By Jeff Zimmerman
Photos: Jeff Zimmerman, Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame

“Sugar” Shane Mosely and Laila Ali led the 2018 Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame Class this past Saturday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas that also included living inductees Chris Byrd, Todd duBoef, Kevin Kelley, Don Minor, Shane Mosley, Sen. Harry Reid, Jerry Roth and Earnie Shavers. Alexis Arguello, Henry Armstrong, Jack “Doc” Kearns, Bill Miller and Aaron Pryor were inducted posthumously.

The weekend was jam-packed and first class which included a Meet and Greet with the Champs, a VIP Reception and an amateur boxing event, the WBC Greenbelt Challenge to go along with the Annual Gala in its 6th year led by president Michelle Corrales-Lewis. The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (www.nvbhof.com) is a non-profit that aids fighters and other boxing related causes in Nevada and was founded by longtime broadcaster Rich Marotta.

Here are some of the highlight quotes from the induction ceremony.

Shane Mosely: “You can’t, and you won’t, sounds like I can and I will to the ears of a champion. I took the position of underdog knowing I had to knock anyone out in my path to reach my goals and here I am today. I loved the fans who had my back win, lose or draw, because you respect my fight because I refused to back down from any challenge.”

Mosley was introduced by Winky Wright who thanked Mosely for giving him an opportunity to fight when nobody would and a fight that help propel Wright into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this past June.

Laila Ali: On her mom, “You never told me I was too pretty to box and that is usually the type of thing that pretty women would say to each other. On her dad, “He said it’s not for you, it’s not for women, it’s a man’s sport, it’s too hard. I didn’t get offended, because he didn’t know any better. I tuned pro and won some titles, my dad did come back and say he was wrong. We actually shed a tear and he said you can fight and that was a big win for me.”

Ali was introduced by former heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster, who now has his own line of coffee, The Champion’s Brew www.thechampionsbrew.com, along with former heavyweight champs Chris Byrd, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer and James Toney.

Todd duBoef: “My father and I went to Caesars Palace and grabbed the posters that used to be boxing posters that Leroy Neiman did and I decorated my walls. Who would have thought? Who would have thought I would get in boxing? It made no sense I go to see Leonard and Hearns. I see Leonard and Hagler. I would have never known I would end up in the sport of boxing.”

Chris Byrd: “My journey to heavyweight was crazy. I didn’t want to be a heavyweight. “People said I was either courageous or crazy, it’s either one. And I went to heavyweight in a big boy era. I am Olympic Silver Medalist that nobody really wanted. I had no promoter offer me anything.

Byrd was introduced by the legendary Evander Holyfield who said of Byrd: “Chris had fast hands and the only guy that could hit me with them shots. Don’t nobody know what it’s like to be 2x (heavyweight champ), it hard to be one, but two times, you’re good Chris.”

Senator Harry Reid: Reid was unable to attend due to health reasons but was represented by his son Key and introduced by Bob Arum. A pre-recorded video was shown of the senator where he shared his love for boxing as he boxed as an amateur and always supported boxing in Nevada.

Arum said about Reid, “He always loved boxing and helped out our boxing people. He saved so many fights that wouldn’t have happed.”

On getting help from Manny Pacquiao when the senator was down in the polls as Pacquiao showed up at a rally with thousands of Filipino Americans and encouraged them to vote and tell their friends and family, “From 2 points down on election night Harry Reid won by 4 points.”

Jerry Roth: Roth was one of boxing’s best judges in a 35-year career that began in 1990. He judged the heavyweight title fight between Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney; Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad; Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.-Meldrick Taylor I; all three Evander Holyfield-Riddick Bowe heavyweight title fights; Roy Jones-James Toney and Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales III.

Richard Steele, who now runs the Richard Steele Foundation www.richardsteelefoundation.org presented Jerry Roth for induction and said the first thing Roth said to him back in 1980 when Steele judged Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali, “are you referee or are you a judge?” Steele replied, “I am both.” This was the last fight Steele judged, because as Steele said, “Roth was better than I was.”

Earnie Shavers: Shavers was known to be one of hardest punches in boxing. He lost to Muhammad Ali in 1977 and put Larry Holmes on the canvas in 1979 before Holmes came back to stop him in their title fight. His biggest win was a first-round KO of Ken Norton in 1979.

Shavers was presented by hall of fame broadcaster, The Colonel, Bob Sheridan.

Don Minor: Minor fought in the 1960’s and was very popular during that time where he was 19-2, 9 KOs. Minor fought of all his fights in Nevada, with 18 in Las Vegas and three in Reno. He won the North American welterweight title in 1964 against the unbeaten Ernie Lopez.

Marc Ratner presented Don Minor induction.

Kevin Kelley: Nicknamed “The Flushing Flash,” Kelley defeated Goyo Vargas in Reno on Dec. 4, 1993, to win the WBC featherweight title. He was known for his fast hands and explosive power. His most memorable bout was a loss to Prince Naseem Hamed. Kelley and Hamed were down three times apiece before Hamed finished the fight late in the fourth. He also fought Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Bones Adams, Troy Dorsey, Manuel Medina, Humberto Soto, Derrick Gainer and Luisito Espinoza.

Kelley was introduced by international boxing hall of famer Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson.

Jack “Doc” Kearns is best known as the long-time manager of heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. With Dempsey, helped generate the first million-dollar gate in boxing history, when Dempsey fought Georges Carpentier on July 2, 1921. Kearns arranged for Dempsey to fight in Nevada numerous times. He is given credit for staging the first fight in Las Vegas, a card that had a main event between Archie Moore and Nino Valdes.

Alexis Arguello and Arron Pryor were represented by their sons Alexis Arguello Jr and Aaron Pryor Jr respectively. The legacy of Pryor and Arguello who battled twice, 1982 and 1983, are in good hands with their sons, who represented their dad’s all weekend at Caesars Palace where their 2nd fight took place.

Henry Armstrong was represented by his grandson Edward Scott. Scott runs a foundation in his grandfather’s name, Henry Armstrong Foundation (http://www.henryarmstrongfoundation.org).. Armstrong is widely considered top five best boxers ever. He went 151-21-9 with 101 KOs and was 27-0 with 26 KOs in 1937 alone.

A Jack Johnson video tribute was included in the ceremony as Johnson was pardoned earlier this year by President Trump. Johnson was the first African American heavyweight champion. Former light heavyweight champ and current trainer Eddied Mustafa Muhammad talked about Johnson’s life and career.

Some of the past and current fighters on hand for the weekend included Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Lamon Brewster, Chris Byrd, Terence Crawford, David Benavidez, Jose Benavidez Jr., Winky Wright, Angel Manfredy, Bones Adams, Shane Mosely, Laila Ali, Kevin Kelley, Leon and Michael Spinks, Earnie Shavers, Badou Jack, Jessie Vargas, Brandon Rios, Michael Carbajal, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Jeff Mayweather, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Shane Mosley Jr., Aaron Pryor Jr, Joel Casamayor, Fernando Vargas, Al Cole.