UNCASVILLE, Conn. (October 11, 2013) – Hartford featherweight “Machine Gun” Mike Oliver leads a list of 2013 award winners announced today by the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF).
Mike Oliver named 2013 Conn. Boxer of the Year
Conn. Boxing Hall of Fame announces award winners
Nov. 9 CBHOF Induction dinner at Mohegan Sun
The awards will be presented at the 9TH annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner on Saturday night, November 9 in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.
The CBHOF Class of 2013 inductees are former world title challengers Luigi “Kid Dynamite” Campurato and Israel “Pito” Cardona, broadcaster Al Bernstein, promoter Joe DeGuardia, referee/amateur coach Johnny Callas and USA Boxing administrator Roland Roy.
Oliver (26-5, 8 KOs) has been selected as the CBHOF Professional Boxer of the Year, largely on the strength of him capturing the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) USA featherweight title this past September 13, after his opponent, Eric Hunter, was disqualified in the first round for hitting on the break.
The other 2013 CBHOF award winners are East Hartford Mykquan “Mad Mike” Williams, Amateur Boxer of the Year; Lou Pontacoloni, state Amateur Official of the Year; timekeeper Bill Max, William Hutt state Professional Official of the Year; former Hartford Courant sportswriter George Smith, Contribution to Boxing.
Williams, known as “Mikey,” is a three-time Ringside World Tournament champion, as well as 2012 National Silver Championships and 2012 PAL National Tournament gold medalist.
Tickets for the CBHOF 9th annual Gala Induction Dinner, reasonably priced at $90.00, are on sale now by calling Kim Baker at Mohegan Sun (1.860.862.7377) or Sherman Cain at the Manchester Journal Inquirer (1.800.237.3606 X321). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET, cocktails at 6 p.m. ET, followed by dinner.
Go online to www.ctboxinghof.com for additional information about the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, its 9th annual Gala Inductee Dinner, or past CBHOF inductees.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
