Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s middleweight world championship belt; trunks, gloves and robes worn by Diego Corrales, Erik Morales, Jose Luis Castillo and Johnny Tapia, among others; Oscar De La Hoya’s 1992 Olympic gold medal and artifacts such as betting slips from a 1910 Jack Johnson bout and Jim Jeffries’ shoes, will be on display at the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame’s exhibit/museum at Caesars Palace on Friday and Saturday.
The third annual NVBHOF induction gala will be held on Saturday at Caesars, and Hall CEO/Founder/President Rich Marotta wanted to provide a special treat for boxing fans in Las Vegas, so he came up with the idea for the exhibit.
It will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday outside the Palace Ballroom at Caesars from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
“We hope the entire boxing community of Las Vegas will come out and enjoy this different special attraction,” Marotta said. “It will honor the rich history of boxing in Nevada, as well as the glamorous figures who made Nevada the boxing capitol of the world.”
There will be much more of Nevada’s boxing history on display in addition to the aforementioned items. Among the most unique are:
· Newspaper accounts from the James Corbett-Bob Fitzsimmons bout from 1897, the first held in Nevada.
· Fitzsimmons’ good-luck horseshoe.
· Three generations of WBC championship belts.
· Memorabilia from legendary trainer Eddie Futch’s 50-year career.
· The actual ring used for many of the most historic fights ever held at Caesars Palace, as well as much more.
As a special attraction, famed boxing artist Richard Slone, designer of memorable boxing posters and programs, will display some of his finest pieces and will be there to discuss them with fans.
There will also be in-person appearances by fighters and boxing personalities throughout both days. Television personality James “Smitty” Smith will host question-and-answer sessions with many of the stars.
