Virgil Hill Happy To Be in Boxing Hall of Fame, Among Eleven 2013 Inductees

Virgil Hill Happy To Be in Boxing Hall of Fame, Among Eleven 2013 Inductees

By: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent

Canastota, NY (December 11th, 2012)–Reached by telephone Saturday night while on the West coast before the start of the Juan Manuel Marquez versus Manny Pacquiao boxing card in Las Vegas, Virgil ‘Quicksilver’ Hill said it all in seven words “I’m happy I’m in The Hall of Fame!”

Hill, age 49 and still contemplating making yet another ‘comeback’, remains in training on his own and is still in magnificent physical condition, though he’s primarily now a boxing trainer of young amateur and professional prospects today.

A silver medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Hill fought professionally between 1984 and 2007, compiling a professional record of 50-7 with 23 knockouts, appearing in 30 world title bouts and holding world titles at light heavyweight and cruiserweight. After fighting his professionasl debut as a 156 pound middleweight, Hill fought the rest of his career between 170 and 197 pounds.

Hill is among eleven members of the International Boxing’s version of the Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. A separate World Boxing Hall of Fame exists in California. The usual five year waiting period was not followed with the induction of Arturo ‘Thunder’ Gatti, who died in Brazil in 2009. Likewise, Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho, who recently passed away, could theoretically be a candidate for induction for the Hall of Fame in 2014, if the five year waiting period is again cast aside. Other sports have done same, most notably Major League Baseball, which for example inducted the late Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente into their Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1973, the year after he died.

Other inductees from the United States included ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., and referee Mills Lane. Also a lawyer and judge, Lane, who retired from the ring in 1998, has remained partially paralyzed and unable to speak since suffering a debilitating stroke in March 2002. Jeff Smith, the middleweight fighter known as ‘The Bayonne Globe Trotter’, was also inducted in the ‘Old-Timers’ boxing category. Although BoxRec lists Smith as having 183 bouts, his BoxRec biography states Smith fought in 700 career bouts. Alas, many pro bouts went undocumented in the previous boxing era of yesteryear, both gloved and bare knuckles.

Official International Boxing Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees

 Professional Boxers, Modern Era Category

Arturo ‘Thunder’ Gatti, Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight Champion

Virgil ‘Quicksilver’ Hill, Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion

Myung-Woo Yuh, Light Flyweight Champion

Observer, Modern Era Category

Ted Carroll, Cartoonist

Colin Hart, Journalist

Non-Participant, Modern Era Category

Arturo (Cuyo) Hernandez, Manager

Mills Lane, Referee

Jimmy Lennon Jr., Ring Announcer

Old-Timer Boxer Category

Wesley Ramey, Lightweight and Junior Welterweight Contender

Jeff Smith, Middleweight Contender Known as ‘The Bayonne Globe Trotter’

Pioneer Category

Joe Coburn, Irish Bare Knuckles Boxer Who Fought Between 154 and 190 Pounds

Source: Cyber Boxing Zone at http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/coburn.htm

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