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Thirteen new members have been elected to the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (PABHOF). Leading the Class of 2022 are all-time greats Bernard Hopkins and Michael Spinks along with former world champions Michael Moorer and Freddie Pendleton. Other boxers to be inducted include title challengers Zahir Raheem and Lou Bizzarro, as well as old-timers Battling (Al) Murray and Dick Welsh. In the Non-Boxer Category, matchmaker Harold Moore, referee Tommy Reid, manager-advisor Rob Murray, and trainers Tony Bersani and Tom Yankello were also elected. This is the 64th class of inductees by the PABHOF, the longest-running boxing hall of fame in the world. The date and venue of the event have not yet been determined, but the 2022 PABHOF ceremony is expected to take place this summer. For more information, please contact John DiSanto (609-377-6413). _____________________________________________________________ 2022 PABHOF INDUCTEES _____________________________________________________________
BERNARD HOPKINS: Philadelphia's Bernard Hopkins is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He won the IBF middleweight title in 1995 with a TKO of Segundo Mercado. He went on to defend the 160-pound championship a record 20 times, unifying the IBF, WBC, WBA, and WBO belts along the way. As a middleweight, Hopkins scored career-defining victories over Felix Trinidad (TKO12) and Oscar De La Hoya (KO9). After ceding the title to Jermain Taylor in 2005, B-Hop moved up to light heavyweight and won the IBO belt with an upset of Antonio Tarver in 2006. After scoring wins over Kelly Pavlik and Roy Jones Jr., Hopkins won the WBC and IBO 175-pound titles with a 12-round victory over Jean Pascal. He lost the WBC belt to Chad Dawson, but rebounded by winning the IBF crown with a decision over Tavoris Cloud in 2013. He added the WBA and IBA titles by the time his fighting days were finished. His record of 55-8-2, with 32 KOs and 2 No Contests earned him a place in the IBHOF and led the way to his induction into the PABHOF in his first year of eligibility. _____________________________________________________________
MICHAEL SPINKS: Michael Spinks made his first impression at the 1976 Olympic Games, winning a Gold Medal in Montreal. Spinks rose through the light heavyweight ranks quickly, scoring wins over experienced vets like Marvin Johnson (KO4), Yaqui Lopez (TKO7) and Murray Sutherland (W10), before earning the WBA world title with a 15-round decision over Eddie Mustafa Muhammad in 1981. After five defenses, Spinks added the WBC belt by defeating champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi (then Braxton) by 15-round decision in 1983. He won the new IBF belt the following year, and made two more defenses (for a total of 10 defenses overall). In 1985, Spinks challenged IBF heavyweight champion Larry Holmes to became the first light heavyweight champion to rise in weight and become heavyweight king. He repeated his win over Holmes and defended the title once more before giving up his belt. Spinks knocked out Gerry Cooney in 1987 in a "linear" heavyweight title defense. In his final bout, he lost to Mike Tyson in a fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. It was the only loss as a professional. He retired in 1988 with a record of 31-1, 21 KOs. He entered the IBHOF in 1994. Spinks was born in St. Louis, but came to Philadelphia to train as a professional. _____________________________________________________________
MICHAEL MOORER: Brooklyn-born Michael Moorer grew up in Monessen, PA, and won the first WBO light heavyweight title in in 1988, in just his 12th pro bout. He went on to defend the title nine times, all by KO. In 1991, he moved up to heavyweight. After After six bouts, he won the vacant WBO heavyweight belt in a thrilling fifth-round TKO of Bert Cooper. Two years later, Moorer upset WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield by decision. He lost the title by KO to George Foreman in his next fight, but took the vacant IBF title in 1996 with a decision over Alex Schulz. He defended against Frans Botha and Vaughn Bean before losing the title to Holyfield in 1997. Moorer won two regional titles before retiring in 2008 with an overall record of 52-4-1, 40 KOs. _____________________________________________________________
FREDDIE PENDLETON: Philly-born "Fearless" Freddie Pendleton was a famous late bloomer who fought 52 pro bouts over 12 years before winning the IBF world lightweight title in 1993. Prior to becoming champion, lightweight Pendleton won the PA State title (TKO6 Darryl Martin), USBA title (TKO10 Livingstone Bramble), and earned his first world title shot against Pernell Whitaker (L12). He had accomplished much, but did not appear to be on track for a world championship. However in 1993, Pendleton's 12-round decision over Tracy Spann brought him the IBF 135-pound title. He successfully defended against Jorge Paez (W12) before losing the belt the following year. Pendleton went on to win the USBA belt at 140 pounds and earned four more world title opportunities. He retired in 2001 with a record of 47-26-5, 35 KOs. ______________________________________________________________
ZAHIR
RAHEEM: Philadelphian Zahir Raheem was a 1996 Olympian, before turning pro later that same year. He reeled off 25 straight victories without a loss to start his career. This opening streak included wins over Luisito Espinosa, Rodney Jones, and Joe Morales for the NABA featherweight regional title. Raheem lost for the first time in his challenge of IBF champion Rocky Juarez in 2004, when Juarez won a 12-round decision. Zaheem beat Jose Quintana (TKO8) and Erik Morales (W12) before dropping a decision to Acelino Freitas for the vacant WBO lightweight crown. In his final ten bouts, Raheem went 8-1 with 1 No Decision, and won the NABO regional junior welterweight belt in his last fight (W10 Bayan Jargal). He retired in 2014 with a record of 35-3, 21 KOs. ______________________________________________________________
LOU
BIZZARRO: Lightweight Lou Bizzarro was born in Italy but fought his entire career out of Erie, PA. Bizzarro turned professional in 1964 and won 22 straight fights. The streak led him to a WBA light world title bout against Roberto Duran at the County Field House in Erie in 1976. Bizzarro extended the all-time great until round 14, when Duran won by KO with one second remaining in the round. Bizzarro went 9-1 in his final ten fights and finished his boxing days with a fine record of 31-2, 9 KOs. Bizzarro comes from a fighting family and joins brother Johnny Bizzarro (2016 PABHOF) as a PA Boxing Hall of Famer. ______________________________________________________________
BATTLING MURRAY: Alexander DiRenza was born in Vineland, NJ in 1900, but grew up in Philadelphia, where he launched his boxing career in 1915 and adopted the ring name Battling (Al) Murray. In his 151 pro bouts, Murray faced fine fighters like Johnny Buff, Jimmy Wilde, Indian Russell, Patsy Wallace, Battling Harry Leonard, Joe Tuber, Henry "Kid" Wolfe, Benny Schwartz, Pancho Villa, Frankie Genaro, Bud Taylor, and once laid claim to the American flyweight title. Most of his career occurred during the No Decision era when unofficial "newspaper decisions" were the norm. Murray's approximate pro record was an impressive 78-49-24, with 24 KOs. After his fighting days, Murray was a charter member of the Veteran Boxers Association - Ring 1 and served as the organization's Treasurer for many years. He died in 1984 and will be inducted posthumously. His younger brother Tommy Murray (Tom DiRenza) was a prominent bantamweight. ______________________________________________________________
DICK
WELSH: Philadelphia native John DiMatteo began boxing in 1925 under the name Dick Welsh. Between 1925 and 1937, Welsh fought 108 professional bouts. During his campaign, Welsh became a contender and faced numerous top-notch fighters like Midget Wolgast, Eddie Cool, Matty White, Lew Farber, Benny Schwartz, Lou Salica, Mike Belloise, Eddie Reed, Gene Gallotto, Joey Archibald, and many others. He reached as high as the #9 spot in the bantamweight world rankings by the National Boxing Association. His approximate pro record was 68-30-10, with 11 KOs. Welsh died in 1952 and will be inducted posthumously. ______________________________________________________________
HAROLD
MOORE:
Harold Moore began his boxing career as a boxer, compiling a modest record of 3-5-1, 2 KOs, between 1948 and 1951. His opponents included Joe Aurillo, Joe Bonadies, Otis Graham, and Marvin Edelman. Later, Moore became a promoter, and staged seven shows at the Blue Horizon between 1982 and 1983. His shows featured the likes of Bennie Briscoe, Curtis Parker, Jimmie Sykes, and Jesse Ferguson. In 1984, he was hired to be a matchmaker for Peltz Boxing and worked with the company through 1988, matching fights at the Blue Horizon, Woodhaven Ballroom, and the Mayfair Ballroom. Moore died in 2009 and will be inducted posthumously. ______________________________________________________________
TOMMY REID: Tommy Reid was an essential referee during the Spectrum era. He was the third man in the ring for key Philly fights with legends like Bennie Briscoe, Tyrone Everett, Cyclone Hart, Willie Monroe, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Bobby Watts, Jeff Chandler, Alfonso Hayman, and Sammy Goss. Some of his key assignments were Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Briscoe, Thomas Hearns vs. Hayman, Hagler vs. Monroe I, Hagler vs. Hart, Bobby Chacon vs. Augie Pantellas, and many others. His career as a ref spanned from 1969 to 1990, after which he worked as a ring judge. His (incomplete) BoxRec record lists 110 bouts as a referee and 18 bouts as a judge through 1994. ______________________________________________________________
ROB
MURRAY:
"Big Rob" was a long-time boxing person who wore many hats over his 53 years in the sport. He served as a trainer, manager, advisor, matchmaker, and mentor for many boxers. He was schooled by legend Sam Solomon, and developed an uncanny skill for scouting ring talent. He worked with Bernard Hopkins as his first manager and paired him with trainer Bouie Fisher. He also worked with Reading's Steve Little, and Philly's Will Taylor. He also helped develop Eddie Chambers, Steve Chambers, and others. Murray was also known for his weekly boxing radio show which was broadcast on WHAT and WURD. During the 1990s and 2000s Murray worked as the Director of Boxing at the Blue Horizon for more than 10 years. He died in 2012 and will be inducted posthumously. ______________________________________________________________
TONY
BERSANI:
Tony Bersani fought as an amateur boxer and compiled a reported record of 95-11, with several tournament wins in both the novice and open divisions. Later he became a trainer and went on to work with Buster Drayton, Earthquake Paul Moore, Michael Brown, Margarito Lopez, Tony Suero, Larry Robinson, Maurice Byarm, Maureen Henry, Vincent Floyd, and Jeremy Cuevas (who he also managed). Through the years, Bersani ran and worked in many local gyms including the Grays Ferry Boys Club, the Regular Fellows Club, Fitness Works Boxing Center, and the South Philadelphia Boxing Club. ______________________________________________________________
TOM
YANKELLO:
Tom Yankello began coaching amateur and professional boxers in 1992. He trained or co-trained fighters like Paul Spadafora, Calvin Brock, Brian Minton, Monty Meza-Clay, Kiante Irving, Verquan Kimbrough, Rod Salka, Andres Taylor, Teddy Reid, Morgan Fitch, Roy Jones Jr., and others. Yankello has worked in more than 200 world and regional titles bouts, and is currently the head trainer at the World Class Boxing Gym in Ambridge, PA. He also established the "Stay Off the Streets" non-profit organization. Before becoming a trainer, Yankello was a talented amateur boxer, but an injury ended his fighting days and led him toward becoming a trainer. ______________________________________________________________ |
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