News of Vic Zimet’s passing circulated through the room before the meeting . . . Vic was 84 years old, walked and talked like a 30 year old, and had the enthusiasm and energy of a kid. He participated in amateur boxing for countless years and had professed impact on the young. If there ever was a role model, trainer Vic was it. Zimet will be missed sorely by all members. The ten count tolled for Vic and other departed members.

Lou Raino spoke briefly on the committee meeting — it was passed through that former middleweight contender Eugene “Silent” Hairston, the impaired boxer who fought and beat such notables as Kid Gavilan, Paddy Young, and recently departed Paul Pender, would receive a special, hearing impaired phone. The special phone is similar to a small typewriter whereas the person can see the voice recognition on a small screen. Speaking of Gavilan, money was raised for the Kid to get him some clothes. VIEW FULL STORY…

2003-01-05 by Michael Silver
Professional boxing is the only major sport whose athletes do not have a union, pension plan, or even a semi-respectable centralized authority to keep order. Even when the sport had a semblance of organization and uniformity some 30 years ago (a time when the average boxing fan could easily name every champion–mainly because there were only 10 weight divisions and, with few exceptions, one champion per division!) it still could not reform itself as far as benefits or basic health insurance coverage was concerned. Some things just never change. But in 1955, in New York City, an ex-fighter named Jack Grebelsky, who believed in the adage “charity begins at home”, decided to organize a group of retired professional prizefighters and create a branch of the recently formed National Veteran Boxer’s Association. The National VBA was started in 1953, in Philadelphia, and within two years six other cities had started their own chapters. (New York was number 8 on the list). Most of the membership of the fledgling organization was drawn from the ranks of retired former pro boxers who had been active from the 1910’s to the 1940’s. As this era represented the golden age of professional prize-fighting in America there was certainly no shortage of potential candidates. VIEW FULL STORY…