Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 18, 1995 TAG: 9501180075
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CANASTOTA, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium
The list also includes former heavyweight champion Max Baer, lightweight champion Bob Montgomery and referee Arthur Mercante.
Four boxers were elected from the modern category, four as old-timers whose last bouts were before 1942 and two as pioneers. Five men were chosen in the non-participant category, which recognizes individuals for contributions outside the ring.
The 1995 inductees, including the five still living, will be enshrined when the hall holds its sixth annual induction ceremony June 11.
The inductees were chosen by a panel of 142 electors, made up of boxing writers and historians from the United States and nine other countries. Boxers must be retired for five years to be eligible.
Gomez is the fifth boxer to be elected to the hall of fame in his first year of eligibility, joining Alexis Arguello, Marvin Hagler, Carlos Zarate and Michael Spinks.
The Puerto Rico-born fighter was 44-3 during his career with 42 knockouts. Known for taking out his opponents quickly - he averaged less than four rounds a fight - Gomez held titles in the super bantamweight, featherweight and junior lightweight divisions during his career.
Gomez won the World Boxing Countil super bantamweight title May 21, 1977, by defeating Dong-Kyun Yum and successfully defended that title 17 times before relinquishing the crown to fight for the featherweight title in 1983.
D'Amato was enshrined posthumously for a career that spanned more than half a century. He died Nov.4, 1985.
D'Amato rescued both Floyd Patterson and Mike Tyson from hard times and developed both into heavyweight champions. Following D'Amato's death, Tyson in 1986 became the youngest man to win the WBC heavyweight title at age 20.
D'Amato also was instrumental in the career of Jose Torres, a former light heavyweight champion.
``I think what made him a standout was his knowledge of boxing,'' said Patterson, a two-time heavyweight champion already enshrined. ``He was extremely intelligent. He not only knew how you should fight, he knew who you should fight when and when you should wait to fight.''
Harada is the first Japanese boxer to be inducted. He was 55-7 and won bantamweight and flyweight championships in a career that ended in 1969. He twice beat fellow Hall of Famer Eder Jofre, once to win the bantamweight crown and once to defend it.
Montgomery and Pasqual Perez also won selection as modern-age boxers.
Montgomery, nicknamed the ``Philadelphia Bobcat,'' was 75-19 in the ring, twice defeating Hall of Famer Beau Jack to win the lightweight title. Perez, a 1948 Olympic gold medalist from Argentina, won the world flyweight championship in 1956 and successfully defended his title nine times, finishing his career with an 83-7 record.
Voted into the hall as old-timers were Baer, fellow Americans Jack Dillon and Johnny Kilbane and Irishman Jack McAuliffe.
In the pioneer category, the panel selected Tom Johnson, an English heavyweight champion from the 1780s and 1790s who was 10-1 in documented bouts, and Jem Ward, another English heavyweight champion from the 1820s.
Joining D'Amato in the non-participant category were Mercante, Gilbert Odd, George Siler and Jack Solomons.
Odd was recognized as a boxing historian and author of the ``Boxing News Annual and Record Book,'' which was published yearly from 1946 until 1985. Siler was honored as a referee and Solomons as a promoter.
by CNB