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10/23/2003 Archived Entry: "Skeets Back with the Mike"
Skeets takes ring microphone back at 90
116th N.E. Tournament of Champions Nov. 10-11 in Somerville
BOSTON, Mass. - Back in the seventies, Charles "Skeets" Scioli was the ring announcer at just about every professional and amateur boxing show in Massachusetts, including popular ones held at the old Boston Garden.
Scioli, the North End native and longtime Somerville resident, returns as ring announcer November 10-11 at the tender age of 90 in the 116th annual N. E. Tournament of Champions, sponsored by USA Boxing/New England and presented by S & L Boxing, at Goodtime Sports Emporium in Somerville.
"My voice is in good shape and I felt it was time to be active again," USA Boxing/NE's Man of the Century said. "Maybe I'll make a comeback."
"Skeets" has been involved in boxing for an amazing 72 years, handling just about every position in the sport, ranging from amateur boxer to "glove man" and, of course, ring announcer. He announced fights at venues like the Boston Garden, Boston Arena, Mechanics Building, Lowell Auditorium, IBW Halls (Waltham and Dorchester), Harbor House (Lynn), Dilboy Stadium (Somerville), Fargo Building (South Boston) and the Boston Arena Annex. At The Garden, Scioli was co-announcer at the second Carmen Basilio-Tony DeMarco fight in 1955, considered the No. 1 world welterweight title fight of all-time, as well as for Emile Griffith-Tony Licata (1974), and several of present Mass. State Auditor Joe DeNucci's matches.
Fifteen former NE Tournament of Champions (NETC) title-winners went on to capture world titles as professionals: active boxers such as WBA welterweight champion "El Gallo" Jose Antonio Rivera (Worcester, MA), ex-WBA heavyweight title-holder John "The Quietman" Ruiz (Chelsea, MA), and five-time former champ Vinny "Pazmanian Devil" Paz (Warwick, RI); retired champions include Willie "Will 'o the Wisp" Pep (Hartford, CT), Marvelous Marvin Hagler (Brockton, MA), Joey Gamache (Lewiston, ME), Marlon "Magic Man" Starling (Hartford, MA), "Irish" Micky Ward (Lowell MA), Paul Pender (Brookline, MA), Sal Bartolo (East Boston, MA), Harold "Chubby" Gomes (Providence, RI), Joey Archibald (Providence), Lou Brouillard (Worcester, MA), Dick "Honeyboy" Finnegan (Dorchester, MA), and Bill "Honey" Mellody (Charlestown, MA).
The Boston Garden was the site of the NETC tournament, sometimes promoted under a different name, between 1930 and 1979, as three rings were used simultaneously over a four-day period with more than 100 participants.
The winners of the Nov. 11 championship finals, the first leg on the Road to Athens, will advance to the Regional I Championships in January. Olympic rules will be used featuring four two-minute rounds.
The first 100 fans with paid tickets each night, Nov. 10 (opening round) and Nov. 11 (championship finals), will receive an autographed picture of Ward. Following NETC action, Monday Night Football (Green Bay-Philadelphia) will be broadcast, and Gatti-Ward I will be shown on a giant screen Tuesday evening.
Tickets are $15.00 (general admission) for table seating. Call 617.628.5559 for more information.
Replies: 1 Comment made on this article
Go Skeets!
Posted by mike@cyberboxingzone.com">Mike DeLisa @ 10/23/2003 03:04 PM EST
