American Sports University
American Sports University was a private sports business university in San Bernardino, California. It remained unaccredited since its inception in 2006 until the Department of Consumer Affairs denied renewal of their license in 2016.
Location
Am ...
in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...
, is a museum that pays honor to the achievements and accomplishments of some of the most famous boxers of all time, more specifically past
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...
champions. The WBC is one of the four ( WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF) major sanctioning bodies in boxing. The museum's motto is, "Great fighters may retire, but their greatness lives on forever." This quote was created by Board Member Eric Casillas.
Purpose
The museum enables boxing fans as well as the general public to come view items and artifacts which are displayed for inspiration, learning, and enjoyment for the continued legacy of boxing .
History
The World Boxing Council has been in existence since the early 1960s and has crowned some of the most legendary boxers to ever lace them up, yet, prior to the opening of the museum, there was no place that housed the treasures and history of past WBC Champions. In June 2008 that all changed. Former WBC President Dr. Jose Sulaiman, founder and chairman of American Sports University Dr. Harry Hwang, WBC Supervisor Dr. Rudy Tellez, WBC LBM Co-Chairman Jaime Ochoa and Vincent Johnson and Directors Angel Ochoa and Eric Casillas are the founding fathers of this museum and spearheaded its creation . A Grand Opening was held on June 27, 2008 and an estimated 700 people including fans, civic leaders, press, and legendary fighters attended this event.
WBC Hall of Fame
The WBC has a long-standing history of champions. The WBC Hall of Fame includes fighters like Bob Foster, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali,
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professional ...
Nino Benvenuti
Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (born 26 April 1938) is an Italian former professional boxer and actor. He held world titles in two weight classes, having held the undisputed super-welterweight championship from June 1965 to June 1966 and the undisput ...
Ruben Olivares
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugue ...
,
Lupe Pintor
José Guadalupe Pintor Guzmán (born 13 April 1955), better known as Lupe Pintor, is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1995. He won the WBC bantamweight title in 1979 after defeating Carlos Zárate Serna, and made ...
,
Marvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer and film actor. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight divisi ...
Wilfred Benítez
Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...
Gabriel Ruelas
Gabriel Ruelas, (born on July 23, 1970 in Yerbabuena, Jalisco, Mexico), is a Mexican former professional boxer.
Professional career
Ruelas turned pro in 1988 and in 1993 challenged WBC Super Featherweight Title holder Azumah Nelson, losing a ...
Roger Mayweather
Roger Mayweather (April 24, 1961 – March 17, 2020) was an American boxing trainer and former professional boxer who competed from 1981 to 1999. He was a two-division world champion, having held the WBA and ''The Ring'' super featherweight tit ...
Bobby Chacon
Bobby Chacon (November 28, 1951 – September 7, 2016) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1972 to 1988. He held titles in two weight classes, including the WBC featherweight title from September 1974 to June 1975 and the WBC su ...
,
Armando Muniz Armando may refer to:
* Armando (given name)
* Armando (artist) (1929–2018), the name used by Dutch artist Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd
* Armando (producer)
Armando Gallop (sometimes written as Armando Gallup) (February 12, 1970 – December 17, ...
The museum also presents a lifetime achievement award. The WBC Legends of Boxing Award for Lifetime Achievement was established and sanctioned first in 2008 by Chairman Dr. Rudolph J. Tellez to honor an individual who has made significant fundamental contributions to the world of pugilism, either through a single branch of the sport or through a body of work combining different elements of boxing. These contributions, whether they have been in boxing competition, promotion, training, announcing, sports journalism, photography, leadership or mentorship, must have had a lasting impact on the boxing world and must have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to progress and promotion of the Sweet Science. The 1st Annual Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented at the 2008 WBC Legends of Boxing Museum Inaugural Induction Ceremony at the American Sports University in San Bernardino, Ca, U.S.A. on 27 June 2008. Twelve awards were given on that day and were presented to notable boxing figures such as Cleto Reyes, founder of the glove manufacturing company Industria Reyes, legendary world champion trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., world champion trainer and manager Bennie Georgino, Ken Thompson, owner of Thompson's Boxing Promotions and former World Boxing Hall of Fame President Adolfo Perez, among others.
How Memorabilia is Placed into the Museum
Items are placed into the museum by a variety of ways. Prized personal possessions are given to the museum for enshrinement by the inducted fighter. Items can be placed into the museum by the WBC Legends of Boxing Museum Board of Directors that are deemed of significant WBC boxing value. Items can be given to the museum by family members or the managing team of a deceased past WBC champion that is receiving an award or induction. Some of the memorabilia in the museum includes; autographed gloves, autographed pictures, WBC championship belts, posters, trophies from inductees, etc.
Memorabilia from Fighters that are on Display
The museum is filled with memorabilia from past WBC champions that is showcased on standing glass cases, wall cases and more. Some of the WBC legends whose memorabilia are on display include Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Lennox Lewis,
Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia (born January 17, 1974) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2011. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the WBO junior featherweight title twice between ...
, Ken Norton,
Diego Corrales
Diego "Chico" Corrales Jr. (August 25, 1977 – May 7, 2007) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2007. He was a multiple-time world champion in two weight divisions, having held the IBF super featherweight title from 199 ...
,
Erik Morales
Erik Isaac Morales Elvira (; born September 1, 1976) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to win world titles in four different weight classes, having held the WBC ...
, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Roger Mayweather, Rene Arredondo, Bobby Chacon, Salvador Sanchez, and
Laila Ali
Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female sup ...
among many more WBC boxing greats.
Visiting
The museum is open to the public and is free of charge. The museum welcomes all people to come view the treasures and history of the greatest WBC Champions. Special visits are available upon request and include private showings and tours for schools, boxing clubs, boxing organizations, community leaders, boxing fans, etc...
Quick Notes
* The WBC Legends of Boxing Museum is the only boxing museum on the west coast.
* The WBC also has a museum that honors WBC champions in Mexico City, Mexico.
References
External links
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1. www.wbclegendsofboxing.com
2. http://www.411mania.com/sports/boxing/79421/WBC-Opens-Legends-Museum.htm
3.http://www.pound4pound.com/FightReport/2008/LegendaryTruce.htm
4.http://www.fightnews.com/fightnews_2/headlines/EkEuuFplVlqZWnlKjn.html
5. http://www.boxinginlasvegas.com/archives/archives_0608.htm
6. http://www.burbankboxingclub.com/burbank_boxing_ramos.html
7. https://web.archive.org/web/20080907184135/http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/6045/great-mando-ramos-gone/
8. http://www.ringsidereport.com/rsr/news.php?readmore=1140
9.http://www.pe.com/sports/boxing/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_box_feature_08.4444397.html
10. http://www.instantriverside.com/riverside-ca-news/west-coast-boxing-museum-opens/2008/07/08/
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Boxing museums and halls of fame