(Fall 2020 Edition)
The Fall season is officially here and it’s that time once again, as I do on a quarterly basis, to say thank you to a small team of people that help make dmboxing.com the success that it has become since the first publication on July 15, 2007.
I would like to acknowledge these people, who are: Bob Quackenbush (Lead Assistant / Proof Reader); Jim Amato (Senior Boxing Writer / Boxing Historian); Tom Donelson (Member Boxing Writers Association of America); Steve Corbo (Boxing Writer / Proof Reader); and Kathy Kraft (Proof Reader).
There are two other people who are not with us (R.I.P.) that have contributed in a tremendous way to this website, and they are Rusty Rubin (In Rusty’s Corner / Glove2Glove) and Harold Lederman (Hey Harold! / HBO World Championship Boxing). Both men were my dearest friends, never to be forgotten, and resting peacefully in heaven with the Lord.
A special thank you to my female and male friends that have kindly displayed my website products and attire. In this edition, I want to thank Hellen for displaying my official website hat. It is blue in color and embroidered with logo on the front and website address on the back. It includes an adjustable Velcro strap to fit all sizes. To purchase this attractive product, kindly send $18.50 to: David Martinez, 810 Coronel Street, Santa Barbara, California 93109 … and, the price includes FREE shipping to any of the USA mailing zones.
I would like to pay my respects to Don Fraser (R.I.P.), who passed away last year at the age of 92, on October 31, 2019. Such a great boxing friend, we all called him “Mr. Boxing”. He possessed such a wealth of boxing knowledge and expertise which he generously shared with everyone.
Don had many titles in boxing that included promoter, matchmaker, publicist, writer, corner man, Executive Officer for the California Athletic Commission, President of the Golden State Boxer’s Association, and President and Founder of the California Boxing Hall of Fame – a position from which he retired in December 2017.
He had many awards to his credit, which included induction into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1987 and induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also honored in a special “Salute to Don Fraser” tribute by the National Boxing Hall of Fame on October 20, 2018. These are just a few of his accolades.
In my 59 years in boxing I have been blessed knowing five men that I personally consider to be collectively the truest, greatest, and most knowledgeable persons in boxing ever. They were Al Nelson, Nat Fleischer, Bert Sugar, Hank Kaplin, and Don Fraser – quite a group!
Don is truly missed in the boxing world by all that knew him and respected him to the upmost.
After a dry spell during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, boxing has come back into a full swing of fights. I applaud ESPN, without any additional charge, for broadcasting the WBA/IBF/WBO world lightweight unification championship fight – Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1 / 10 by KO) vs. Teofino Lopez (15-0 / 12 by KO) on October 17th.
You have many choices in boxing, and I am truly thankful that dmboxing.com is just one of them – your continued support is much appreciated!