All Roads Lead to Canastota

09.06.04 – With the opening bell just days away, a huge gathering of boxing legends of yesterday and today has been assembled to participate in festivities planned for the 15th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Canastota. Among the over 50 boxing stars slated to participate in the June 10-13th festivities include Hall of Famers Carmen Basilio, Carlos Ortiz, Aaron Pryor, Jose Torres, Emile Griffith, Ruben Olivares, Gene Fullmer, Ken Norton, Ken Buchanan, Alexis Arguello, Lou Duva, Pipino Cuevas, Mickey Duff, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Angelo Dundee, Gil Clancy, Don Chargin, Arthur Mercante, Jake LaMotta, Jeff Fenech, and Budd Schulberg.

Joining the Hall of Famers will be special guests Billy Backus, Christy Martin, Tony DeMarco, Jimmy Ellis, George Chuvalo, Terry Norris, Leon Spinks, Buddy McGirt, Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, Micky Ward, Danny “Little Red’ Lopez, Johnny Tapia, John Stracey, Bert Sugar, as well as current world champions Winky Wright (junior middleweight) and Cory Spinks (welterweight).

The four-day Hall of Fame Weekend features over twenty events including a pro boxing show, a banquet, golf tournament, the Parade of Champions with award-winning singer Tony Orlando serving as grand marshal and the Official Induction Ceremony on Sunday, June 13th at 2:30 p.m.

New inductees to be honored are super featherweight champion Azumah Nelson, welterweight champion Carlos Palomino, light heavyweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi, super bantamweight champion Daniel Zaragoza, referee Stanley Christodoulou, promoter J Russell Peltz, and journalist W.C. Heinz. Posthumous inductees will also be honored.

“The Hall of Fame Weekend is boxing’s highlight weekend of the year. In Canastota, boxing fans can mingle with an incredible roster of boxing legends and celebrate the great sport,” said Hall of Fame director Edward Brophy. “The Hall of Fame Weekend is for anyone who loves the sport of boxing.”

For more information on the 15th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call 315-697-7095.