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The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (PABHOF) will induct five new members at their annual ceremony tentatively scheduled for October 2021. This year's class is comprised of five excellent boxers, all of whom won PA state titles during their careers. Bantamweight Troy Fletcher, lightweight Marvin Garris, light heavyweight Kelvin Kelly, light heavyweight Julian Letterlough and featherweight Fernando Rodriguez. Fletcher, Garris and Kelly are Philadelphians. Rodriguez hails from Lancaster and Letterlough, the only deceased inductee of the group, was from Reading. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the date for the PABHOF ceremony has yet to been set, but is expected to happen in early October. The pandemic forced the PABHOF to postpone last year's event. So, these five new honorees will be inducted along with last year's class, which includes boxers Paul Spadafora, Myron Taylor, Derek “Pooh” Ennis, Otis Graham, Bee Bee Wright, Bill Bossio, Curtis “Hatchet Man” Sheppard, Johnny Forte, Jack McClelland, Willie Moore, Maxie Strub, Billy Wallace, and Non-Boxers: referee Rudy Battle, promoter Marshall Kauffman, the first female boxing judge Carol Polis, trainer and Olympic coach Alfred Mitchell, trainer Jim Deoria Sr., and trainer Derrick “Bozy” Ennis. As soon as more
information is known about the upcoming event, including how
to buy tickets, ads and more, it will be announced here.
2021 PABHOF INDUCTEES _____________________________________________________________
TROY
FLETCHER The youngest of the
fighting Fletcher Brothers of Southwest Philly, Troy
Fletcher fought professionally from 1982 to 1999. He debuted
as a bantamweight on June 3, 1982 and won the Pennsylvania
State 118-pound title in his 10th pro bout with a 12-round
decision over Bryan Jones at the Blue Horizon. As a
professional bantamweight, Fletcher compiled a record of
10-1-1, 2 KOs. In 1989, he moved up to the featherweight
class and in 1992, faced fellow 2021 inductee Fernando
Rodriguez for the PA State title as a 126-pounder. Rodriguez
won the 12-round decision to earn the state belt. Fletcher
fought on until 1999 and retired with a pro record of
13-10-2, 2 KOs. Fletcher joins his brothers Frank and
Anthony, both 2018 inductees, and his uncle Dick Turner, a
2007 inductee, in the PA Boxing Hall of Fame.
MARVIN
GARRIS "Machine Gun"
Marvin Garris was a professional lightweight from North
Philly who fought between 1984 and 1989. His 26-bout career
included fights with top names like Micky Ward, Roger
Mayweather, Freddie Pendleton, Irleis Perez and Anthony
Fletcher. He debuted with a 4th round TKO of Juan Carlos
Rivera on April 15, 1984. In his ninth bout, Garris beat
Victor Flores by 12-round decision to win the Pennsylvania
State lightweight championship at the Blue Horizon on July
16, 1985. He defended that title with a seventh round TKO
over Anthony "Cobra" Williams, back at the Blue Horizon
on December
9, 1986. His final fight came in 1989 against Anthony
Fletcher at the Blue Horizon. Fletcher won the 12-round
majority decision to earn the PA title. Garris, a product of
Fred Jenkins' ABC Rec Center Boxing Gym, retired in 1989
with an overall record of 15-10-1, 6 KOs.
KELVIN
KELLY South Philly's "Special
K" Kelvin Kelly fought as a professional 175-pounder between
1982 and 1987. He debuted on November 24, 1982 with a third
round knockout of James Stills. Kelly won his first twelve
fights, including victories over Lee Royster (twice), Tyrone
Booze, Marvin Mack and Freddie Guzman. His win over Guzman,
a twelve round unanimous decision, earned Kelly the ESPN
light heavyweight championship, December 27, 1985 at Resorts
in Atlantic City. His first loss came against contender
Eddie Davis (L10) in Tahoe. He bounced back with a twelve
round decision over Lionel Byarm for the Pennsylvania State
light heavyweight title, July 23, 1986. Two bouts later, he
lost the PA title to Vaughn Hooks at the Blue Horizon in
his final fight. Kelly retired with a record of 14-3, 1 KO.
JULIAN
LETTERLOUGH
Known as "Mr. KO", Julian Letterlough was a
heavy-handed light heavy from Harrisburg, PA, who fought professionally between
1998 and 2004. His debut came against Byron Jones, on October 23,
1998 in Reading, his boxing base through most of his career. Of course Letterlough won the
fight by KO, as he did in twenty of his twenty one career
victories. In fact, Mr. KO knocked out his first fourteen foes.
Included in those wins was a first round knockout of Troy
Weaver to win the NABO light heavyweight title on April 9,
2000 in Stateline, NV. In his next bout Letterlough won the
Pennsylvania State light heavyweight title with another
first round KO, this time over Manny Rose in Harrisburg,
June 9, 2000. Letterlough then lost a bid for three
regional titles against Julio Cesar Gonzalez, February 2,
2001. Gonzalez won a twelve round decision in a wild bout
that saw Gonzalez knocked down three times and Letterlough
dropped
twice. In his final twelve fights, Letterlough went 6-4-2
with 5 KOs. In this final stretch, Letterlough lost bouts
to Vassiliy Jirov in a try for the IBF world cruiserweight title, David Telesco, Richard Hall, and drew
with Daniel Judah in a bid for the USBA light heavyweight
title. Letterlough's last fight came on October 1, 2004 when
he stopped Eric Starr in the second round. His final record
was 21-5-3, with 20 KOs.
Letterlough died on July 8, 2005, after being shot in the
back. He was 35. Julian will be inducted posthumously.
FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ
Lancaster junior lightweight southpaw Fernando Rodriguez had
a storied amateur career that included two consecutive
national championships. He started his six-year professional
career on January 17,
1989 with a four round decision over Robert Rayford at the
Blue Horizon. Rodriguez won seven straight bouts before losing for
the first time, in a bout with Tony Green. He drew with
Benny Amparo in his next fight, but then won his next
thirteen starts. Included in that streak was a twelve round
decision over Troy Fletcher for the Pennsylvania State
featherweight championship, August 29, 1992, and a defense
of the title against Tommy Barnes on November 21, 1993.
Rodriguez lost his last two bouts against Harold Warren and
Wilfredo Ruiz, and retired with a pro resume of 20-3-1, with
9 KOs.
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