By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing
Two-time WBC light-heavyweight challenger Paul”Hurricane” Briggs and Fightnews contributor Grantlee Kieza will be inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame on March 3rd in Melbourne, Victoria.
Briggs thrilled boxing fans when he challenged Tomasz Adamek in 2005 for the vacant WBC crown at the United Center in Chicago losing to the Polish warrior by twelve round majority decision in one of the best fights for that year.
The following year in 2007, with Hall of Fame trainer Johnny Lewis in his corner, Briggs and Adamek went to war again at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois and in another action-packed bout, it was Adamek who received the twelve round majority decision after being dropped in round one. Briggs said after the second fight “HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley and lots of other people are telling me it was the best combined 24 rounds they have ever seen. There are some good things for me over here now (America). I am building a great fan base now, even though I am not winning.”
Briggs compiled a record of 26-4, 18 KOs.
Grantlee Kieza has been Australia’s leading boxing writer since 1982 working for the Telegraph and Courier Mail newspaper. Kieza has traveled the globe covering world title bouts featuring Australian boxers. He has authored two books on the History of Australian Boxing as well as publishing Australian Boxing Legends magazine 2013 to 2018. Kieza was chief second for most of Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech’s world title bouts as well as two-time WBC light-heavyweight Champion Jeff “Hitman” Harding.
Kieza worked the corner of two-time world title challenger Joe Bugner when he challenged Frank Bruno in London. Many years later Kieza worked the corner again in Mexico in 2010 when former IBF champion Lovemore Ndou challenged Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Kieza is a regular contributor to Fightews.com®.
Other inductees include former Commonwealth featherweight champion Bobby Dunne in the Veteran category, American middleweight Fritz Holland in the International category, and Arthur Cripps in the Pioneer category.
Induction will take place on March 3rd at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Also being honored is promoter/broadcaster Peter Maniatis for managing and promoting Filipino boxers in Australia and the Philippines, like world-rated Randy Petalcorin, and also for the TV show C31 KO Boxing Show and his SEN Radio show.
