05.06.08 – By Ted Sares: I have discussed and written about this subject on any number of occasions and sites, but given that this is Hall of Fame week in Canastota, it seems timely to write about it again. It’s just seems there is a marked paucity of boxers from Asian countries represented in the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. After all, the word “International” is in the name.
Yes, Filipino great Flash Elorde and Thai legend Khaosai Galaxy are in and so is Masahiko “Fighting” Harrada, but that’s only three and that’s far from enough in my view. And to have no South Korean inductees is totally baffling. Perhaps the following list can jog some memories or induce some research, but if even one person who has the privilege of voting has to ask “who are these guys,” the problem goes much deeper than it might appear:
South Korean
In-Chul Baek – 1980-1990
Jung-Koo “The Korean Hawk” Chang -1980-1991
In-Jin Chi -1991-2006
Soo-Hwan Hong – 1969-1980
Ki-Soo Kim- 1961-1969 (South Korea’s first world boxing champion)
Chong-Pal Park- 1977-1988
Myung-Woo “Sonagi” Yuh – 1983-1992
Japanese
Yuri Arbachakov -1990-1997 (alias Yuri Ebihara) Russian born but fought out of Japan and was the first Russian professional boxing champion)
Hiroyuki Ebihara- 1959-1969
Yoko “Fierce Eagle” Gushiken- 1974-1981
Hiroshi Kobayashi – 1962-1971
Masao Ohba – 1966-1973 (Ohba was fatally injured in car accident in 1973)
Yoshio Shirai- 1943-1952
Masamori Tokuyama -1994-2006 (North Korean born but fought out of Japan)
Jiro Watanabe- 1979-1986
Thai
Sot Chitalada – 1983-1992
Chartchai Chionoi- 1960-1975
Pone Kingpetch – 1954-1966
Muangchai “J-Okay” Kittikasem- 1988-1999
Samart Payakaroon-1982-1994 (Also was a legend of Muay Thai boxing)
Filipino
Luisito “Golden Boy” Espinosa -1984-2005
Rolando “Bad Boy from Dadiangas” Navarrete- 1973-1991
Jesus “The Hawaiian Punch” Salud-1983-2002 (Born in Philippines fights out of the U.S.)
Ben Villaflor – 1966-1976
Ceferino “Pedro” Garcia -1923-1945 (Was first Filipino-American World Middleweight Boxing Champion inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame)
Old timer section)
For starters, here are my top five for induction:
Yuri Arbachakov – 23-1
Jung Koo Chang – 38-4
Yoko Gushiken – 23-1
Masao Ohba – 35-2-1
Ceferino Garcia- (For Old Timer Section)
I could list many others, great boxers like Joey Archer, Nigel Benn, Dave Sands, Hilario Zapata and Danny “Little Red” Lopez, but this is specifically about Asian fighters.
Each year that a potential inductee is neglected will make it easier to neglect him again, and this is particularly so when only one or two fighters are inducted such as in 2008.
Visit the author’s site at www.tedsares.com