Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame

The Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Belfast, New York, dedicated to the sport of bare-knuckle boxing. It is housed in barns that were once owned by the Greco-Roman wrestling champion and physical culture pioneer William Muldoon. The heavyweight boxing champion John L. Sullivan, who fought in both bare-knuckled and gloved boxing contests, trained in these barns under Muldoon's guidance for his championship bout against Jake Kilrain in 1889.[1] The barns were originally across Main Street from their current location, on the grounds of the Belfast Catholic Church. They were bought, moved, and restored by Scott Burt when the church became no longer interested in maintaining them. Burt opened the Hall of Fame in 2009, when it had its first induction class.[2]

Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame
Established2009
LocationBelfast, New York
Coordinates42.343392°N 78.112682°W / 42.343392; -78.112682
TypeHall of Fame
FounderScott Burt
OwnerScott Burt
Websitebareknuckleboxinghalloffame.com

The Hall of Fame houses plaques and memorabilia associated with bare-knuckle boxers that have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, as well as exhibits devoted to the general history of bare-knuckle boxing. Each year's induction class includes bare-knuckle boxers from the classic era, modern bare-knuckle boxers, and honorary inductees. Trainers, promoters and other significant figures in the sport are also upon occasion inducted.[3][4]

The Hall of Fame also serves as a memorial to Sullivan's training camp with Muldoon, a number of relics of which have survived the lengthy period when the barns sat unused. These include his original work-out rings, a ceiling mount for Sullivan's heavy bag, the slatted area of flooring on which Sullivan stood for gravity showers after training, his original swing clubs and weights, and the "room of repose" in which Sullivan and Muldoon relaxed and discussed strategy in the evenings, which includes some of Muldoon's original furniture.[1] Sullivan and Muldoon's use of this training camp was documented by the celebrated reporter Nellie Bly, in an article she wrote for the New York World.[5]

Inductees

The following are the inductees into the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame as of 6 April 2018:[2][6][7]

Original Inductees

Original inductees are required to have boxed completely bare-fisted (with no wraps) at some point in their career. These include living fighters and those that fought as early as the 18th century.

Year Inductees Role Nationality
2009Jack Broughton Boxer  England
2009Bill Richmond Boxer  United States
 England
2009Tom Cribb Boxer  England
2009Tom Hyer Boxer  United States
2009Paddy Ryan Boxer  Ireland
 United States
2009George Godfrey Boxer  Canada
2009Jake Kilrain Boxer  United States
2009John L. Sullivan Boxer  United States
2009William Muldoon Trainer  United States
2009Richard K. Fox Promoter  Ireland
 United States
2010James Figg Boxer  England
2010Tom Molineaux Boxer  United States
2010Tom Spring Boxer  England
2010John C. Heenan Boxer  United States
2010Tom Sayers Boxer  England
2010Jem Mace Boxer  England
2010Jem Smith Boxer  England
2010Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey Boxer  Ireland
 United States
2010Jack McAuliffe Boxer  Ireland
 United States
2010Billy Madden Manager  Ireland
 England
 United States
2010Harry H. Hill Promoter  England
 United States
2011Jack Randall Boxer  Ireland
 United States
2011Dan Donnelly Boxer  Ireland
2011William Thompson Boxer  England
2012Charley Mitchell Boxer  England
2012James Belcher Boxer  England
2012Hen Pearce Boxer  England
2013Mike Cleary Boxer  Ireland
 United States
2013Bob Fitzsimmons Boxer  England
 New Zealand
2013Peter Jackson Boxer  Denmark
 United States Virgin Islands
 Australia
2014Elizabeth Wilkinson Boxer  England
2014Hattie Stewart Boxer  United States
2014Hattie Leslie Boxer  United States
2014Anna Lewis Boxer  United States
2014Alice Leary Boxer  United States
2015John Gully Boxer  England
2015Professor Mike Donovan Boxer  United States
2015Bobby Gunn Boxer  Canada
2016Arthur Chambers Boxer  England
 United States
2016Larry Foley Boxer  Australia
2016Danny Batchelder Boxer  United States
2016James Quinn McDonagh Boxer
Author
Knuckle (film)
 Ireland
2016Kimbo Slice Boxer
Street fighter
 Bahamas
 United States
2016Police Gazette Publication  United States
2017Uriah "Hughie" Burton Boxer  Ireland
 England
2017Ted Daley Boxer
2017Billy Edwards Boxer  England
2017Bartley Gorman V Boxer  England
 Ireland
 Wales
2017Daniel Mendoza Boxer  England
2018Mike Conley Boxer  United States
2018Tom Johnson Boxer  England
2018Nat Langham Boxer  England
2018Joe Lannon Boxer  Canada

Honorary Inductees

These must have brought positive spotlight to upstate New York or done a considerable service to the sport of Bare-knuckle boxing. Honorary inductees are those that have not bare knuckle boxed, that is, those listed as a 'boxer' have boxed with gloves or wraps, and inductees associated with ice hockey are inducted for their contributions to the fighting aspects of the game (to date, both hockey-related honorary inductees have been associated with the Buffalo Sabres, who play 66 miles (106 km) from Belfast). The honorary inductees were included as an acknowledgement that bare-knuckle boxing ended as a mainstream sport over a century ago, and that the honorary inductee system allows notable figures that promoted activity similar to bare knuckle boxing, who might be more recognizable to modern audiences, to be included in the Hall.[8]

Year Inductee Role Nationality
2009Carmen Basilio Boxer  United States
2009Rob Ray Hockey enforcer  Canada
2009Baby Joe Mesi Boxer  United States
2009Bill Heaney Promoter  United States
2010Billy Backus Boxer  United States
2011Livingstone Bramble Boxer  Saint Kitts and Nevis
 United States Virgin Islands
2011Dick Wipperman Boxer  United States
2011Jimmy Ralston Boxer  United States
2012Ben Becker Coach
Trainer
(to Muhammad Ali before the 1960 Summer Olympics)
 United States
2012Tony Graziano Trainer
(of Billy Backus in the 1970s)
 United States
2012Juan de Leon Trainer
(Team Mesi)
2012Carlos de Leon Trainer
(Team Mesi)
2012Angel de Leon Trainer
(Team Mesi)
2012Chuck Pelitera Trainer
(Team Mesi)
2012Johnny Sudac Jr. Trainer
Gym Owner
 United States
2012Michael Tome Gym Owner  United States
2013Carlos Ortiz Boxer  Puerto Rico
2013Tommy Hicks Boxer  United States
2013George "Elbows" McFadden Boxer  United States
2013Hite Peckham Boxer  United States
2014Nellie Bly Reporter  United States
2014Melvina Lathan NYSAC Commissioner  United States
2014Gloria Peek Trainer  United States
2014Leona Brown Boxer  United States
2014Christy Martin Boxer  United States
2015Jack Green Jr. Promoter of the sport
2015Johnny Green Boxer  United States
2015Howard Cosell Commentator  United States
2015Bert Sugar Historian  United States
2015Don Dunphy Commentator  United States
2015Al Bernstein Commentator  United States
2015Cus D'Amato Trainer  United States
2015Charles Murray Boxer  United States
2015Purple Heart Homes Charity  United States
2016James J. Corbett Boxer  United States
2016Ring Magazine Publication  United States
2016Boxing News Magazine Publication  United Kingdom
2016The USA Boxing News Publication  United States
2017Ed Atherton Wrestler  United States
2017Barry Broughton Grandmaster
2017Chris Guzman Artist
2017Roy Harding Boxer  United States
2017Jimmy Holmes Boxer  United States
2017Tim Witherspoon Boxer  United States
2018Rick Jeanneret Hockey announcer
(inducted for his blow-by-blow on in-game fights)
 Canada
2018Tony Gee Historian  England
2018Dick Topinko Boxer  United States

Marie Backus Person of the Year

Year Recipient
2014Mercedes Vazquez-Simmons
2015Jack Emrick
2016Bob Collins
2017Gino Arilotta
2018Bill Clancy

Marie Backus Team of the Year

Year Team Members
2018Team USA Jujitsu Bryana Baer
Mike Hanchett
Charlie Love
Desmond White
Barry Broughton (coach)

Induction Events

For the inaugural induction ceremony in 2009, former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks was a special guest.

From 2011-2013 there was a breakfast in honour of a particular person each year, in 2011 this was Jack Green, Buffalo Ring 44 President. In 2012 the breakfast was in honour of Jeff Mengel, who had trained the fighter Jimmy Holmes in the barns in Belfast, New York. The 2013 breakfast was in honour of Zeke Wilson, author of the book The Eighth Round, combatant of prejudice in boxing and a noted boxer himself.[2]

Current Recognized Champions

With the introduction of modern day sanctioned bare knuckle boxing events both inside and outside of the United States, the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame, in conjunction with the National Police Gazette, currently recognizes several individuals as World and American Bare Knuckle Boxing champions. The following individuals are recognized as the current champions.[9]

DivisionChampion
Heavyweight World ChampionUnited States Joey Beltran
Heavyweight American ChampionUnited States Chase Sherman
Lightweight American ChampionUnited States Johnny Bedford
Women's Featherweight World ChampionAustralia Bec Rawlings
Women's Featherweight American ChampionUnited States Helen Peralta

Modern Era Championship History

National Police Gazette Heavyweight World Championship

Weight limit: 200 lbs and above (91 kg)
Bobby Gunn was recognized as the Bare Knuckle Boxing lineal champion after his victory over Richie Steward in 2011. Sometime after this victory, Gunn was awarded the National Police Gazette Championship by the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame. He then cemented his lineal championship status as he defeated Irineu Beato Costa Jr at BKFC 1 in 2018 which did not appear to be a Police Gazette Championship title defense.[10]
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Canada Bobby Gunn
promoted to undisputed champion
N/A February, 2016

National Police Gazette Heavyweight American Championship

Weight limit: 200 lbs and above (91 kg)
Arnold Adams claimed this championship by winning an 8-man tournament which was hosted by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 United States Arnold Adams
def. Sam Shewmaker
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 3
Biloxi, Mississippi
October 20, 2018
2 United States Chase Sherman Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 7
Biloxi, Mississippi
August 10, 2019

National Police Gazette Lightweight American Championship

Weight limit: 135 lbs (61 kg)
Johnny Bedford claimed this championship by winning an 8-man tournament which was hosted by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 United States Johnny Bedford
def. Reggie Barnett Jr.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 6
Tampa, Florida
June 22, 2019

National Police Gazette Women's Featherweight World Championship

Weight limit: 126 lbs (57 kg)
The inaugural champion, Bec Rawlings, was awarded the National Police Gazette Championship by the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame 3 days after her historic win over Alma Garcia. [11]
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Australia Bec Rawlings
promoted to undisputed champion
N/A June 5, 2018

1. def. Britain Hart at BKFC 2 on Aug 25, 2018
2. def. Cecilia Flores at BKFC 4 on Feb 2, 2019

National Police Gazette Women's Featherweight American Championship

Weight limit: 126 lbs (57 kg)
No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 United States Christine Ferea
def. Britain Hart
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 5
Biloxi, Mississippi
April 6, 2019
2 Dominican Republic Helen Peralta Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 7
Biloxi, Mississippi
August 10, 2019

See also

References

  1. "Belfast, N.Y., houses Bare Knuckle Hall". ESPN. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  2. "BKBHOF Inductees". Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  3. "Kimbo Slice inducted into Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame". My MMA News. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  4. "List of Inductees By Year of Introduction". Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  5. Bly, Nellie. "A Visit with John L. Sullivan". Archived from the original on 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  6. Staff Reports. "Bare Knuckle Boxing HOF announces 2017 induction class". Wellsville Daily Reporter. GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  7. "2018 Inductees Announced". Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. Wilson, Sam (July 6, 2018). "Jeanneret to join Rob Ray in BKBHOF". Olean Times Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  9. "Champions". bareknuckleboxinghalloffame.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  10. "The Most Prestigious Bare Knuckle Championship Belt of All Time". NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
  11. "BKB Hall of Fame". BKB Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
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