PA BOXING HALL OF FAME
CLASS OF 2012 ANNOUNCED
 

It is that time of year again. All the votes have been cast and counted and the final results are in. The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame announced their 2012 class of inductees. These nine new members will be officially welcomed at the Hall's annual banquet dinner on Sunday, May 20 at 4:00 PM. The event will be held at Romano's Catering at Castor Avenue & Wingohocking Street in Philadelphia (1523-63 Wingohocking Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19124). Tickets for the event are priced at $55 each and can be purchased by contacting John Gallagher of the Veteran Boxers Association - Ring One at 1-215-920-8791. All the living inductees are expected to attend, as well as many other local boxing luminaries.

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Johnny Carter
Bantamweight

Born: November 07, 1957
Active: 1977-1989 (pro)
Pro Record: 33-8 / 21 KOs

Highlights:
-Won USBA Bantam Title in 1980
-PA State Jr. Feather Title in 1985
-Nevada State Bantam Title in 1980
-Challenged Jeff Chandler for the WBA
Bantam Title in 1982

Johnny Carter was one of the best bantamweights of his time. However his excellent career was intertwined with rival Jeff Chandler, whom he beat in the amateurs but could not catch as a professional. Carter, known as the "Dancing Machine", had a fine amateur run that included a national championship and that win over Joltin' Jeff. As a professional, Carter won the USBA Title, as well as state championships in both Pennsylvania and Nevada. He is best remembered for his world title challenge against Chandler in 1982, a nationally televised battle between two of the world's very best, at Philly's Civic Center. Carter lost that bout, and was overshadowed by the great Chandler. However, Carter would certainly had been a world champion himself had he not had to contend with Jeff. Regardless, Johnny's career included important victories over Javier Flores, Sergio Castro, Diego Rosario, Tommy Barnes, Sam David, Mike Stuart, and Mark Pacheco. He finished his twelve year pro career with an impressive 33-8 (21 KOs) record. Today, he trains fighters at the Marian Anderson Rec Center in South Philadelphia. 

Nigel Collins
Writer / Editor

Born: April 07, 1946
Active: 1970s-Present

Highlights:
-Twice served as Editor in Chief at The Ring
-Author of "Boxing Babylon"
-Boxing writer for more than 40 years




Nigel Collins is the text book example of a boxing fan making it big. Collins parlayed his love of the sport into one of the best careers ever as a boxing scribe. For decades he covered boxing for numerous publications, documenting and commenting on the sport and the fight scene in general. Collins is best known for his association with THE RING, the most prestigious boxing publication of all time, also known as the "Bible of Boxing". Nigel joined RING as Assistant Editor in 1983, and became the Editor-in-Chief in 1985. He held that position for four years. Collins returned to THE RING for a second stretch as Editor-in-Chief between 1993 and 2011. If Collins was a fighter, his two runs at THE RING would make him a two-time champion. He also wrote the popular book, "Boxing Babylon - Behind the Shadowy World of the Prize Ring", which was published in 1990. Collins still writes about and comments on boxing today.
 

Eddie Corma
Lightweight

Born: January 02, 1935
Active: 1954-1960 (pro)
Pro Record: 18-1 / 8 KO

Highlights:
-Amateur Record of 25-0
-1953 Mid-Atlantic AAU Champion
-1953 Philadelphia PAL Champion
-Began pro career with a 16-0 winning streak
 

After a successful high school wrestling career, Eddie Corma decided to give boxing a try. He trained in South Philly under legendary trainers Tony Morgano and Tony Cocco, and  in 1953, won both the PAL Championship and the Mid-Atlantic AAU Championship. After compiling an undefeated, 25-0 record as an amateur, Corma decided to turn pro, and worked his way through all the local prospects. His first bout was a second round KO of John Cassidy at the Cambria Athletic Club, his "hometown" venue in Kensington. Corma went on to beat Chicken Rubin, Earl Clemmons, Charlie Cummings, Jake Josato, Tommy Reed, Billy Davis and Reuben Davis, during a career-opening undefeated streak that stretched to 16 straight bouts. Corma's only loss came on October 21, 1955 against the highly-ranked, and bona fide "Philly Killer", Paolo Rosi. After two more victories that pushed his pro record to 18-1 (8 KO), Corma quit the ring for good, opting instead for marriage and a family. He is the father of two daughters, and lives in Florida with his wife of fifty years.
 

Joe Hand Sr.
Promoter / Manager / Gym Proprietor 

Born: September 10, 1936
Active: 1971-Present

Highlights:
-Founding member of Cloverlay
-Proprietor of Joe Hand Gym
-King of local Closed-Circuit & PPV boxing




Joe Hand Sr. was a subway cop with no plans to become part of the boxing world. However as they say, a strange thing happened on the  way to the forum. Enter Joe Frazier, the newly crowned Olympic Gold Medalist from the 1968 Tokyo Games. His management team formed an organization called Cloverlay, which sought out individual investors to buy shares in the future champ's career. Joe Hand took a shot and purchased two shares worth of Joe Frazier's future. Needless to say, that $500 investment paid off nicely. But what really put Joe Hand on the boxing map and led to this Hall of Fame induction, was his entry into the business of closed circuit boxing telecasts. Hand eventually became the exclusive distributor of these public-view telecasts, commonly held at large venues like the Spectrum and the Arena. As the business changed and the bulk of boxing fans began watching these mega-fights in their own home on Pay-Per-View cable TV, Hand stayed on top by distributing the events to public establishments like bars, restaurants, theaters, and clubs. In addition to boxing, Hand also distributed other events such as concerts, other sports, and these days, MMA/UFC. Hand also established the Joe Hand Boxing Gym, one of the best in Philadelphia for decades. He also has managed or co-managed many boxers, and promoted fights in and around Philly and Atlantic City. In 2011, Joe Hand celebrated his 40th Anniversary in the Boxing Business.
 

Dorsey Lay
Lightweight

Born: December 31, 1924
Active: 1942 to 1948
Pro Record: 39-18-1 / 15 KO

Highlights:
-Top-level competitor in one of the  greatest eras of the lightweight division.
-Defeated PA HOF members Eddie Giosa, George LaRover & Santa Bucca


During his six-year boxing career, West Philly's Dorsey Lay was known as "The Rabbit" because of his speedy ring style. He came along at time when the lightweight division was as strong as in any era of boxing history, and Dorsey Lay was right in the middle of it all. As an amateur, Lay was the runner up at 1941 Mid-Atlantic AAU tournament. He turned professional the following year with a decision over Frankie Mayo at the Olympia in South Philly. Lay tackled solid opposition throughout his career, and went 23-4-1 in his first 28 fights, beating the likes of George Larover, Gene Burton, Ellis Phillips, George "Dusty" Brown, Dave Freeman, and Vince Dell'Orto, to name a few. In 1945 he faced future champ and legend Ike Williams, just one bout shy of his first world title. Williams defeated Lay, but Dorsey bounded back the following month with a big win over Freddie Dawson. Important victories over Eddie Giosa, Santa Bucca, and Otis Graham followed, as did a loss to cross town rival Wesley Mouzon. At the end of his career, Lay split two bouts with Speedy Lawrence, and quit the ring due to an eye injury. He finished his memorable career 39-18-1 with  15 KOs.
 

Steve Little
Super Middleweight

Born: June 09, 1965
Died: January 30, 2000
Active: 1983-1998
Pro Record: 25-17-3 / 6 KO

Highlights:
-WBA Sr. Middleweight Champ (1994)
-IBC Sr. Middleweight Title (1996)
-WBC FECARBOX Sr. Middle Champ (1996)

Reading, PA's "Lightning" Steve Little was a popular local fighter who lost his first big opportunities in the boxing ring. Little dropped bids for the PA State Welterweight Title (L12 Hugh Kearney), the USBA Jr. Middleweight Title (L12 Robert Hines), the NABF Jr. Middleweight Title (TKO 6 by Terry Norris), and the WBO Jr. Middleweight Title (TKO 8 by John David Jackson). However, Little wasn't finished yet. He won the PA State Jr. Middleweight at the Blue Horizon, and in 1994, with a record of 21-13-2 (5 KOs), upset the odds with a major shocker against rising star Michael Nunn, then 42-1 (27 KO) to win the WBA Super Middleweight Championship by 12-round decision. Little was 28 years old. After losing his belt to Frankie Liles, Little also took the WBC  FECARBOX Super Middleweight Title (W12 Camilo Alarcon) and the IBC Super Middleweight Championship (W12 Joaquin Velasquez. During his career, Little also scored wins over Pipino Cuevas, David Braxton and Tyrone Frazier. Little posted an overall record of 25-17-3 (6 KOs), before passing away from cancer, January 30, 2000, at age 34.
 

Frank Moran
Heavyweight

Born: March 18, 1887
Died: December 14, 1967
Active: 1906-1922 (pro)
Pro Record: 41-22-4 / 31 KO

Highlights:
-Challenged Jack Johnson (1914) & Jess Willard (1916) for the World Heavyweight Title
-KOs of Jim Coffey (twice), Bombardier Billy Wells & Joe Beckett (twice)
 

Born Francis Charles Moran in Pittsburgh, PA, Frank Moran played college football at the University of Pittsburgh where he also studied dentistry. However, he eventually swapped his aspirations to be a dentist for the far less tooth-friendly occupation of boxing. He began in the sport while serving in the Navy around 1906, and became a professional two years later with a second round KO of Fred Cooley in San Francisco. Nicknamed the "Pittsburgh Dentist", Moran began piling up wins and building a strong reputation as a tough competitor and a hard puncher. In 1914, during the heat of the "White Hope" era, Moran earned a crack at exiled heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, who was fighting everywhere but in the USA. Their bout, staged in Paris, lasted the 20-round distance with Johnson retaining his title on points. Johnson lost his title to Jess Willard in 1915, and Willard made his first defense against Moran in 1916 at Madison Square Garden. Outweighed by fifty pounds, Moran came up short on the scorecards after the 10-round scheduled distance. Only three heavyweight title bouts occurred between 1914 and 1918, and Moran fought in two of them. Frank's best career wins came against Homer Smith, Bombardier Billy Wells, and Sailor White. 
 

Joe Rowan
Heavyweight

Born: May 15, 1934
Died: September 13, 1993
Active: 1952-1959
Pro Record: 30-16-1 / 14 KO

Highlights:
-1951 Amateur Phila. Golden Gloves Title
-1951 Amateur Phila. Diamond Belt Title
-Beat Wayne Bethea & Ted Calaman

"Irish" Joey Rowan was a fine heavyweight prospect from Phoenixville, PA. He started as an amateur middleweight and won both the Philadelphia Golden Gloves and the Diamond Belt tournaments in 1951. He went on to place second at the Eastern Regional Golden Gloves behind future Olympic Gold Medalist (1952) and two-time world champion Floyd Patterson, reportedly the only man to beat Rowan in a 26-1 amateur career. Rowan turned professional on June 02, 1952 with a second round knockout of Charlie Coles in Philadelphia, and went 27-7-1 (13 KOs) in his first 35 bouts. During that stretch, he defeated Ted Calaman, Wayne Bethea, and Zack Hobbs three times. In 1955, Rowan drew with Bob Satterfield over 10 rounds and lost a questionable 10-round decision to Willie Pastrano. Rowan ended his career with an overall record of 30-16-1 (14 KOs), but some sources claim he had an additional 10 unrecorded victories.
 

Jesse Smith
Middleweight

Born: August 11, 1935
Died: January 22, 2012
Active: 1953-1966 (pro)
Pro Record: 46-12-5 / 33 KO

Highlights:
-Drew with Henry Hank, and beat Clarence Alford, Ernie Burford, Gene Washington, Mel Collins all in 1960.


"Crazy Horse" Jesse Smith had a memorable 13 year boxing career against an impressive list of opponents. He was an extremely popular attraction especially in Philadelphia and Chicago. In 1960, after going 29-6-3, Smith faced the rising Henry Hank at Chicago Stadium. The more experienced Hank was closing in on a title shot and was heavily favored to beat the relatively unknown Smith, but Jesse took the fight to the feared slugger all night long. Although the action was close, Smith was on the brink of pulling the upset until he ran into a hard left uppercut in round ten. Hank dropped him with the punch but Smith bounced right back up and carefully counter-punched his way to the final bell. Even with the knockdown, most felt Smith had still won the bout, however the officials called the fight a draw. But Smith had arrived, and showed his skills during the fight - his punching power, ability to take a shot, and his clever boxing style. He went on to win 11 of his next 13 fights, losing only to Joey Giardello twice by decision during the run. His victims in that stretch included Jimmy Beecham, Mel Collins, Ernie Burford, and the Alford brothers - Clarence and Johnny. In the final 11 bouts of his career Smith went 6-4-1, losing to George Benton, Luis Rodriguez and Johnny Morris and Ernie Burford. Smith was one of those fighters who could have competed with the very best in any era of boxing history and more than held his own. One legend says that Jesse Smith even staggered Sonny Liston, a big heavyweight, in a sparring session back in the day. Whether that is true or not, if Smith was around today, he'd be a killer. Smith recently died at age 76.
 

John DiSanto - March 16, 2012

Hall of Fame Ticket Info
Date: Sunday, May 20, 2010, 4:00 PM
Location: Romano's Catering
(Castor Ave. & Wingohocking St., Philadelphia, PA, 19124)
Price: $55 per ticket
To purchase tickets call: John Gallagher at (215) 920-8791
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