Boxing Library Hall of Fame

Name: Joyce Carol Oates

Author of 39 books on the New York Times Notable Books of the Year list
• Author of "On Boxing".
• American Academy of Arts and Letters, Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award -- 1968 winner: "A Garden of Earthly Delights".
• American Theatre Critics Association, New Play Award 1994 nomination: "The Perfectionist".
• Boston Book Review, Fisk Fiction Prize 1996, winner: "Zombie".
• Bram Stoker Award -- Short Fiction, 2003 nomination: "The Haunting".
• Long Fiction, 2000 nomination: "In Shock".
• Superior Achievement in a Novel, 1996 winner: "Zombie".
• Heidemann Award for One-Act Plays 1990 Co-winner: "Tone Clusters".
• James Tait Black Memorial Prize -- 2005 Fiction shortlist: "Mother, Missing".
• Los Angeles Times Book Prize 1992 Young Adult Fiction finalist: "Big Mouth & Ugly Girl".
• Mademoiselle College Fiction Contest 1959, winner: "In the Old World".
• National Book Award 2001 finalist: "Blonde".
• 1990 finalist: "Because It Is Bitter, And Because It Is My Heart".
• 1971 finalist: :Wonderland"
• 1970 winner: "Them".
• National Book Critics Circle Award -- 2007 fiction finalist: "The Gravedigger's Daughter".
• 2007 autobiography finalist: "The Journal of Joyce Carol Oates: 1973-1982".
• http://jco.usfca.edu/boxing/index.html

Favorite Book: "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky

"Here's my list of favorite books: 1) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2) "Ulysses" by James Joyce 3) "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner 4) The poems of Emily Dickinson 5) The stories of Franz Kafka 6) "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal 7) "The Rainbow" by D.H. Lawrence 8) "Women in Love" by D.H. Lawrence 9) "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville 10) "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain "What were some of my favorite books growing up? My favorite child's book was "Alice's Adventure in Wonderland." As a teenager I was reading so-called adult literature, and very much admired Henry David Thoreau, Emily Bronte, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and Dostoyevsky. I also read a steady succession of young adult fiction, especially in junior high, and classic mysteries like the tales of Sherlock Holmes, horror and science fiction to a lesser degree" (wordchase.com).

Name: Danny Aiello

Actor & Singer
• FILM APPEARANCES:
• "Once Upon a Time in America".
• "Ruby".
• "The Godfather": Part II.
• "The Purple Rose of Cairo".
• "Moonstruck".
• "Léon: The Professional".
• "Two Days in the Valley".
• "Dinner Rush".
• "Do the Right Thing".
• Earned a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Sal in "Do the Right Thing".
• STAGE APPEARANCES:
• Broadway debut) "Biggie".
• "Lampost Reunion", Little Theatre (now Helen Hayes Theatre), New York City, 1975.
• "That Championship Season", Chicago, IL, 1975.
• "Wheelbarrow Closers", Bijou Theatre, New York City,1976.
• "Gemini", Circle Repertory Theatre, New York City, 1977.
• "Knockout", Helen Hayes Theatre, 1979.
• Has released several albums featuring a big-band sound.
• TELEVISION APPEARANCES:
• Won a Daytime Emmy award for his appearance in an ABC After School Special called "A Family of Strangers".
• SINGING:
• Aiello and EMI songwriter Hasan Johnson are releasing an album in 2008 of standards fused with rap entitled "Bridges".
• Played the title character for the video of Madonna's song "Papa Don't Preach".
• http://www.dannyaiello.com/

Favorite Book: "Requiem for a Heavyweight" by Rod Serling

"I don't read books much. For me it's scripts and newspapers. I'm a Daily News and New York Post reader. The New York Times' slant bothers me. But I read a lot on the internet, too. At first, I thought the internet was a complete waste of my time--now I see I was wrong. It's fantastic. It saves so much time with research if I need to learn something. Okay, my favorite book...I'll cheat alittle--they're all movies. Maybe they were books too, but I know the film. I got a few: "The Big Knife" and "The Harder They Fall" and "On the Waterfront" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight". Of those, I gotta go with "Requiem". Those are the kinda stories I love--real stories about real people. They can be small stories, but they gotta be real. Yeah, "Requiem for a Heavyweight".

Name: Saoul Mamby

WBC Light Welterweight Champion -- 23 February 1980 – 26 June 1982
• Defeated Larry Barnes (SD 10).
• Defeated Glenwood Brown (SD 10).
• Defeated Monroe Brooks (W 10).
• Defeated Maurice "Termite" Watkins (W 15).
• Defeated Esteban De Jesus (TKO 13).
• Defeated Mike Everett (W 10).
• Defeated Percy Hayles (TKO 8).
• Defeated Angel Robinson Garcia (W 10).
• Mamby is the oldest boxer ever to appear in an officially sanctioned bout.
• won 45 (KO 19) + lost 34 (KO 1) + drawn 6 = 85 rounds boxed 753 : KO% 22.35
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qzK4o3BDDY

Favorite Book: "Ring" magazine

"Honestly, I'm not a book reader. That's the truth. But I was proud of my "Ring" magazine collection. I had magazines going all the way back into the '60s and '70s -- until someone stole them. I liked reading about all the fighters. I looked up to those guys and I wanted to become just like them. As I said: If you can perceive it, and you can believe it, you can achieve it."

Name: Ricky "Hitman" Hatton

IBF Super Lightweight Champion -- 4 Jun 2005– 29 Mar 2006
• WBA Light Welterweight Super Champion -- 26 November 2005– 4 May 2006.
• WBA Welterweight Champion -- 13 May 2006– 31 August 2006.
• IBF Super Lightweight Champion -- 20 January 2007– 11 February 2007.
• Former British Light Welterweight Champion.
• Former WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion.
• Former WBA Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion.
• Former British Central Area Light Welterweight Champion.
• Defeated Freddie Pendelton (KO 2).
• Defeated Vince Phillips (W 12).
• Defeated Ben Tackie (W 12).
• Defeated Ray Oliveira (KO 10).
• Defeated Kostya Tszyu (RTD 11).
• Defeated Juan Urango (W 12).
• Defeated Carlos Maussa (KO 9).
• Defeated Jose Luis Castillo (KO 4).
• Defeated Juan Lazcano (W 12).
• The Ring magazine's 2005 'Fighter of the Year'.
• AMATEUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
• ABA National Champion Light Welterweight 1997.
• ABA National Junior Champion (Class A) Light Welterweight 1995 & 1996.
• ABA National Junior Champion (Class B) Light Welterweight 1997.
• ABA National Junior Champion (Class C) Light Welterweight 1994.
• won 44 (KO 31) + lost 1 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 45 rounds boxed 263 : KO% 68.89
• http://www.rickyhitmanhatton2.com/

Favorite Book: "Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran" by Christian Guidice

"Pound-for-pound, Duran was one of the greatest. He and I are blood brothers, spiritual kin, warriors to the bone, and we both can knock your block off!"

Name: James "Bonecrusher" Smith

WBA Heavyweight Champion -- 1986 Dec 12 – 1987 Mar 7
• First heavyweight champion with a college degree.
• Defeated Mike "Hercules" Weaver (W 12) & (TKO 1).
• Defeated Tim Witherspoon (TKO 1).
• Defeated David Bey (W 10).
• Defeated Jesse Ferguson (W 10).
• Defeated Jose Ribalta (SD 10).
• Defeated Frank Bruno (KO 10).
• Defeated Ricky Parky (W 6).
• After boxing, became an ordained minister.
• Started the non-profit organization Champion For Kids Inc.
• won 44 (KO 32) + lost 17 (KO 7) + drawn 1 = 62 rounds boxed 364 : KO% 51.61
• http://www.championforkids.org/

Favorite Book: "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill

"I like this book "Think And Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. There is a scripture in the Bible that says, "As A Man Think, So Is He." Whatever we think about ourselves we are RIGHT."

Name: Rocky Marciano -- "The Brockton Blockbuster"

Heavyweight Champion of the World -- 1952 Sep 23 – 1956 Apr 27
The only World Heavyweight Champion to finish his career undefeated.
• Defeated Jersey Joe Walcott (KO 1) & (KO 3).
• Defeated Joe Louis (KO 8).
• Defeated Ezzard Charles (KO 8) & (W 15).
• Defeated Archie Moore ((KO 9).
• Defeated Roland LaStarza (TKO 11) & (W-SD 10).
• Defeated Harry "Kid" Matthews (KO 2).
• Defeated Rex Layne (KO 6).
• Member of International Boxing Hall of Fame.
• Member of World Boxing Hall of Fame.
• AWARDS:
• Named The Ring magazine “Fighter of the Year” in 1952, 1954 and 1955.
• Won The Ring magazine Fight of the Year in 1952, 1953 and 1954.
• Awarded the Boxing Writers of America Edward J. Neil Trophy 1952.
• IN POPULAR CULTURE:
• Numerous books have been written about Marciano, including "Rocky Marciano, Biography of a First Son".
• In the movie Rocky, Rocky Balboa's trainer, Mickey, told him that his boxing style and heart reminded him of Marciano.
• In Rocky V, a flashback shows Mickey giving Rocky a necklace with a gold cufflink shaped like a boxing glove that he said was given to him by Rocky Marciano.
• Marciano has been the subject of several paintings and is on a commemorative US postage stamp issued in 1999.
• Rocky Marciano is featured in many boxing video games including Knockout Kings, Fight Night 2004, and Fight Night: Round 2.
• Rapper Rock Marciano apparently borrowed the boxer's name, and adapted it slightly to make it his own.
• won 49 (KO 43) + lost 0 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 49 rounds boxed 241 : KO% 87.76
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcwalp0TRfc

Favorite Book: "True Detective" Magazine

"Rocky likes to read, and, spending as much time as he does in training camps, he gets plenty of opportunity. He goes for sports and adventure yarns and whodunits. One of his favorite magazines is "True Detective."" (Ed Fitzgerald, "Blockbuster From Brockton")

Name: Sean Sullivan

Editor-In-Chief of "Boxing Digest"
• Member of Boxing Writers Association of America.
• http://www.boxingdigest.com/index.html

Favorite Book: "Atlas--From the Streets to the Ring" by Teddy Atlas & Peter Alson

"Atlas' book is outstanding. It's an inspirational read and he keeps it real. I have a second favorite book: "Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing" by George Kimball. Inside the pages are stories full of drama, sacrifice, fear, and pain. These two books are my favorites."

Name: Joel "Love Child" Julio

WBO Latino light middleweight title holder
• Holds fringe belts: WBC Continental Americas (Light Welterweight division) & WBA Fedecentro Welterweight (Welterweight division).
• Defeated Cosme Rivera (W 12).
• Defeated Cornelius "Canine" Bundrage (TKO 8).
• Defeated Ishe Smith (W 10).
• Defeated Jose Varela (RTD 6).
• Named ESPN.com's Boxing Prospect of the Year.
• Appeared on Ring Magazine's New Faces feature.
• won 34 (KO 31) + lost 1 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 35 rounds boxed 141 : KO% 88.57
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErRjP5zZW7c

Favorite Book: "Relatos de un Naufrago" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

"The last book I read was "Relatos de un Naufrago", translated in English it means, "The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor". It's by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so it's good. We're all shipwrecked in our own special way."

Name: Andre Berto

WBC Welterweight Champion -- 2008 Jun 21 – present
• Defeated Michel Trabant (W-RTD 6).
• Defeated Norberto Bravo (TKO 1).
• Defeated Cosme Rivera (W 10).
• Defeated David Estrada (TKO 11).
• Defeated Miguel Angel Rodriguez (TKO 7).
• Amateur Accomplishments:
• 2001 National Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Champion.
• 2003 National Golden Gloves Welterweight Champion.
• Represented the United States as a welterweight at the 2003 World amateur championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Represented Haiti at the 2004 Olympics.
• He had over 200 amateur bouts.
• won 22 (KO 19) + lost 0 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 22 rounds boxed 87 : KO% 86.36
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQK0QW6FSRQ

Favorite Book: "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker

"Whether you wanna win The Super Bowl or win a boxing championship, it's all the same. Dungy writes about the principles, practices, and priorities of a winning life."

Name: Josua "Grand Master" Clottey

IBF Welterweight Champion -- 2008 Aug 2 –
• Defeated Zab Judah (Technical Dec 9).
• Defeated Diego Corrales (W 10).
• Defeated Richard Gutierrez (W 12).
• Defeated Shamone Alvarez (W 12).
• Defeated won 35 (KO 20) + lost 2 (KO 0) + drawn 0 = 38 rounds boxed 236 : KO% 52.63
• http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=98976640

Favorite Book: "The Sweet Science"

“I can’t remember the title of my favorite book, but it was an African book. Now, I like to read articles about boxing on web sites.”

Name: Arturo "Thunder" Gatti

IBF Super Featherweight Champion -- 1995 Dec 15 – 1998 Mar 13
• WBC Light Welterweight Champion --2004 Jan 24 – 2005 Jun 25.
• Defeated Richard Salazar (TKO 10).
• Defeated Tracy Harris Patterson (W 12) & (W 12).
• Defeated Wilson Rodriquez (KO 6).
• Defeated Calvin Grove (TKO 7).
• Defeated Gabriel Ruelas (TKO 5).
• Defeated Micky Ward (W 10) & (W 10).
• Defeated Leonard Dorin (KO 2).
• Defeated Thomas Dangaard (TKO 11).
• Four-Time Ring Magazine Fight of the Year: 1997 (W KO5 Gabriel Ruelas), 1998 (L 10 Ivan Robinson), 2002 (L 10 Micky Ward), 2003 (W 10 Micky Ward).
• Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year: 1997 (W KO5 Gabriel Ruelas).
• Ring Magazine Upset of the Year: 1998 (L 10 Ivan Robinson).
• Named The Ring magazine Comeback of the Year fighter for 2002.
• won 40 (KO 31) + lost 9 (KO 5) + drawn 0 = 49 rounds boxed 253 : KO% 63.27
• http://www.arturogatti.com/main/

Favorite Book: "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

""Old Man And The Sea" by Hemingway. Lou Duva bought me that book." [Laughs] "That’s the only book I read. I finished it. Yeah, it was good."

Name: Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya

WBO Super Featherweight Champion -- 1994 Mar 5 – 1994 Jul 29
• WBO Lightweight Champion -- 1994 Jul 29 – 1996.
• IBF WBC Light Welterweight Champion -- 1996 Jun 7 – 1997 Apr 12.
• WBC Welterweight Champion -- 1997 Apr 12 – 1999 Sep 18.
• WBC Welterweight Champion -- 2000 Mar – 2000 Jun 17.
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion -- 2001 Jun 23 – 2003 Sep 13.
• WBO Middleweight Champion -- 2004 Jun 5 – 2004 Sep 18.
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion -- 2006 May 6 – 2007 May 5.
• Defeated Jimmy Bredahl TKO 10).
• Defeated Jorge Paez (KO 2).
• Defeated Carl Griffith (TKO 3).
• Defeated J.J. Molina (W 12).
• Defeated Rafael Ruelas (TKO 2).
• Defeated Jesse James Leija (TKO 2).
• Defeated Julio Cesar Chavez (TKO 4) & (TKO 8).
• Defeated Pernell Whitaker (W 12).
• Defeated Hector Camacho (W 12).
• Defeated Ike Quarty (SD 12).
• Defeated Arturo Gatti (TKO 5).
• Defeated Fernando Vargas (TKO 11).
• Defeated Felix Sturm (W 10).
• Named The Ring Fighter of the Year for 1995.
• Amateur Highlights.
• Career Record: 223-5.
• 1989 National Golden Gloves Featherweight Champion.
• 1990 United States Amateur Featherweight Champion.
• Featherweight Gold Medalist at 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, Wash.
• 1991 United States Amateur Lightweight Champion.
• 1991 World Championships in Sydney, Australia.
• Won the 1992 Olympic Trials.
• Won the Lightweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
• Created Golden Boy Productions.
• won 39 (KO 30) + lost 5 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 44 rounds boxed 300 : KO% 68.18
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doSXJCS3B7U

Favorite Book: "Swimming With the Sharks" by Harvey B. Mackay

"Reading this book is a huge learning experience. But of course I still love Ring magazine!"

Name: Harold Weston, Jr.

Crafty New York Welterweight in 1970s
• Defeated Bobby Melendez (W 8).
• Defeated Vito Antuofermo (TKO 5).
• Defeated Rocky Mattioli (W 10).
• Defeated Jimmy Heair (W 10).
• Wilfred Benitez (Draw 10).
• Hedgemon Lewis (Draw 10).
• Saoul Mamby (Draw 10).
• Johnny Gant (Draw 10).
• Became Madison Square Garden matchmaker in the 1980s.
• won 27 (KO 7) + lost 9 (KO 2) + drawn 5 = 41 rounds boxed 320 : KO% 17.07
• http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=000401&cat=boxer

Favorite Book: "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo

"Why did I like "The Godfather"? Because it was about people coming to America and facing their struggles. It was a very capturing book about the underdog clawing his way to the top. It was about starting from nothing and achieving something significant in American society--even though it was the mafia."

Name: Marvis Frazier

Talented Heavyweight Contender in the 1980s
• Defeated James Broad (W 10).
• Defeated Joe Bugner (W 10).
• Defeated James "Quick" Tillis (W 10).
• Defeated James "Bonecrusher" Smith (W 10).
• Defeated Philipp Brown (W 10).
• Amateur Achievements:
• 1979 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion.
• 1980 National AAU Heavyweight Champion.
• Amateur record: 56-2
• Beat future heavyweight champ Tim Witherspoon in a matchup.
• Son of World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier.
• After retiring from boxing, became an ordained Pentacostal minister and active participant in Prison Fellowship.
• Presently, trains boxers and runs the family's limousine business.
• won 19 (KO 8) + lost 2 (KO 2) + drawn 0 = 21 rounds boxed 129 : KO% 38.1
• http://www.championshipministries.org/

Favorite Book: "Native Son" by Richard Wright

"I found reading to be very difficult until I read the book "Native Son". It was a book that keep my attention throughout. I could not put it down because of the extraordinary character named Bigger Thomas. He was a guy like many of us today--he was simply trying to find his way in life. He was a character who wanted respect but he went about getting it the wrong way! Author Richard Wright made me a reader. P.S. Always Remember We Are Blessed By The Best!"

Name: Robert Lipsyte

American Sports Journalist and Author.
Author of over 30 books, plus the boxing classic -- "The Contender".
• Author of follow-up boxing books: "The Brave", "The Chief" & "Warrior Angel".
• Author of "Free to Be Muhammad Ali", 1978.
• Won Columbia University's Mike Berger Award for distinguished reporting.
• Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
• In 1990 won an Emmy for on-camera achievement as the host of "The Eleventh Hour," a nightly public affairs program on Channel 13.
• Honors and awards include the Dutton Best Sports Stories Award, E. P. Dutton, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, and 1976.
• The Mike Berger Award, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, 1966 and 1996.
• Wel-Met Children’s Book Award, 1967.
• New York Times outstanding children’s book of the year citation, 1977.
• American Library Association best young adult book citation, 1977.
• New Jersey Author citation, 1978.
• Inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame in 1993.
• http://robertlipsyte.com/

Favorite Book: "After the First Death" by Robert Cormier

"I love too many books to have a clear favorite (like Dick Tiger is my favorite boxer and Budd Schulberg my favorite boxing writer) but the book that knocked my socks off was "After the First Death" by Robert Cormier, a chilling study of the gray patch between good and evil in which terrorists take over a school bus and a counter-insurgency general manipulates his son's weakness to try to defeat them. I read it on a flight to the West Coast, finished as we landed, and needed to be prodded off the plane. Thirty years later, I still get chills thinking about the four main characters - the general, his son, the teen-aged terrorist and the young female bus driver."