Hook, Line and Sinker, the Fall of a Hall . . .

By Rick Farris


I can't imagine anybody spending more than a day in the world of boxing and not trip over at least a dozen phonies.
They're everywhere, and if you are so naive as to not pick-up on their methods, the familiarity of a losing concept, etc. then life won't be easy for you. Boxers tend to be a naive lot, for the most part. Most aren't ready to give up belief in a fairy tale.

The latest phony to strike, convinced the President of the WBHOF that he could turn our annual induction banquet (that lost over $20,000 last year) into a Las Vegas extraveganza, a combination of Hall of Fame inductions and top shelf entertainment.

Former fighter, and Motown Record creator, Berry Gordy Jr. was honored by the CBHOF a few years ago and was so kind to show and accept his award.
The promoter tells Mando Muniz, "I've got Gordy, which means I have Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, and other Motown headliners at my fingertips." He continued, "We're going to have them perform, as an opening act to the ceremony, award Gordy for his success, then honor the boxers. But first, a mega press conference, and a huge golf tournament. It'll take place just six days before Thanksgiving, just six days after Manny Pac vs. Margarito."

I'm no event organizer, but this WBHOF banquet being held on a friday, in what would be a tourist dead spot date-wise, seems not well thought out. Golf? We've lost money on golf tourneys before, so why not again? What's the thinking here?
Oh, and I forgot, the promoter, a black guy who claims to "know how to do business with black people" (that one lost me completely), also says SHOWTIME will want to broadcast the banquet live. When I was told that my reaction was simply, "BULLSHIT!"

This isn't the first time this promoter showed his face on the West Coast circuit. He laid a line on the Golden State Boxers Association about getting Muhammad Ali for guest appearances, etc. Just a 24 karat dirt bag in a suit.

As it is at the moment. A well meaning, but grossly naive President faces there being no WBHOF banquet this year.
That's about where it stands right now. This was the design of some, but there is no talk of salvaging the event, not yet, that is.

Thirty years, thirty banquets. No 31st? That's the talk around town.
The buzzards are circling above the battle scarred World Boxing Hall of Fame.