New York State Boxing Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2017

NEW YORK (December 26, 2016) - The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF), sponsored by Ring 8, has announced its 15-member Class of 2017. The sixth annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), April 30, at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

"Once again, "said NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy, "we're honoring New York's finest in our sport. This is all about recognizing great fighters, as well as others involved in boxing, from the state of New York. We're expecting another knockout night."

Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include Manhattan welterweight Gaspar "El Indio" Ortega (131-39-6, 69 KOs), Yonkers' world heavyweight title challenger Renaldo "Mr." Snipes (39-8-1, 22 KOs), Yonkers middleweight Doug "Cobra' Dewitt (33-8-5, 19 KOs), and "The Bronx Bomber," world middleweight title challenger Alex Ramos (39-10-2, 24 KOs)

Posthumous participants being inducted are Queens' former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Dick Tiger (60-19-3, 27 KOs), Brooklyn/Manhattan light heavyeight world champion Jose "Chegui" Torres (41-3-1, 29 KOs), and "The Nonpareil", Williamsburg middleweight world champion Jack Dempsey (51-4-11, 23 KOs).

Non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are Queens' International agent Don Majeski, Long Island matchmaker Ron Katz, Manhattan manager Stan Hoffman and past Ring 8 president/NYSAC judge Bobby Bartels.

Posthumous non-participant inductees are Brooklyn boxing historian Hank Kaplan, Long Island cut-man Al Gavin, Bronx referee Arthur Donovan and New York City columnist Dan Parker.

Each inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his induction into the NYSBHOF.

The 2017 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members: Jack Hirsch, Steve Farhood, Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Ron McNair, Angelo Prospero and Neil Terens.

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