Thursday, November 29, 2018

The Boxing Glove Big Fight Preview: Tyson Fury Dares To Be Great

Photo:  The Independent




WBC World Heavyweight Championship

Deontay Wilder Vs. Tyson Fury


By Peter Silkov



When Tyson Fury
(27-0, 19koes) steps into the ring at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, against Deontay Wilder(40-0, 39koes) this Saturday night, it will be exactly three years and three days since his brilliant yet largely unsung victory over Wladimir Klitschko. On that night Fury became heavyweight champion of the world with a boxing display that remains one of the most underrated performances in the history of the division. Despite being a huge underdog, Fury achieved what no one had ever done until then against Wladimir Klitschko. He out-boxed the man whom, for over a decade had performed his craft in the ring with the clinical precision of a surgeon.

Fury Victory Over Klitschko Photo: BBC
That night Wladimir had entered the ring against Fury with an unbeaten streak stretching back over 11 years, and Fury was the nineteenth consecutive challenger to try and prise the world heavyweight titles away from him. Yet despite being given little chance against Wladimir, who provided the added comfort of defending his championship before his adopted 'home fans', of Düsseldorf, Germany, Fury didn't just win, he won with an ease that perversely has repeatedly been used against him by people seeking to denigrate his victory and performance. At times Fury out-boxed 'Dr. Steelhammer' literally with his hands held behind his back. It was a performance that behind its unorthodoxy, contained strong undercurrents of brilliance. Fury's speed and all-around boxing ability often defy his six feet nine, eighteen stone plus, size.

However, Tyson Fury's quirky boxing style in the ring strongly mirrors his character outside of it. Throughout most of his career, he has become the human equivalent of Marmite, boxing fans, and the media generally, seem to either love him or hate him. If Tyson's relationship with the fans was periodically a little rocky, his relationship with the media has often been even more fraught.

Tyson's unorthodox intelligence outside of the ring, like his ring IQ, has frequently worked against him with the fans and the media. In a world where people are supposed to fit neatly into certain boxes, Tyson Fury has often been too complicated for peoples liking.

Fury Protesting Photo: BBCSport
Winning the world heavyweight championship would prove to be bitter-sweet, with a strong emphasis on the bitter. If he had thought that his victory over 'Dr. Steelhammer' in Germany would be greeted with an outpouring of fanfare and respect on his return to England; Tyson was sadly mistaken. The reaction of most of the media ranged from a general disinterest, to what can only be described as nothing short of a public crucifixion of Tyson Fury's character by much of the wider media.

There is an inescapable irony when comparing how Fury was treated in the aftermath of his victory over Klitschko, to the feverish excitement which greeted Anthony Joshua's triumph over Wladimir 17 months later. While Fury had beaten Klitschko with a technical superiority that many still can't acknowledge, Joshua beat Klitschko after being just a punch away from defeat.

You will nonetheless discover many people who maintain that the Wladimir who fought Joshua was a superior fighter to the one who had lost to Fury 17 months earlier. Sometimes the substance of an athlete's ability hinges more on the perception of those around him than on the real reality of his true ability.

The extent to which this most public rejection influenced Fury's now much-publicized tailspin into depression, drug, and alcohol abuse, in the wake of the greatest performance of his career, can only be surmised. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that being the subject of such negativity on such a wide scale is not beneficial for a person's mental health.

Tyson Fury Weight Gain Photo: Daily Mirror
One year after winning the heavyweight championship of the world Fury's world had imploded into a sea of alcohol and depression. He vacated his WBA, IBO, and WBO belts (having been stripped by the IBF barely two weeks after his victory over Wladimir, for still unclear and rather dubious reasons) and sunk into the kind of self-destructive abyss that many never escape.

12 months ago Tyson Fury had not fought since his win over Wladimir and had ballooned to over 28 stone. Far from him ever boxing again, there were fears amongst his friends and family for his life.

Fast forward to the present and Tyson Fury, weighing around eighteen stone (252 pounds) again, stands on the threshold of regaining everything he has lost, and more.

Something clicked in December last year, and Tyson started training again. It was baby steps, to begin with, the man who had danced unorthodox rings around Klitschko could barely run at the beginning.

Even when news of his return to the gym had leaked out, few expected Fury to stick at it. Even when he finally made his long-awaited return to the ring, on June 9, 2018, against the overmatched Sefer Seferi, a still blubbery Fury was ridiculed in some quarters. The fact that he had already lost more than seven stone in six months was lost on most of his detractors.

Just nine weeks after his comeback fight against Seferi, Tyson outpointed Francesco Pianeta over 10 rounds. Though it wasn't the Fury who beat Klitschko, he was noticeably much trimmer and fitter than he had been against Seferi, and more impressively showed the legs and stamina to outbox Pianeta at a steady pace for ten rounds.

Fury Vs. Pianeta  Photo:
It is no exaggeration to say that Fury's comeback, when taken in the context of where he was both physically and mentally, just over a year ago, is already a remarkable story.

If Fury can crown his meteoric comeback with a victory over Deontay Wilder this Saturday, then his return to the ring will be one of the most outstanding ever seen, certainly in the heavyweight division. Muhammad Ali came back from three and a half years of enforced inactivity in the early 70s to eventually regain the crown. Unlike Tyson Fury, he did not need to lose over ten stone in the process.

The comparisons between Ali and Fury are interesting. Of course, Fury is not on the level of Ali. No heavyweight active today comes close to Ali, but style-wise and character-wise, Tyson comes closer than any other heavyweight today.

Like Ali, Tyson is fighting for the world title again in just his 3rd fight back. While Tyson's comeback opposition so far has been a far cry from the first two opponents of Ali's comeback (Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonevena), the fact that Tyson's comeback has involved overcoming mental health as well as physical problems.

Also like Ali, Tyson Fury enters the ring against Wilder with the distinction of being the 'lineal' heavyweight champion of the world, despite having been officially stripped of his title by men in suits, rather than an opponent in the ring.

Wilder KOS Stiverne Photo: Los Angeles Times
While Deontay Wilder is certainly not comparable to the Joe Frazier whom Ali fought in his bid to regain the world title that had been taken from him, he is a formidable opponent for any fighter having his first real competitive fight in over three years.

Wilder is himself a tall and unorthodox fighter, who has been brought along carefully for much of his career but has shown flashes of real ability at times. Wilder's most dangerous weapon is his right hand. Even though many of his opponents have been 'selected' 39 koes in 40 wins bares witness to the fact that Wilder can punch.

Since winning the WBC world heavyweight title in 2015, Wilder has often struggled to impress in his subsequent seven successful title defences. Wilder's most recent defence nine months ago against the highly touted Cuban, Luis Ortiz, was his most impressive performance as champion to date. Wilder came through a very slow start, which saw him hurt and out on his feet at one point, to finally overcome and stop Ortiz in the 10th round. The fight exposed as many weaknesses in Wilder as it did strengths, yet his ability to win after almost being knocked out, showed that there is more substance to Wilder the fighter that had been previously thought.

Nevertheless, if Fury was facing Wilder straight from his victory over Klitschko, without all the inactivity and various problems he has had in the past three years, its fair to say that he would be going into the ring a clear favourite.

At his best Fury is the far superior boxing technician, with better speed and has faced stronger opposition overall than Wilder.

Wilder/Ortiz Weigh-in  Photo:  Bad Left Hook
Fury will be the underdog on Saturday night because of the competitive inactivity he has experienced and the turmoil he has endured over the past three years.
While he has looked encouragingly good against Pianeta, Fury will know himself that it is a huge jump to go from fighting Pianeta to Deontay Wilder. If he had given himself another 6 months and a few more 'comeback' fights the odds would be much more in Fury's favour. But this is the boxing business, and Fury knows very well that the chance he is getting on Saturday against Wilder, may very well not be available in six months time. The reality is that Fury was given this chance because Wilders people know that this is the time to take him on, rather than wait for Fury to have a few more fights and get rid of the remaining ring rust.

In taking this chance Fury is in his own words 'daring to be great'. The fact that he is leaping into a showdown with the fighter whom Anthony Joshua has so far managed to avoid has made many people stand up and take notice.

A funny thing has also happened in the midst of Tyson Fury's comeback, like Ali during his own, now iconic, comeback, Fury is discovering a newfound popularity upon his return. Tyson's recent interviews, where he has honestly and courageously opened up about his struggle with depression and addiction has made him an unlikely spokesman for a sensitive subject which still carries a stigma for most sufferers. Tyson has said that he

wants to be a champion of the people and help bring awareness to mental health illness.

Some might say that it is too good to be true and that Tyson is simply selling a good story. However, those who have followed Fury since his early days as a fighter will know that he would talk about his struggles with depression and alcohol, long before he was even a world-class contender.

It's tempting to say that Tyson is the winner already, whether he beats Wilder or not. Sometimes victory is not measured by the result in the ring.

Wilder, on the other hand, has everything to lose. His three-year reign as WBC world heavyweight champion will be defined by Saturday night.

Time to Focus Fury  Photo:  ITV
As the fight has moved closer Fury has seemed to grow increasingly more focused and more confident, while Wilder has seemed to grow increasingly angrier.

Like he did with Wladimir Klitschko prior to their fight, Tyson Fury has been playing mind games with Deontay Wilder at their pre-fight press conferences. At times Fury has been verbally running rings around Wilder in a manner that he will be looking to replicate physically in the ring on December 1st.

Wilder's inability to control his emotions at these conferences is a chink which Fury will seek to further exploit all the way to the ring at the Los Angeles Staples Center.

Boxing is much more a matter of brains, than it is brawn. For all his mental fragility away from boxing, Tyson Fury has a very strong fighter's mentality and a ring IQ that is by far the best of any heavyweight in the world today.

Tyson's greatest opponent on Saturday night will be the lack of real competition for over three years. In Wilder, he is not only fighting a man with an undeniably dangerous punch, but he is also facing a difficult boxer for him style-wise. Wilder is awkward, erratic and unpredictable. Style-wise he is a far more difficult opponent for Fury than Anthony Joshua would be.

Wilder Vs. Fury  Photo:  Telegraph
Fury will look to out-box and counter Wilder, who he will hope will come after him. Wilder's main chance of victory will be to catch Fury with one of his failing bombs. It is a danger which Fury will need to be aware of throughout the fight. One mistake is often all that is needed in the heavyweight division. Wilder may seek to try and out-box Fury, but if he does, Tyson's superior footwork and jab will take him to victory.

The Tyson Fury who beat Wladimir Klitschko three years ago is a level above Deontay Wilder. How far back to the boxer he was can Fury reach back on Saturday. My feeling is that if Tyson can just recapture 80% of the form he had against Klitschko, then he can out-box and perhaps even stop Deontay Wilder on Saturday night.

Victory won't necessarily make Tyson a 'great' fighter (at least not yet), but it would be a great achievement and would pave the way for what could be one of the more interesting chapters in the history of the heavyweight division. This time he may receive the plaudits which he was denied three years ago.







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Thursday, November 8, 2018

TBG Book Review: Latino Boxing In Southern California



The Boxing Glove Book Review
By Peter Silkov

"Latino Boxing In Southern California" Written By Gene Aguilera.


In his first book, the excellent "Mexican American Boxing In Los Angeles" (2014) Gene Aguilera paid homage to the many Mexican American fighters who have lit up the world of boxing on the West Coast, but especially Los Angeles, where the Olympic Auditorium produced weekly classics from the theatre of boxing. Legendary fighters such as Manuel Ortiz, Mando Ramos, Bobby Chacon, and Alberto Davila, to name just a few, fought out the twists and turns of their careers before thousands of screaming fans in Los Angeles. The book looked at a group of fighters who despite their huge influence upon the sport, especially in the lighter divisions, have been curiously neglected by the many books that have been produced upon the sport of boxing.

Baby Arizmendi (photo not included in book)
Aguilera has now produced his second book, "Latino Boxing In Southern California" and like his first book, it is another gem, which looks at a part of boxing's history that has for too long been underappreciated in boxing literature.

Once again, Los Angeles and the Olympic Auditorium is the center stage, but this time Aguilera mainly focuses on the Mexican born fighters who largely dominate the Latin America boxing world, and who have contributed so much action and excitement to the rich history of the boxing ring.

We are taken into the world of the Mexican warrior, as Aguilera introduces us to fighters such as Kid Azteca, Raul 'Raton' Macias, Baby Arizmendi, Vincent Saldivar, Ruben Olivares, Carlos Zarate, Lupe Pintor, Salvadore Sanchez, and Julio Cesar Chavez.

Just as the Mexicans dominate the Los Angeles community, the Mexican fighters also monopolize the Los Angeles rings.



Alexis Arguello Vs. Ruben Olivares (photo not included in book)
Mexican fight fans are famous for being the most passionate and loyal of all boxing fans. It is not hard to see why when Aguilera outlines how the Mexican fighter, perhaps more than any other nationality, feels so strongly that he is fighting not just for himself and his family, but for his Nation as a whole. Mexican fighters, whether champions, rising contenders or struggling club fighters, no matter what the different levels of fistic talent, are usually always emboldened and toughened by the pride which they feel at representing their people every time that they enter the ring.

It is this pride and drive that has seen so many Mexican fighters reach greatness.

As well as reliving the careers of the great champions and contenders that Mexico has produced over the years, Aguilera also takes us back to some of the legendary matches and rivalries. In addition to the famed ring wars between Mexicans and American, there are also the classics between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans and of course, the often unforgettable duels between two Mexican battlers. It is true to say that a Mexican fighter is never so determined to win a match as when he is facing a fellow Mexican.


Enrique Bolanos (photo not included in book)
Gene Aguilera takes us on a tour of some of boxing's most exciting moments, especially the sport's golden era of the 60s to 80s. classic fights between the great champions and their most dangerous rivals was a weekly event, and more often than not, one or even both of the participants were of Latino origin.

"Latino Boxing in Southern California" a friendly and engrossing read. It is packed full of a dazzling array photos, ranging from programs, tickets, Flyers, magazines, to action photos and portraits of various boxers in fighting pose. The vast majority of this memorabilia comes from Aguilera's own boxing collection, and an impressive collection it is.


Carlos Zarate (photo not included in book)
"Latino Boxing In Southern California" is unlikely to disappoint any boxing fan with an interest in one of the most exciting areas of a sport that has always relied on its ability to thrill, and entertain, and raise the passions of its fans. The Mexican boxing fan, in addition to being the most passionate of all boxing fans, could also be said to have over the years been the luckiest and most entertained, as he and she have been treated to a veritable feast of great ring warriors over the past six decades.

This is the kind of book with the ability to both delight the boxing connoisseur and converts the non-believer.


If you would like to purchase this book it is available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Latino-Boxing-Southern-California-Aguilera/dp/146712883X

 Target:
https://www.target.com/p/latino-boxing-in-southern-california-by-gene-aguilera-paperback/-/A-53705603

 Thriftbooks:
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/latino-boxing-in-southern-california_gene-aguilera/18646664/#isbn=146712883X&idiq=27951083
 
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Sunday, November 4, 2018

The Mystery of Tony Zale and Carmen Basilio's Stolen Championship Belts


By Peter Silkov
The Boxing Glove


IBHOF in Canastota, NY.
I recently had the pleasure of going to the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, in Canastota, New York.  Though it was a little bit of a fleeting visit, I certainly had enough time to appreciate the wonders of Canastota's legendary boxing museum.  It is quite simply a boxing time capsule, laden with treasures from the sport's rich history, from Gumshields, Robes, Trunks, Gloves to championship belts.  The hall rolls back the years, to when greats of the ring such as Battling Battalino, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Carmen Basilio, Tony Zale, Rocky Marciano, Kid Gavilan, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Sugar Ray Leonard, to name just a few, were creating their legends inside the ring, before thousands of screaming fans.  Although physically, the museum is compact, verging on small, it packs a lot of fascinating boxing history into its limited frame. 

IBHOF in Canastota, NY.
Canastota's Boxing Hall of Fame has long been viewed upon as a haven for ex-champions of the ring, a place where they are still remembered and admired, often decades after their ring careers have come to an end.  There are a number of boxing halls of fame paying homage to boxing stars of the past, but the IBHOF in Canastota, set up in 1989, was the original trailblazer for all the halls that have followed in recent years, and is still viewed by the majority of the boxing world as the most prestigious of all the halls of fame.  Fighters often find being elected to the hall of fame to be the greatest achievement of their lives and the pinnacle of their boxing careers.  It is proof to that person, that through boxing they have achieved a form of immortality.

However, for the past three years, a cloud has hung over Canastota's hall of fame.  It is evident when you enter through the museum's entrance and are confronted by the large cabinets, which once held six priceless championship belts belonging to boxing legends Tony Zale and Carmen Basilio. Unfortunately, the belts no longer there.

IBHOF Entrance with Tony Zale and Carmen Basilio's Belts Before Theft

IBHOF Entrance with Tony Zale and Carmen Basilio's Belts After Theft
Three years ago on November 5th, 2015, a person or persons unknown, broke into Canastota's hall of fame, through an unbarred window at 2.45am, then broke into the cases containing the precious belts, four belonging to Carmen Basilio, and two belonging to Tony Zale.  Despite the vast amount of unique memorabilia in the museum, the thief (or thieves) seemed intent solely on Zale's and Basilio's belts.  This is no surprise since the stolen belts were the most valuable artifacts in the museum, whoever stole them knew exactly what they were taking.  Zale's Boxing Hall of Fame ring, which sat next to his belts was left untouched by the thief.  The ring, despite its attractive appearance, was a duplicate of the original ring, with plastic diamonds that was provided by the IBHOF. 

The three cases that held Zale and Basilio's belts stand at the center of the Canastota museum, but the prized exhibits, which once laid so proudly inside them are gone. Understandably, both the Zale and the Basilio families have been left distraught and angry at the thefts of their precious family heirlooms.

Tony Zale's Stolen World Middleweight Belts
It is sadly ironic that it was Zale and Basilio's treasured mementos that were targeted by thieves.  It is hard to imagine two champions who fought harder for what they achieved in their boxing careers.  Tony Zale 'The Man Of Steel' fought his way out of the steel town of Gary, Indiana, to reign as World Middleweight Champion from July 19th 1940 to September 21st 1948, with just an eleven month break between July 16th 1947 and June 10th 1948, when he lost and then regained the World Middleweight title with Rocky Graziano, in the second and third fights of their legendary trilogy.  Zale received a world championship belt after he beat Georgie Abrams on November 28th, 1941, to become the undisputed World Middleweight Champion, (Zale had gone into the match with the NBA title, while Abrams had been defending the New York State version of the crown.) Zale was awarded another world championship belt by The Ring Magazine after he had regained the world title from Rocky Graziano.  These are the belts that were stolen from the Zale case.

Carmen Basilio After His Win After Robinson
The four belts that were stolen from Carmen Basilio's case comprised of Basilio's New York State welterweight title belt, (which he won on June 6th, 1953, by beating Billy Graham for the New York State Welterweight title,) and his three world championship belts, all awarded to him by The Ring Magazine. Carmen won the first of these three belts on June 10th, 1955, when he beat Tony Demarco for the World Welterweight title in the first of their two savage classics.  The second belt was awarded to Basilio after he stopped Johnny Saxton in 9 rounds, on September 12th, 1956, (having controversially lost the title to Saxton six months earlier.) 

Basilio gained his third world championship belt after scoring the most memorable victory of his career, by outpointing Sugar Ray Robinson September 23rd, 1957, to win Robinson's World middleweight crown. 

It's perhaps an understatement that Zale and Basilio won their titles the hard way.  Zale was involved in The Ring Magazine's 'Fight of the year' three times running, from 1946 to 1948. While, Basilio was involved in battles, which won The Ring's 'Fight of the Year' vote a record five times in a row between 1955 and 1959.

Both fighters and their families loaned their championship belts to the IBHOF out of a sense of pride for their ring achievements, and a desire to share their accomplishments with their fans, both young and old.  Each man felt very strongly about inspiring the younger generation to achieve their full potential in life, whether it be through boxing or other endeavors.

Awarded Ring Magazine Belt by Nat Fletcher
Ironically the IBHOF was built around Carmen Basilio, who was and still is, the most famous and successful fighter to come out of the small town of Canastota. The town's only other world champion is Carmen's nephew, Billy Backus, who won the welterweight title in the early 70s.  The museum is adorned by life-size statues of both Carmen and Billy.  

Tony and Carmen's belts were won in an era where it was so much tougher for a fighter to reach world championship status than it is today, and the chances of a world title chance, even if you managed to get rated in the world top ten, were few and far between.  The belts themselves are a long way from the mass produced belts handed out to fighters today.  They were hand-crafted and each one was unique and one of a kind.  Aside from their physical uniqueness, the value of the belts to each fighters families cannot be overemphasized.  These are precious, irreplaceable heirlooms, which carry so many memories for each family, especially now that both Tony and Carmen have sadly passed away.

Although three years have passed since the theft, there have been few leads in the chase for answers to their whereabouts.  The Zale family have been very proactive in their attempts to find answers, and ultimately find all six stolen belts, and yet have found much of their efforts frustrated by a lack of communication with the Canastota Museum, and its director Ed Brophy.

Tony and Ted Zale
The Zale's frustrations at the Museum's lack of adequate security at the time of the thefts, (no on-site security guard and no CCTV) have been compounded over the past three years by Mr. Brophy's apparent unwillingness to take a proactive approach in trying to find the stolen belts, plus a complicated relationship with the local Canastota Police department that has often seemed unwilling to share any new information with the Zales.  At times it has looked as if the IBHOF has been attempting to downplay the thefts so as not to attract adverse publicity.  This could be seen from the beginning, when the museum delayed making the thefts public knowledge for five days, for reasons that are still unclear. 

Despite a mention of the thefts on their website, the overall response of the IBHOF can be said at best, to be rather muted.  Most of the publicity created about the loss of Tony and Carmen's belts has been generated by the Zales themselves, as they seek to keep the crime in the public eye in the hope that someone, somewhere will one day come forward with some crucial information.

The Zales were also hurt and frustrated by the IBHOF’s failure to offer a reward for the return of the belts for over three months after the theft.  The IBHOF were finally persuaded to put up a reward after ex-world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, (who has taken a great interest in the theft of the belts) put up a reward of his own for the belts return.

Since the belts were stolen, the Zale family has also removed the remaining articles that had been loaned on Tony's behalf, including his Presidential Citizens Medal, which was awarded to Tony in 1990 by President Bush.  While Tony was immensely proud of his Polish heritage he was equally proud of being an American citizen, and this award was important to him as he felt that it signified how he had been an inspiration to others through his achievements in boxing, both during and after his career.

Zale Presidential Citizens Medal Removed from the IBHOF by Zale Family
“Receiving this medal was a confirmation that his life's effort and dedication to helping others was worthwhile,” remembers Tony's nephew, Ted Zale.

One of the saddest repercussions of the theft of the belts is that the Zale family felt it necessary to withdraw this medal from the museum, due to continuing concerns over its security.  This is painful for the family, as they regret that visitors to the IBHOF can no longer share in Tony's accomplishments as he would have wished.

Yet there has seemingly been little to go on in the three years since the thefts, despite the involvement of the FBI and the fact that blood was found on the scene (thought to be of the perpetrator cutting themselves on a shard of glass during the theft.)  

Zale's  World Middleweight Belt Awarded  After Beating Abrams
Various rumours have grown in the last three years, ranging from money being collected on an insurance policy covering the belts, to the thefts themselves being an inside job.

Regarding the rumours that the IBHOF collected insurance money for the theft of the belts, Ted Zale had this to say:

“If this is true, what does that say to our family?”

The Zale family has also heard rumours recently that the belts have been located.  But, these rumours have yet to be proved ultimately true or false.  For the moment at least, all six championship belts remain missing. 

There is little chance of the belts ever being sold on the open market, and as they were not made of gold they would be worthless melted down.  The only remaining way that the thieves could profit from their theft is by selling the belts on the black market.  There also remains the possibility that the theft was made-to-order.

What remains clear, is the distress and anger that this theft still provokes within the Zale and Basilio families. Both fighters have passed on and didn't suffer the trauma of seeing their beloved belts stolen.  Yet both fighters families have had to bear the loss of irreplaceable family heirlooms, that were won literally with the sweat and blood of Tony Zale and Carmen Basilio.

Tony Zale Wearing His Belts
From the Zale's point of view, the theft of Tony's belts is made all the more poignant by the fact that Tony suffered some severe hard times after he retired from the ring, and even found himself homeless at one point.  Yet, this proud man kept his struggles to himself as much as he could and no matter how bad his economic hardships became, he always refused to sell his hard-won championship belts.

How unfortunate then, that these belts which meant so much to Tony, are now in the hands of someone who has no right to hold them. 

The mission statement of the IBHOF is to ‘Honor and preserve boxing's rich heritage, chronicle the achievements of those who excelled, and provide an educational experience for our many visitors.’

The Zales feel that the stolen championship belts have fallen victim to the IBHOF failure to live up to its mission to ‘preserve and protect’.

There remains a reward of 15,000 dollars for any information leading to the recovery of the six missing belts.  As of yet, there have been no takers.

$15, 000 Award for the Return of the Belts

Hopefully, this is a mystery which one day will be resolved.

If you would like to find out more about the stolen belts, or perhaps have any information that could be helpful in their return, please look up #bringbackthebelts @bringbackthebelts on social media.

Facebook:


or the Zale's own website www.tonyzale.org   


Family of Tony Zale on theft of boxing belts: 'They stole our heritage'



 
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