The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame 2024

Sub Lead01-Oct-24by Gary Todd

This event was much more than bringing boxing history to life.

Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame inductions

After a twenty-something-hour journey across the Pacific, and a ninety-minute hair-raising taxi ride from JFK to my hotel, I dumped my bags and l set out into the streets of Times Square with a New York State of mind. For me, this city never changes and it never gets old. The smell of burning nuts, hotdogs, and dope wafting up your nose at every turn, and wall-to-wall neon flashes of red, white and blue pounding and pulsing endlessly to the music in the distance. With sirens wailing and people walking as if every one of their lives depended on not being late for an important date.

I took a left at 42nd Street and stepped into the same Deli as always and I ordered the same sandwich I had been eating for close to thirty years.

I sat down at the window and watched a moving picture of the world outside. Junkies, businessmen, tourists, tramps and thieves all doing their thing , and each of them doing their best to negotiate the cracks in the sidewalk and each other. Too many taxis hustling for a lane. Women trying to sell their wares on street corners and groups of people shouting and reciting and telling anyone they could that Jesus will save us if we all repented.

It was time for me to go. I walked and talked my way back to 8th avenue and I got chatting to an old guy with cataracts in his left eye and we talked about the old fighters from Philadelphia . After a while, I told him I was taking a left so I said goodbye to the man and I handed him a twenty-dollar bill. I had eaten and I wasn’t sure if he had. He smiled a toothless smile and he told me that god was going to bless me and with that, he was gone. I smiled and watched him walk back the way we had just came , and I wondered how many times he would walk these mean streets every night.

My focus shifted to me getting some sleep, as tomorrow, I would be off to New Jersey , walking the boardwalk and the windy streets of Atlantic City in anticipation of the weekend ahead at the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame.

As I looked out the window of the greyhound bus, I thought about the fighters who gave so much in their fights in the casinos all those years ago when Atlantic City was a real fight city and the place to be for blue collar boxing fans to come and enjoy great fights. I wondered where they were now and I looked forward to catching up with some old faces again.

Some things just never change. As I walked along the boardwalk, the wind was howling and the waves of the Atlantic sea was at its powerful best, crashing into the Jersey shore.

In my minds eye, I imagined how the old AC boxing promoter and self made billionaires ‘ hair do’ would have fared , walking to his very own ‘ Trump Taj Mahal’ casino on a day like today. Trump’s casino staged some of the biggest fights of the 90s , as he put down a challenge to the Vegas syndicates to put Atlantic City and boxing on the map on the east coast of America and for a while, he made the sport of boxing great again.

This weekend is ‘Where Boxing History Comes to Life ‘ for the 8th annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame. Boxers who fought decades ago are remembered and honored, never to be forgotten in time.

Walking through the double doors where Donald’s Taj Mahal casino once was is now the home of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and it’s also the home of founder and President, Ray McLine’s vision in staging this important historical event, ensuring that fighter’s legacies remain, not smoldering but continuing to burn brightly as the years go by. Mcline’s fire is roaring.

As I’m reading the list of inductees, and guests who will be attending this weekend, I’m standing in the casino, and in my mind, I’m immediately transported back . I’m captured by moments in time. I see flashes of Sharmba Mitchell training in the gym and then he’s boxing Tszyu. Buddy McGirt is in with Gary Jacobs, and Paul Williams is boxing’ Winky’ Wright. Mark Breland is on the podium, accepting his 1984 Olympic gold medal, and Gerry Cooney is lunging in with one of his big left hooks . Sergio Martinez has just knocked out Paul Williams. I see James ‘ Buster ‘ Douglas taking Tyson’s best, to then hit the undisputed champion with a punch-perfect combination that has him ‘ Turning Japanese’ to realize his dream of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.

There is a band in the background playing Dundee band, The Average White Band’s 1974 hit, ‘ Pick up the Pieces’ and I pause to listen to the old tune. I then continue reading and I’m once again somewhere in a time long gone. Larry Holmes is jabbing the head off an opponent. Vito Antuofermo is getting sliced up while never taking a backward step. Chuck Wepner is in with Sonny Liston and Ray Mercer is battering Tommy Morrison on the ropes. Kelly Pavilc has just beaten Jermaine Taylor to unify the middleweight division and Roberto Duran is there, one second he has Ken Buchanan on the ropes, and the next he is being chopped down like a big old tree by a Tommy Hearn thunderbolt punch, then he is spectacular in taking it to Iran Barkley when a lot of people stopped believing in him altogether.

I hear the band again. They are playing The Doobie Brothers hit, ‘ Listen to the Music’ . I think they are trying to tell me something, so I listen to them.

It’s 2:47 in the morning. I’ve been tossing and turning all night. Now don’t get me wrong but I’ve been around, and I’ve been around boxing and the sport of boxing’s, world champions for decades so this is not something new to me, but it’s always the same the night before an event. The only way I can describe this feeling is, it’s like it’s Christmas Eve and I’m 7 years old again and I’m in my bed, waiting on Christmas morning to come and it can’t come quick enough.

It’s morning and I jump out of bed to go for a walk along the boardwalk before I head to the gym. I step outside and the sky is grey and the ocean is violently spectacular. The place is deserted apart from too many homeless people rugged up in blankets and the local seagulls on a scavenger hunt for any remnants of last night. I walk.

I step through the glass doors to the opulent lobby of The Hard Rock. It is impressive and standing inside it seems so surreal to me with the poverty and derelict houses and buildings only a stone’s throw away outside, it is an oasis in the desert, and it is a tangible lifeline to the people and the overall economy of this city.

The ‘Opening Bell ‘ sounded to start the weekend for the ACBHOF and we were off. With boxing fans flying in from across America and beyond, It was now three days of celebration and fun in the place known as ‘ The World’s Playground’

Randy Gordon and Gerry Cooney kick off proceedings with their radio show, specifically there for the Hall of Fame and the big crowd in attendance. The official ACBHOF artist Patrick J Killian was there painting and he was showcasing impressive work on easels.

There was a list of boxers, trainers, promoters, cut men, and boxing fans in attendance and the room is buzzing. Ray McLine and his team are welcoming and are cordial, roaming the room with a smile and a hand shake. The dynamic duo, Cooney and Gordon are laughing and keeping the fans and the millions of people across the airwaves of America entertained with their quick wit and stories from their guest boxers. The atmosphere was electric yet relaxed.

From there, it was onto a VIP cocktail event upstairs in the casino and with a quick freshen up, the fun continued. As the DJ was belting out the hits of Motown and disco, there were characters a plenty, suited and booted walking with swagger and jiving their way across the floor. With the Champagne flowing, and canapé a plenty, the world champions were in the house and it was fantastic to see.

After three hours of cocktails, it was on to the live boxing event which was both exciting and it also brought back some nostalgic emotional memories from the old days in Atlantic City. A brilliant way to end with a night of well-matched professional bouts.

After a late night on the boardwalk and some well-needed shut-eye, it was an early start to the morning as it was the ‘ Fight Fan Meet and Greet ‘ event. All the 2024 inductees were confirmed to be there and a large crowd was expected. I arrived early and shortly after 1030am, the boxers and the fans started to walk through the doors. There were vendors selling boxing memorabilia, photographs, and tee shirts. There were also talented boxing writers in Bill Dettloff and Nigel Collins who were there signing their books, and boxing artists, Patrick J Killian and Chris Guzman were there, displaying their HOF art.

Again, McLine and his team managed to give the boxing fans something to be happy about, with full access to the fighters in a friendly environment with the fighters happy to be there , taking photos and signing autographs until the bell rang to end proceedings after four hours.

From there, the large crowd and the boxers and their families left to get themselves ready for the big night ahead . Tonight was all about celebration and the boxers and the inductees and their personal achievements in the sport.

The ceremony began with a fantastic house band playing while the people were being shown their seats . There was a buzz in the air in anticipation for this year’s inductees.

Eric Seelig, Joey Giardello, George Godfrey, Jay Larkin, Howard Davis Jnr, Eddie Cotton were honored and their families all gave heartfelt, emotional, and important speeches that brought a tear to my eyes.

There was also a recognition for people from the world of boxing who had passed away and from a personal point of note, it was a special moment to see that Scottish boxer, Willie Limond received his place on the big screen.

Buddy McGirt, Sampson Lewkowicz, Randy Gordon, Guy Gargan, Eric Bottjer, Bruce Blair, Eva D Jones, Paul Williams, Sharmba Mitchell, Sergio Martinez, Mario Maldonado, Tyrone Mitchell Frazier, James ‘ Buster ‘ Douglas, Gerry Cooney, Mark Breland, and Chuck Wepner were all honored in a tremendous ceremony and presentation. It was fantastic.

The Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame came to an end. As I walked along the boardwalk, I looked out to sea, and through the fog and the salty spray, I thought about the weekend that was. The laughter, the tears, the love and the excitement. I thought about the characters I had met and the friends I had made but most of all I thought about what words I could put down to try and describe just how great this was. Sometimes words just can’t cut it.

This event was much more than bringing boxing history to life. This was entertainment. It was an exciting, well-produced operation with multiple players and moving parts that didn’t deviate from the ultimate goal of bringing people together as boxing brothers and sisters. With what is going on in our world right now, events like this bring people together as one and for me, it just doesn’t get any better than that.