For Whom the Bell Tolled: 2023 Boxing Obituaries PART ONE (Jan.-June)

Published

1 year ago

December 31, 2023

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Here in our annual end-of-year report, we pay homage to the boxing notables who left us in the past year in a two-part story. May they rest in peace.

January

Jan. 2 – HECTOR ROCA – A bicycle racer in his native Panama, Roca moved to New York in 1975 and became a fixture at Gleason’s Gym. He helped train more than a dozen world title holders including Arturo Gatti, Buddy McGirt and Iran Barkley plus Hillary Swank who thanked him on national TV for sculpting her into a boxer for her Oscar-winning performance in “Million Dollar Baby.” At age 82 in Brooklyn where he was dealing with multiple health issues.

Jan. 12 – GERRIE COETZEE – The third time was a charm for the three-time world heavyweight title challenger who became a national hero in his native South Africa when he KOed Michael Dokes in 1983 in one of the biggest upsets of the decade. His first stab at the belt (vs. John Tate) was witnessed by an integrated crowd of 80,000-plus in Pretoria, a watershed event in the sporting history of that country. At age 87 in Cape town five days after being diagnosed aith an aggressive form of skin canver.

Jan. 30 – DARRELL CHAMBERS – One of the original members of Kronk Gym’s fabled amateur boxing team, Chambers was 22-2 as a pro. He fought on the historic Hearns-Hagler card, losing to future 154-pound world title-holder Luis Santana in what would prove to be his final fight and then spent 26 years in the federal prison system for cocaine trafficking. At age 62 in Detroit of cardiac arrest.

February

Feb. 9 (approx.) – LEROY CALDWELL – An undersized heavyweight who was customarily taking fights on short notice, Caldwell was a gatekeeper for five men who held the world heavyweight title and six others who were world title challengers. He finished 28-31-5 in a 17-year career that began in 1979. At age 77 at a Las Vegas hospital after a lingering but unspecified illness.

Feb. 10 – KEN THOMPSON – An entrepreneur who created a building materials company that had clients as far away as China, Thompson started promoting fights as a hobby in 2000. His shows launched the careers of several world title-holders and a Hall of Famer in Timothy Bradley. Widely admired in the SoCal boxing community, he passed away in Anaheim on his 85^th birthday.

Feb. 10 – RON LEWIS – One of England’s most prominent sports journalists, Lewis concluded his newspaper career with the Times of London where he covered numerous title fights at venues across the globe. Most recently, he was the primary UK correspondent for Boxing Scene. At age 54 of a sudden heart attack at his home in London.

Feb. 13 (approx.) — TOMMY HICKS – An Ithaca College (NY) graduate, Hicks was a special education teacher on his way to becoming an elementary school principal when he challenged Bob Foster for the world light heavyweight title in 1971. TKOed in 8, he finished 18-12-3. At age 78 in Newfane, NY, five years after suffering a serious injury when he was hit by a car on his morning walk.

Feb. 14 – KENNY “BANG BANG” BODNER – A silver medalist at age 17 in the Maccabiah Games, the Trenton, NJ, lightweight developed an avid following in Atlantic City where he had 15 of his 28 pro fights. “Bang Bang” had three fights fall out with “Boom Boom” Mancini, twice when Mancini was a world title-holder. He finished 25-2-1 (16) in a career mottled with legal problems. At age 62 in Pemberton, New Jersey, for reasons never disclosed.

March

March 5 – BOBBY GOODMAN – The son of Hall of Fame publicist Murray Goodman, Bobby joined his late father in the Canastota shrine, entering the Hall with the class of 2019. He spent 25 years with Don King, serving the flamboyant promoter in many capacities, and went on the become the Vice President of Boxing at Madison Square Garden. At age 83 at a hospital in Galloway, New Jersey.

March 11 – RICHIE KATES – A light heavyweight who earned his spurs on the rugged Philadelphia boxing circuit, Kates turned pro in 1969 at age 16 and finished his career with a record of 44-6-1 (23). He had two cracks at Victor Galindez’s world title, falling short in bouts that consumed 30 rounds. In retirement, he was recognized for his years of community service by having a street named after him in his longtime home of Bridgeton, NJ. At age 69 while under hospice care in Vineland, NJ.

March 14 – BOB HINDS – A two-time NCAA finalist representing the powerhouse University of Wisconsin, Hinds, a heavyweight, had only three pro fights, winning them all, but contributed to the sport with his patented jump rope, a beaded, plastic-covered nylon rope that found favor in boxing gyms around the country.

March 19 – DAVE ZYGLEWICZ – Zyglewicz, who took up boxing in the Navy, was 28-1 when he challenged Joe Frazier in 1969 in Houston, Ziggy’s adopted hometown. He came out smokin’, but at 5’10” and 190 pounds he was no match for Smokin’ Joe who stopped him in the opening round. When he left the sport, he returned to his hometown of Watervliet, NY, and opened a bar, Ziggy’s corner. At age 79 from stomach cancer at a hospital in Albany where he was a dementia patient.

March 24 – TONY MONTANO – Montano was recognized as the first native-born Arizonan to compete for a world title when he challenged WBA/WBC 154-pound champion Sandro Mazzinghi in 1964 (he came in overweight and was stopped in the 12^th round). He fought many of the top middleweights of the era, finishing 51-34-3. At age 88 in Glendale, AZ.

April

April 1 – KEN BUCHANAN – Widely considered the greatest boxer from Scotland, Buchanan won the world lightweight title in Puerto Rico in 1970 with a 15-round decision over Ismael Laguna and made two successful defenses before losing the belt to Roberto Duran in a bout that ended after 13 rounds with the Scotsman claiming of a low blow that landed after the bell. Inducted into the IBHOF with the class of 2000, he finished 61-8 with six of those defeats coming in has last 11 bouts. At age 77 in a nursing home in Edinburgh where he was suffering from dementia.

Ken Buchanan

April 4 – IGOR VYSOTSKY – He never turned pro, but his amateur exploits made him a national hero. The only man to defeat Teofilo Stevenson twice, he TKOed the Cuban icon in their second encounter in 1976 in Minsk. He was 8-2 in U.S. rings (including a TKO of future heavyweight titlist Tony Tubbs) while touring with the Russian national team. At age 69 in his native Yagodnoye.

April 20 – KENJI YONEKURA – A 1956 Melbourne Olympian, he finished 13-10-1 (1 KO) but was far better than his record. He went 15 rounds with Pascual Perez in a failed bid for a world flyweight title and 15 rounds with Jose Becerra in a failed bid for a world bantamweight title. In retirement he ran a gym in Tokyo that produced five world title-holders. At age 86 in a sanitorium on the ourtskirts of Tokyo that was his home for the last six years of his life.

April 20 – JOSE LUIS GARCIA – The Venezuelan was 7-0 at LA’s iconic Olympic Auditorium beginning with a startling knockout of Ken Norton. Norton avenged the setback five years later by which time Garcia had become a chopping block for the likes of Ron Lyle (KO by 3) and Joe Bugner (KO by 2). He finished 30-8-1. At age 75 in Valencia, Venezuela, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

April 23 (approx.) – ARTHUR WILLIAMS – A stablemate of Roy Jones Jr when he turned pro in 1969 in his native Pensacola, Williams went on to win the IBF cruiseweight title, unseating Imanu Mayfield (TKO 9). But lost it in his first defense to Vasiliy Jirov (TKO by 7). He finished 47-13-3. “King Arthur” was 58 and seemingly in good health when he passed away in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas.

April 24 – IRVING MITCHELL – An alternate on the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team, Mitchell, who learned to box in the Army, turned pro in San Diego and went on to become a world title challenger at 126 and 130 pounds. “Sweet Irving” won 24 of his first 25 fights, his lone defeat coming at the hands of Azumah Nelson, and finished 35-11-2. At age 63 at a nursing home in his native Lafayette, Louisiana.

May

May 7 – JERRY ARMSTRONG – An All-Service champion before attending Idaho State University on a boxing scholarship, Armstrong competed in the 1960 Olympics as a bantamweight where he was a teammate of Muhammad Ali. The Petoskey, Michigan native never turned pro but stayed involved in the sport as a coach, referee, and chief of officials for the Idaho Athletic Commission. At age 86 in Boise after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

May 10 – KENNETH EGANO – The 22-year-old Filipino bantamweight collapsed in his corner as he awaited the decision following an 8-round contest on a card promoted by Manny Pacquiao at Imus, Cavite, Philippines. Stretchered to a hospital in a coma, he died four days later of a cerebral hemorrhage. For the record, Egano won the bout, advancing his record to 7-1.

May 21 – CLAUDE NOEL – He became the first Tobagonian to win a world title when he captured the vacant WBA title in 1981 with a 15-riund decision over Rodolfo Gonzalez. He lost the belt in his first defense and finished 31-10. The only highway on the island of Tobago is named for him. At age 74 at a nursing home in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago, where he was totally blind and dealing with complications of diabetes.

June

June 3 – DARIO HIDALGO — One of two fighting brothers, Hidalgo lacked a big punch but was sufficiently clever to eke out a 10-round decision over future world welterweight title-holder Angel Espana in their first of two encounters and hold Elisha Obed (47-1-1 heading in) to a 10-round draw. He left the sport with cataracts in both eyes and a documented record of 25-9-2. At age 72 in his native Santo Domingo, DR, after a long, unspecified illness.

June 20 – RAY WHEATLEY – As a pro boxer, the Sydneysider had an undistinguished career. He finished 11-12-1 and was stopped nine times. But he made it into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame for his contributions as a ring official, TV commentator and magazine publisher. The longtime international correspondent for the website Fight News, Wheatley was 74.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

13 hours ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

Luis A. Cortes III

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“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.

Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.

The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.

Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.

That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.

“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.

Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.

***

DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.

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High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12^th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16^th world title fight.

This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.

A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11^th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.

Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.

By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.

Other Bouts of Note

Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.

Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.

In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.

Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.

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