Longtime Southern California boxing PR man John Beyrooty was recently inducted into the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony in North Hollywood, Calif.
A former boxing columnist for the old Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, “Johnny Bey” as he is affectionately known, then went to work for former Lakers and Kings owner Jerry Buss at Forum Boxing before moving over to Steve Brener’s Brener Zwikel & Associates in Reseda, Calif. For 17 years, Beyrooty led the Showtime Boxing account, covering all of boxing’s greatest fights, including those involving Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao, just to name a few.
“Plain and simple, John Beyrooty knows how to write boxing,” said Rick Farris, President and Founder of the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame. “John had great mentors at the legendary L.A. Herald-Examiner back in the day, and he would carry the torch. He is one of the finest journalists and PR guys in West Coast boxing history. He is one of my ‘Boxing Idols!’ ”
Beyrooty, who resides in Downey, Calif., was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1987 and the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2016, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Beyrooty with the Marvin Kohn Good Guy of the Year award.
Beyrooty covered boxing at classic fistic venues in Southern California, including the Olympic Auditorium, L.A. Sports Arena, Pico Rivera Sports Arena, Reseda Country Club, Irvine Marriott, Spruce Goose, Culver City Memorial Auditorium, the Shrine Auditorium and the Hollywood Palladium.
“People relations played a big role in why I’m here,” Beyrooty told the West Coast Hall of Fame crowd during his induction speech. “Having a good rapport with the fighters was why I was a able to get along with so many of them. They’re the stars. They’re the one who trained. I just showed up and covered them and supported them. I love boxers and they are in the meanest, toughest sport in the world. I think this probably is the baddest-ass crowd I’ve ever been in front of. The great thing is that no one here is going to start a fight, but everyone here will finish one, so I feel safe. So thank you for that.”