Basilio, Fullmer & DeMarco to Attend Hall of Fame Weekend

27.03 - The 1950s is often regarded as boxing's "Golden Era" and three of the standout fighters of that revered generation, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer and Tony DeMarco, will be among the celebrity guests attending the 2003 Hall of Fame Weekend set for June 5-8th.

"For any fan of boxing the names Basilio, Fullmer and DeMarco are magical," said Hall of Fame director Edward Brophy. "They engaged in many of the legendary bouts in boxing history. It will be an honor to bring them together in Canastota and remember the countless thrills they provided."

Canastota native Basilio twice reigned as world welterweight champion (1955-56, 1956-57) and defeated Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight title in 1957. His pro record reads 56-16-7 (27KOs) and includes wins over DeMarco, Johnny Saxton, Lew Jenkins, Ike Williams, and Billy Graham among others. In 1990, he was elected into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Boxing out of West Jordan, UT, Gene Fullmer was the 2-time world middleweight champion (1957, 1959-1962). Fullmer amassed a 55-6-3 (24KOs) record and victories over Tiger Jones, Gil Turner, Basilio and a pair of wins over Sugar Ray Robinson. Known for his aggressive, crowd-pleasing style, Fullmer was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Boston's DeMarco is the former welterweight champion of the world (1955). He beat Johnny Saxton for the title and then engaged in two legendary contests with Basilio. During his career he registered wins over Paddy DeMarco, Kid Gavilan, Don Jordan, Chico Vejar, and Gaspar Ortega while compiling a pro record of 58-12-1 (33KOs).

The Hall of Fame Weekend will feature over 20 exciting events. Living inductees to be honored include welterweight king Curtis Cokes, 2-time heavyweight champion George Foreman, junior welterweight champion Nicolino Locche, 3-division champion Mike McCallum, journalist Jack Fiske and author/screenwriter Budd Schulberg. Posthumous inductees will also be honored.

Over 50 boxing stars, including Emile Griffith, Ken Buchanan, Earnie Shavers, George Chuvalo, Angelo Dundee, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello and Marlon Starling, are scheduled to participate in weekend festivities.

For more information on the Hall of Fame’s 14th Annual Induction Weekend please call (315) 697-7095.