Story by John DiSanto – PhillyBoxingHistory.com
Photos by Mike Baluk

The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame inducted its 60th annual class on Sunday. Founded in 1958, the PABHOF is the oldest boxing Hall of Fame in the country and has honored a total of 367 members of the fight fraternity over the years. The banquet and ceremony, held at Romano’s Catering in Philadelphia, welcomed 16 new members, and was co-hosted by announcer Nino Del Buono and Hall of Fame Promoter J Russell Peltz.

Included in the 2018 class were two members of the fighting Fletcher family of Southwest Philly, middleweight brawler Frank “The Animal” Fletcher and his smooth-boxing younger brother Anthony “Two Gun” Fletcher. Other boxers inducted were light heavyweight title challenger Marvin Mack, featherweight title challenger Tony “Dynamite” Green, middleweight contender Ernie Singletary, Bethlehem junior welterweight Angel Cruz, middleweight Mark Holmes, the younger brother of the former heavyweight champ, amateur legend Larry Torpey (deceased), two-time junior welterweight title challenger Mike “No Joke” Stewart, Pittsburgh middleweight Johnny Morris (deceased), and former heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott (deceased).

This year’s non-boxer inductees were promoter Mike Acri, trainer Willie Reddish Jr., ringside physician Dr. George Bonner, cult hero Stan “The Cut Man” Maliszewski (deceased), and training icon Carey “Pop Bates” Williams (deceased).

Educational scholarships were presented to professional boxer Christian Carto and amateur boxer Shadrac Louis.

The PA Boxing Hall of Fame takes nominations from the public. The annual deadline for submissions is December 1st. The nomination committee then constructs a ballot which is sent to the voting body, and results are announced every February. Nominations or questions can be sent to the Hall of Fame Chairman at [email protected].

To read more about the Philly fight scene – past and present – visit www.phillyboxinghistory.com.