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09/19/2008 Archived Entry: "World Boxing Hall of Fame Hosts 29th Annual Banquet"
World Boxing Hall of Fame Hosts 29th Annual Banquet
Antonio Margarito, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker, and Greg Haugen among the award winners
Press Release
LOS ANGELES -- The World Boxing Hall of fame is proud to announce that its 29th Annual Banquet of Champions is scheduled to take place on November 15th, 2008 at LAX Marriott, located at 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90045. Social hour will begin at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner and induction ceremony at 8:00 pm.
Dinner tickets are priced at $100.00, $150.00 and $200.00. For ticket information and all the details call: 626- 964-2414 or visit official Website at www.wbhf.org.
2008 Inductees:
Boxer Category:
Greg Haugen, Marvin Johnson, Lennox Lewis and Pernell Whitaker
Expanded Category:
Miguel Diaz, Akihiko Honda, Gilberto Mendoza, Alberto Reyes.
Posthumous Category:
Luis Rodriguez-welterweight champ and Guido Bardelli- Light Heavyweight Champ
Other Awards:
Antonio Margarito will be presented with a Fighter of the Year award.
Fight of the Year honors goes to the Vasquez – Marquez Rematch.
Lifetime achievement award will be presented to Bob Arum of Top Rank.
Special Humanitarian award will be presented to Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy
Sheriff Lee Baca and councilmember Bernard Parks will receive Special Recognition Awards.
Greg Haugen (40- 10-1, 19 KO’S), who was born on August 31st, 1960 and currently resides in Seattle, Washington, began his illustrious professional career in November of 1982 and did not put down the gloves till December of1999. Mr. Haugan is a two time IBF lightweight Champion of the world and a one time WBO light welterweight Champion of the world. Greg Haugen won his first eighteen professional fights prior to besting Jimmy Paul in December of 1986 for the International Boxing Federation Lightweight Title.
He lost his first title defense to Vinny Pazienza by decision which many thought was a robbery. In 1988 he won the title back in a rematch and defended it twice successfully.
In 1989 he lost his IBF title for good to Pernell Whitaker, while earning the biggest paycheck of his career. Haugen’s legacy is perhaps best defined by his light welterweight title challenge against Julio Cesar Chavez at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in front of 132,247 spectators.
Marvin Johnson (43 -6, 35 KO’S) was born on April 12th, 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana.Marvin, nicknamed “Pops” had a stellar amateur career that included National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship in1971, Middleweight National Golden Gloves Championship in 1972 and a bronze medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
Johnson started his professional quest in 1973 and won his first six bouts by a knock out.He has won a version of a Light Heavyweight title three different times and fought ring greats such as Matthew Saad Mohammad, Michael Spinks and Mustafa Mohammad.
Johnson’s 1979 rematch fight with Mohammad was considered a fight of the year by many observers. Marvin Johnson was named a Comeback Fighter of the Year in 1984 by the Ring magazine. He ended his professional career in 1987 loosing his title for the third time to Leslie Steward in Trinidad and Tobago.
Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker (40 – 4-1, 17 KO’S), who is considered among the greatest pugilists of all time, was born on January 2nd, 1964 in Norfolk, Virginia. Mr. Whitaker has enjoyed a tremendous success in amateur ranks; he won a silver medal at 1982 World Championships in a lightweight division and a gold medal in Pan American Game’s in1983. “Sweet Pea” turned pro in1984 after winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As a professional Pernell Whitaker has achieved success that most can only dream of; he became a world champion in four different weight divisions, beginning from lightweight all the way up to junior middleweight. In 1989 The Ring Magazine named Pernell Whitaker the Fighter of the Year and in 2002 the same magazine ranked him as 10th greatest fighter of the last eighty years. At his prime the defensive wizard was considered the best pound for pound boxer in the world. His boxing career ended in 2001.As of 2005, Whitaker has taken on a role as a trainer in his home state of Virginia.
Lennox Lewis ( 41- 2- 1, 32 KO’S), who is considered one of the most dominant heavyweights of our era, was born on September, 2nd,1965 in West Ham, England.
Lennox Claudius Lewis became a top amateur boxer in Canada and won a world junior championship in super heavyweight division in 1983. After loosing a controversial decision to American Tyrell Biggs in 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, he decided to wait four more years to fulfill his dream, which he did in 1988 in Seoul, Korea, where he won a gold medal in super heavyweight division. In a final match Lewis defeated future world champion Riddick Bowe by second round TKO. He then moved back to England and started his pro career in 1989.
Lewis, who often referred to himself as a pugilist specialist, defeated every professional opponent he faced, one of only three World Heavyweight Champions to do so, with Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson being the other two. Along with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, Lewis is one of three boxers in history to have won a heavyweight championship three times. In 2002 Lewis destroyed Mike Tyson in one of the most anticipated heavy weight bouts in recent times, which also turned out to be the highest grossing event in Pay-Per- View history. Lewis TKO’d Vitali Klitchko on cuts in Los Angeles in July of 2006 in a very exciting heavy weight brawl, which turned out to be the final fight of his professional career. Upon retiring from boxing, Lewis moved to Miami Beach with his wife and two kids and is currently working as a boxing commentator on HBO.
More information is to follow.
A nonprofit organization based in California, World Boxing Hall Of Fame is dedicated to preserving and honoring boxing and its history.
For ticket or sponsorship information call: 626 964-2414
Visit our Website at www.wbhf.org
