Veteran broadcaster Rich Marotta announced Tuesday the formation of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, a place to honor those who helped build its rich history in the sport.
A non-profit corporation operated exclusively for charitable purposes, the NVBHOF will be dedicated to honoring boxers and those who have contributed significantly to the sport in Nevada. The other equally important part of the Hall’s mission will be to help those from the sport of boxing in need of financial assistance, as well as to help other boxing-related organizations which do the same. It will also support youth and amateur boxing programs, including the club boxing programs at the University of Nevada, Reno and UNLV.
“States such as California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and most recently New York have their own Boxing Halls of Fame. I was astounded to learn that Nevada, with its rich boxing history, passionate fan base and the reputation as the Boxing Capital of the World, did not have its own Hall of Fame,” Marotta said. “So we set out this summer to establish the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame as a non-profit, charitable organization to give back to the sport and its fans. In addition to an annual gala Induction Ceremony and Dinner, the NVBHOF will conduct other fund-raising events throughout the year to stay active within the state.”
Voting for the inaugural class of the NVBHOF by its officers and its Board of Directors will take place in November. Results will be announced in December. The categories will include:
- Boxers (Nevada resident and non-Nevada resident)
- Non-boxer participants (trainers and managers)
- Officials (referees, judges)
- Media (broadcasters, writers/columnists, TV personnel)
- Executive (Commission members and executive directors, physicians, etc.)
- Promotions (promoters, matchmakers, ring announcers, publicists)
- Special contributors
The Annual NVBHOF Hall Dinner Ceremony will also announce winners of Nevada-centric awards, including the state’s Fight of the Year, Fighter of the Year, Female Fighter of the Year, Prospect of the Year and Amateur Boxer of the Year.
The Officers for the NVBHOF consists of:
- Rich Marotta, Founder and CEO. Winner of four Emmy Awards, the Boxing Writers Association of America’s Sam Taub Award for Broadcast Excellence and an inductee of the Southern California Sportscasters and the California Boxing Hall of Fame, Marotta is the sports director of KFI Radio and appears daily on Los Angeles’ No. 1-rated Bill Handel Morning Show.
- James Wimberly, Secretary. Longtime radio producer in Los Angeles
- Saville Kellner, Treasurer. CEO of Lakeside Industries and Black Card Radio Syndication in Henderson, Nev.
The Directors include:
- Scott Voeller. Senior Vice President, MGM Resorts International
- Wayne McCullough. Former WBC bantamweight champion
- Richard Steele. Hall of Fame referee, CEO Steele Health and Wellness
- Kevin Iole. Boxing columnist for Yahoo! Sports
- Bob Sheridan. World Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and renowned boxing commentator
- Dave Cokin. Afternoon radio talk show host on ESPN 1100, Las Vegas
- Alvaro Puentes. Program director, Radio talk show host, ESPN Deportes, Las Vegas
- Panama. Morning talk show host, KBZZ 1270 AM / 96.1 FM, Reno
- Marty Corwin. President of M.C. Productions, Las Vegas
- Joseph Marotta. Director Digital Strategy, Social Media manager
The NVBHOF will also be assisted by an Honorary Advisory Committee:
- Bob Miller. President, Sothern California Sports Broadcasters Association, Play-By-Play broadcaster for the Los Angeles Kings and an NHL Hall of Fame inductee
- Barry Tompkins. Award-winning boxing broadcaster and analyst
- Anthony Roman. Founder and CEO of RadioFlag
- Fred Sternburg. President of Sternburg Communications, Inc.
The NVBHOF is also planning on holding additional events throughout the year to bring fans together with inductees , boxers and integral members from boxing in the state.
