NY Boxing HOF Class of 2020 Induction Ceremony Postponed until September 20

The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) announced today that its ninth annual induction dinner has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic from April 19th to September 20th at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

Money already collected for tickets and journal ads may be used for the Sept. 20th event or returned in full upon request at point of purchase.

"Because of new city mandates and the uncertainty of the coronavirus," NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy announced, "we have postponed our event until September 20. It would not have been fair to the honorees, their friends and guests, and general public to wait any longer. I must commend the ownership and management at Russo's On The Bay for working with us during this crisis to give us a date that will hopefully work for us all.

"I'd like to thank everyone for their patience, advise and insight into making this decision. With the extra time I'm confident that we can make this award dinner our best ever."

Other living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include three-time World light heavyweight title challenger Jorge Ahumada (42-8-2, 22 KOs), of Woodside, Queens by way of Argentina; (1975-78) WBC super featherweight World Champion Alfredo "El Salsero" Escalera (53-14-3, 31 KOs), of New York City by way of Puerto Rico; WBC super featherweight World title challenger Freddie "The Pitbull" Liberatore (20-4-1, 11 KOs), of Bayside, Queens; WBC middleweight World Champion and four-time New York Golden Gloves winner Dennis "The Magician" Milton (16-5-1, 5 KOs), of Bronx; World heavyweight title challenger and two-time New York Golden Gloves winner Lou Savarese (46-7, 38 KOs), of Greenwood Lake; and WBA super middleweight title World title challenger Merqui "El Corombo" Sosa (34-9-2, 27 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of the Dominican Republic.

Posthumous participants being inducted are Brooklyn welterweight Soldier Bartfield (51-29-8, 33 KOs), who fought a reported 55 world champions; Bronx middleweight Steve Belloise (95-13-3, 59 KOs); NYSAC and World lightweight champion (1925) Jimmy Goodrich (85-34-21 (12 KOs), of Buffalo; World heavyweight title challenger Tami Mauriello (82-13-1, 60 KOs), of Bronx; WBA light middleweight World champion (1982-83) and four-consecutive New York Golden Gloves titlist Davey "Sensational" Moore (18-5, 14 KOs), of Bronx; and World lightweight champion Freddie "The Welsh Wizard" Welch (74-5-7, 34 KOs), of New York City by way of Wales.

Living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are Wantagh journalist/producer Bobby Cassidy, Jr., Oneida judge Don Ackerman, Buffalo manager Rick Glaser, Rockaway Beach journalist Jack Hirsch, Bronx boxing broadcaster Max Kellerman, Ardsley ringside physician/NY Medical Director Dr. William Lathan, Orangeburg judge Julie Lederman, Hyde Park referee Ron Lipton, and Staten Island/Catskill trainer Kevin Rooney.

Posthumous non-participant inductees are Brooklyn's Ring Magazine editor Lester Bromberg, New York City sportswriter Dan Daniel, Brooklyn's Gleason's Gym founder Bobby Gleason, Sunnyside, Queens boxing writer Flash Gordan, Manhattan journalist A.J. Liebling, Long Island City's NYSBHOF co-founder Tony Mazzarella and New York City manager Dan Morgan.

Sergey Kovalev vs Sullivan Barrera cancelled due to COVID-19

In compliance with Riverside County’s ordinance banning large public gatherings due to concerns regarding COVID-19, the April 25 Kovalev vs. Barrera card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has been cancelled.

“Whether it’s in Riverside County or Los Angeles County, it is clear that we must take every precaution to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman, and CEO of Golden Boy. “We lament the hardship this has caused for our fighters, partners, employees and state officials, and we look forward to providing better news in the coming weeks.”

“The health of our guests and Golden Boy’s athletes is our top priority,” Paul Ryan, General Manager of Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. “This week we’ve seen professional sports leagues err on the side of caution, from the NBA and college basketball to the PGA and Major League Baseball, and we’re doing the same. It’s the right thing to do, and we look forward to having another stellar Golden Boy card here in the future.”

A new date for Golden Boy Boxing at Fantasy Springs will be announced as soon as it is reasonably possible.

Roger Mayweather passes away, he was 58

Floyd Mayweather Jr's uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather passed away at 58.

Roger played a crucial role in shaping the undefeated career of Floyd Mayweather Jr.  As a boxer, he held a world title at 130 pounds in 1983. He started his professional boxing career at age 20 and accumulated a record of 59 wins, out of which; 35 of those wins came from inside the distance, 13 losses, and no draw.

Roger's first pro fight was in 1981 against Andrew Ruiz, which he won by TKO. His last fight was in 1999 against Javier Francisco Mendez, which he won via majority decision.

Roger has deteriorating health for years and in 2015 Floyd talk about it.

"My uncle Roger Mayweather has lost a lot of memory from the sport of boxing," Floyd said ... "He's only in his 50s, but it seems like he's an old man in his 80s." [TMZ]

According to TMZ, they were told that Floyd was deeply emotional about Roger's passing.

Earlier also Floyd's ex-girlfriend and mother of his three kids, Josie Harris was found dead Tuesday in a car parked in Valencia, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed Wednesday.