of 30,000 in Wales. I fought Sakio Bika. I fought Jeff Lacy. I fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I’ve fought on HBO, ESPN – all over the world. I won a [International Boxing Organization] world title. If it were to end today, it’d be perfect.

“Now, I’m just doing it for the extra money. It’s a trade, like when guys fought during the Great Depression. God gave me this gift, and I’m going to use it. I’ll do it until I can’t do it anymore.”

Balancing both careers hasn’t been easy, but the fight in November against Rayco Saunders (a 10-round unanimous-decision win) allowed Manfredo Jr. to shake off the ring rust. Now it’s business as usual as he prepares to face Wright, a Seattle, Wash., native and former quarterfinalist on Season 2 of The Contender, who will be fighting for the first time since 2010.

“I feel good,” Manfredo Jr. said. “I’ve been in the gym a lot, whereas before when I was preparing for the last fight I hadn’t been in the gym for a whole year.

“I definitely feel an improvement. Things are a lot better than last time. At the same time, I didn’t get to go to camp [in California with trainer Freddie Roach] because I’m working full-time, but I still feel good as I’m moving along. Everything is coming back to me. I’m getting and now I have to work everyday at 4 a.m. and hit the gym after that, but I’m getting it done. I’m excited for this fight.”

Tickets for “Unfinished Business” are $40.00, $60.00, $100.00 and $150.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

The undercard of “Unfinished Business” features an array of intriguing regional showdowns, starting with an intra-city battle between Joey Gardner (10-5-1, 1 KO) and Reynaldo Rodriguez (6-5-1, 3 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I. The former training partners will go toe-to-toe in a six-round super middleweight special attraction.

Also on the undercard, Boston middleweight Julio Garcia (6-3, 3 KOs) – trained by former heavyweight world champion John Ruiz – will face Thomas Falowo (8-1, 6 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., in a six-round bout while light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (6-1, 2 KOs) of Burlington, Vt., who is looking to bounce back from his first career loss in November, will face hard-htting Paul Gonsalves (4-2, 3 KOs) of Harwich, Mass., in a four-round bout.

Warwick, R.I., super middleweight Benny Costantino (7-2, 4 KOs) is also back in action and looking to bounce back from his loss in July as he faces Quincy, Mass., veteran Emmanuel Medina (2-3-1, 2 KOs), who appeared in a nationally-televised bout on ESPN2 in January. Unbeaten, 19-year-old Polish welterweight Patryk Szymanski (5-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of North Bergen, N.J., will make a special appearance in a six-round bout against Antonio Chaves Fernandes (2-8-1) of Brockton, Mass. Jesse Barboza (5-1-1, 3 KOs), a Barnstable, Mass., heavyweight, will return to Twin River for the first time since 2010 when he faces Jeramiah Witherspoon (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Altoona, Pa., in a four-round bout, while female bantamweight Noemi Bosques (1-0), a St. Petersburg, Fla., native who now trains in Providence, will face Queens native Vanessa Greco (1-2-1) in a four-round bout. All bouts are subject to change.