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That last name might ring a bell to all sports fans, as the late Cosell, the legendary sports journalist and broadcaster, made his mark not only just in pugilism, but also as a commentator for ABC-TV’s Monday Night Football (during one broadcast he broke the news of John Lennon’s death), the World Series as well as the Olympics. But during his storied career in the boxing world, Cosell is best remembered for his colorful encounters with Ali, during which the two would trade playful jabs and address issues of social and political importance, subjects that rarely made it onto sports broadcasts. And the induction of Cosell might just bring the Greatest of All Time to Canastota this weekend, but you won’t know until if, and when, it happens.
MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO
“If Ali was going to show up you wouldn’t know it,” said Mark Allen Baker, an author and historian as well as volunteer for the IBHOF since the first induction class in 1990.
“The last time {Ali} showed up was when Don King was being inducted and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he shows up for Cosell, but it would be unannounced because of the mob scene it would create.”
Baker’s newest book, Title Town USA: Boxing in Upstate New York (History Press, Charleston, S.C.; 158 pages; $19.99), circles the ring and dissects what has come to make Canastota the epicenter of New York’s rich boxing heritage. The village is home to legendary welterweight Carmen Basilio, who famously beat Sugar Ray Robinson in an epic 15-round decision in 1957 and went the distance the following year on the losing end of a rematch, as well as his nephew Billy Backus, himself a storied and champion welterweight in the mid-1960s.
But the book also touches upon the lineage of boxing families the area has produced such as the DeJohns, the Brittons and many others, to whom the book is dedicated, as well as the epic fights staged under the lights of the Onondaga County War Memorial and other venues along the Erie Canal from as early as the late 1800s.
“The main undercurrent and the reason I wrote Title Town,” continued Baker, “was for the people, volunteers, chairpeople and town of Canastota. There’s so many wonderful visitors that come from all over the world and ask why is Canastota home of the Boxing Hall of Fame. Like Cooperstown being the epicenter for baseball, all these people have been helpful in building a foundation for Canastota as the epicenter of boxing. I tried to support it in this book by mentioning great fights in the area, greater people, trainers and promoters, popular local fighters, great programs in the YMCA and neighborhood gyms, great people like Ray Rinaldi who still trains grass-roots fighters in his {Geddes Street} gym. . . all the pieces have been there all along.”
In the 1980s up until the early 1990s, Baker owned Bleachers Sports Bar in Liverpool, and it was there that in 1990, Ed Brophy, executive director at the IBHOF, stopped in and asked Baker if he wanted to be one of the sponsors during the inaugural induction weekend—and he agreed. “I got involved as a sponsor and volunteer,” said Baker, “doing the research and writing the press kits and everything from that to designing commemorative envelopes.
“When I was writing the press kits, I would go through all the major boxing publications researching articles and reading as much as I could on everyone and built up my own research library during that time,” he continued. “During last year’s ceremony I was tracking down {legendary trainer} Angelo Dundee, asking him questions I knew he could answer for the book. And with all of that legwork and help from those kinds of people, the finished book has been great to be able to hand to people to tell the story of how boxing came to prominence in New York. It talks about Sugar Ray Robinson and what he thought about Basilio during their fights and little details like that. But what people seem to enjoy most about the book is touching on the obscure boxers and picking up names and reading about fights they haven’t heard about in 50 years.”
International Boxing Hall of Fame executive director Ed Brophy: Will preside over this weekend’s annual induction ceremonies. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO
Opening ceremonies for the 2010 Hall of Fame weekend begin Thursday, June 10, 5 to 6 p.m., on the museum grounds. On Friday, June 11, there will be ringside lectures from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a celebrity workout session at 1 p.m. and a celebrity fist casting at 3 p.m., also held on the museum grounds. Capping the evening is a Madison Square Garden Night, to be held at the Rusty Rail Party House, Route 5, Canastota, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 12, begins with the Golf Tournament of Champions at Casolwood Golf Course, followed by a 5K race/fun run, often alongside many of the boxers, at 8:30 a.m., and an autograph card and collectibles show, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Canastota High School. To close things out Saturday, the Banquet of Champions will be held at the Pirro Convention Center, 800 S. State St., beginning at 7 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by an 8 p.m. dinner (tickets cost $135). Slated to appear at the dinner are boxing notables Ray Mercer, Bert Sugar, James “Buddy” McGirt as well as the 2010 inductees and the parade guests listed below.
Basilio and Backus have been named Parade of Champions grand marshals, and the parade commences Sunday, June 13, 1 p.m. It will pass through the streets of Canastota and lead to the Boxing Hall of Fame, 1 Hall of Fame Drive (just off Thruway Exit 32), Canastota. Scheduled to appear in the parade are Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, Tony DeMarco, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, George Cooney, Dundee, Lou Duva and many others. This will lead directly into the induction ceremony, beginning at 2:30 p.m. For more information on the hall of fame events, call 697-7095 or visit www.ibhof.com.
