Exclusive Photos & Recap: Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Gala!

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2016 Induction Awards at Caesars Palace

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It was an affair to remember.

The 4th Annual Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF) gala was held on July 30 at the legendary Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with 11 inductees taking their place in the history books. NVBHOF President/CEO/Founder Rich Marotta, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Michelle Corrales-Lewis, their Board of Directors, sponsors and volunteers made it a knockout weekend for all.

Here’s my special recap and snapshots from the awards show in which 11 honorees were introduced on stage including prizefighters Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez, Pernell Riddick Bowe, “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, Christy Martin (first female inductee), and Freddie Little; trainers Thell Torrence, Kenny Adams and the late Johnny Tocco (posthumous award); and journalists Tim Dahlberg and James “Smitty” Smith.

On Friday night (during a VIP Cocktail reception), seven awardees also received recognition for their achievements: Colonel Bob Sheridan, “Nevada Fighter of the Year” Badou Jack, “Nevada Female Fighter of the Year” Ava Knight, “Nevada Amateur Fighter of the Year” JJ Mariano, “Nevada Prospect of the Year” Devin Haney, Muhammad Ali “Humanitarian Award” to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, and the NVBHOF “President’s Award” to Herb Santos Jr.

The NVBHOF induction dinner then took place on Saturday night, the culmination of an exciting two days of events hosted by the NVBHOF and Caesars Entertainment (currently celebrating their 50th Anniversary). But before this grand finale, the attendees got a chance to be part of Friday’s Meet & Greet with the donaireChamps with pop-up booths, autographs and a free X Factor Photo Booth (sponsored by the World Boxing Council), Friday night’s private event at the Garden of the Gods Oasis, and Saturday’s VIP Gifting Suite (bDashd Events) and red carpet arrivals.

It was a whirlwind of fun for the locals and out of town guests who all converged in the Mecca of Boxing.

Besides the inductees and award winners, familiar faces seen in the crowd were Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, Jessie Vargas, Shawn Porter, Paulie Ayala, Hasim Rahman, Joel Casamayor, Kevin Kelley, Montell Griffin, Verno Phillips, Terry Norris, James “Quick” Tillis, Mia St. John, Nonito Donaire, Laura Serrano, Iran Barkley, Joey Gilbert, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Bones Adams, Steve Forbes, Elena Reid, Paul Banke, Ana Julaton, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, actor Ryan O’Neal, Richard Steele, Dee Kelley and many more.

It was great reconnecting with many of the champs and fighters there; the Vegas boxing community is a close-knit one and I enjoyed catching up with everyone including special mentions to Rich Marotta, Michelle Corrales-Lewis, Laura Serrano, Jon Hait, James Wimberly, Butch Gottlieb, Mary Ann Owen, Jeff Zimmerman, WBC’s Mauricio Sulaiman, Jill Diamond and Nancy Rodriguez.

And Saturday night’s awards ceremony was a real show stopper with the estimated 900 guests taking in all the sights and sounds from the floor and stage in the Palace Ballroom. The inductees were escorted into the venue by Caesars’ Roman-garbed gladiators as all eyes were on the luminaries entering the ballroom. It was a grand entrance worthy of rock stars! The NVBHOF really pulled out all the stops to make it one unforgettable night.

The inductees received several surprises as they were inducted into the hall. This 2016 group were presented special bronze statues (Steve Harpst Bronzes), mini championship belts (World Boxing Council), gold rings (sponsored by Kegenix), white mini ring standups (Rick Nieto), gloves and programs with the fighters’ likeness on them (John Barge III, Hovo Ayranjyan and Nazo Boxing Equipment), Certificates of Commendations (Senator Harry Reid), VIP goodie bags and more.

The emcees Bernardo Osuna and Crystina Poncher did a great job in keeping the festivities on schedule. Singers Adrian Zmed and Bridget Gonzalez sang the National Anthems, a “Ten Count” tribute was aired (for those in boxing who’ve recently passed away), and vintage film clips were shown on the big screen.

Other highlights included Sugar Ray Leonard’s moving tribute to Muhammad Ali, fierce and fearless Christy Martin’s speech as the very first female inducted into the NVBHOF, along with the Class of 2016 inductees all taking their well-deserved time in the spotlight. There was also the NVBHOF’s famous dessert served to all the ticket holders: fancy red and white boxing gloves filled with edible treats along with a chocolate medallion with the NVBHOF logo showcased. And everything was edible, I can vouch for that!

One more fun highlight was the special performance by the “Mighty Sensations.” This singing group is not your normal group though. This squad of five men (Tony Weeks, Russ Mora, Bobby Hoyle, Kenny Bayless and Kermit Bayless) is made up of boxing officials! Used to being seen sporting bow ties in the ring, these referees and judges took command of the stage singing (and dancing) in a three-song performance that really had the crowd on their feet! Their renditions of “My Girl,” “Funky Nassau,” and “La La Means I Love You” was spot on… and who knew famed referee Tony Weeks has an excellent falsetto?

This 2016 NVBHOF gala offered something for everyone. It was truly a weekend to remember.

Congrats again to the newest inductees!

Photos by Michele Chong

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Michele Chong has been involved in the sport of boxing for over a decade. Her “Chatter Box” column covers a variety of subjects in both professional and amateur boxing, and features exclusive one-on-one interviews, recaps of fight events, shows and tournaments, book/film reviews and much more. Inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008, she is also a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Golden State Boxer’s Association and the Burbank Boxing Club. Michele is also involved in many non-profit and charitable organizations.