Dear Ring 8 Members,

I’d like to thank each and everyone of you for your support at our RING 8 meeting February 27, 2024. You all BLEW THE ROOF off the place. Attendance was up about 300%   A group of very happy RING 8 members.

There was electricity in the air. The room was very loud with members happy to see each other.

I stood back and looked at the crowd and Happiness was in all your faces. Everyone talking up a storm & thrilled to see one another again.

You were all there because of your love for boxing. You all needed a place to go share your stories and you found it at RING 8.

Thank you to author Jose Corpas for his talk on his book New York City’s Greatest Boxers.

I’d like to thank my Board Members
John Rohe, Vice President
Tommy Gallagher
Henry Hascup
Pat Laudicina
Billy Staigaro
Carlos Ortiz jr.

A BIG thanks to Billy & Carlos for the help at the door. That was long and hard work signing up members at the door. THANK YOU

Also a VERY BIG thanks to Pat Laudicina for the SPECIAL TREATS he always brings to our meetings.

RING 8
NEXT MEETING WILL BE
APRIL 18, 2024

Thank you
Ron McNair
RING 8 PRESIDENT

Photos by Ron McNair and Joanne Hutchins

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Ring 8, with their NEW President, Ron McNair, will be having their first meeting of the NEW year on Tuesday, February 27th, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neil’s Restaurant. located at 64-21 53rd Dr, Maspeth, New York.

There will be a Board meeting starting at 6:00 PM…Followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 pm along with our guest speakers to follow at 7:45 pm

Our guest speakers are Jose Corpas, who is the author of the book, New York City’s Greatest Boxers, and Seamus McDonagh, who won the 1985 New York Golden Gloves Novice Heavyweight Championship and was good enough to fight Evander Holyfield for the WBC Continental Americas Heavy Title back in 1990.

For many years, New York City was considered to be the fight capital of the world.” Local venues put on shows almost daily, and the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden, hosted boxing regularly. Fans flocked from one arena to the other to catch all of the action. New York City’s Greatest Boxers is a photographic journey featuring over 180 photographs showcasing many of the outstanding boxers who helped make up the city’s colorful history. New York City’s biggest boxing stars are all found here, from legendary champions like Terry McGovern and Benny Leonard to local stars and celebrities like Joe Miceli, Tiger Jones, and Tony Danza.”

Sean McDonagh fought at light-heavyweight and lost a split decision in the quarter-finals to David Harris, the eventual winner. In the 1984 Golden Gloves he fought out the Times Square Boxing Gym again lost a split decision in the heavyweight division to Ira Turner, the eventual champion. On a trip to the Catskills, Seamus visited legendary trainer Cus D’Amato and was offered the opportunity to live and train under Cus’ tutelage, along with another then unknown teenager named Mike Tyson. Seamus declined, returned to Brooklyn and in 1985 won the New York State Golden Gloves heavyweight division scoring KO’s in all four of his victories. Later that year he turned professional and used the money he obtained from the signing bonus to pay for his second semester at Saint John’s University. It was during this time that Seamus became familiar with novelist Norman Mailer. They corresponded for many years.

Seamus took most of his classes at the Staten Island campus and became a member of the fraternity Sigma Chi Upsilon (EXY).

In 1989 he danced with the brothers of EXY as “The Blues Brothers East”, doing a half-time routine for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. They also performed for St. John’s University basketball team at Alumni Hall. Later that year he won “Rusty Staub’s” famous rib eating competition representing Madison Square Garden. He obtained an honors degree in English Literature St. John’s University.

By 1990 he had a professional boxing record of 19-1-1, (14KO’s) and was the #3 world ranked cruiserweight and #9 world ranked heavyweight. In the spring of 1990, the world of boxing was shocked when the seemingly unbeatable Iron Mike Tyson was KO’d by challenger Buster Douglas. This immediately ruled out the longtime highly anticipated match up between #1 ranked heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield and undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

On 1 June 1990, McDonagh took Tyson’s place and fought WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield ^[1] He lost by a TKO in the fourth round. In his corner were his dad Jim, Nick and Joe Baffi, Bobby Barbero and Tommy Gallagher. He lost only 3 times in 23 professional fights and turned to acting after his retirement from boxing.

His first acting job was in Judy Gebauer’s “Bobby Sands M.P.”, directed by Nye Heron at the Irish Arts Center NY NY. His credits include “The Risen People” and “2by4”, dir. by Jimmy Smallhorne, NY NY. “Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme”, dir. Naomi Gibson, San Francisco, CA. Lead in “The Shankill Road” dir. by Tess Downey, Hollywood CA.

He played the lead character in the Off-Broadway play “Kid Shamrock“ about the life of former #1 ranked world cruiser weight Bobby Cassidy. It was written by his son Bobby Cassidy Jr. who writes for Newsday.

Ring 8‘s yearly $30.00 membership dues will be collected. Cost for that evening’s dinner is $10.00.

Longtime President of both Ring 8 and the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, Bob Duffy passed away at 4 PM on Thursday, January 11th. Our hearts go out to his entire family.

Bob was the former Athletic Assistant for the New York State Athletic Commission . . . served on the Commission for 13 years . . .Has been an Inspector, Chief Inspector and Deputy Commissioner . . . Bob was also a promoter and started Ring promotions with Tony Mazzarella . . . The duo made history by becoming the first former commission members to form their own promotion company.
Bob is the outgoing President of Ring 8 and was also the President of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame since it was founded back in 2011.

Ring 8, with their NEW President, Ron McNair, will be having their first meeting of the NEW year on Tuesday, January 16th, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neil’s Restaurant. located at 64-21 53rd Dr, Maspeth, New York.

There will be a Board meeting starting at 6:00 PM…Followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 pm along with our guest speaker Jose Corpas, who is the author of the book, New York City’s Greatest Boxers at approximately 7:45 PM.

Ring 8‘s yearly $30.00 membership dues will be collected. Cost for that evening’s dinner is $10.00.

For many years, New York City was considered to be the fight capital of the world.” Local venues put on shows almost daily, and the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden, hosted boxing regularly. Fans flocked from one arena to the other to catch all of the action. New York City’s Greatest Boxers is a photographic journey featuring over 180 photographs showcasing many of the outstanding boxers who helped make up the city’s colorful history. New York City’s biggest boxing stars are all found here, from legendary champions like Terry McGovern and Benny Leonard to local stars and celebrities like Joe Miceli, Tiger Jones, and Tony Danza.”

President Frank Pena opened the meeting with the Flag Salute and 10 Count.
Pictures by Robert O’Connell

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Our Guest speaker, Sean Nam, pictured above, is the author of the book, Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, Fixed Fights, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.

Cheri Colan talked on her father, former Light Heavyweight Contender and Outstanding referee, Johnny Colan. Here she is pictured with Mr, Spartan himself, Ed Post.
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President Pena once again thanked Pat Laudicina for donating the cakes to Ring 8.
He also stated that Ring 8 is planning on having a Christmas Party sometime in December for the members and their families!

Ring 8 will be having their next meeting on Tuesday, October 17th, starting at 7 p.m. ET, at O’Neil’s Restaurant. located at 64-21 53rd Dr, Maspeth, New York.

There will be a Board meeting starting at 5:30 PM…Followed by a buffet dinner at 7:00 pm along with our guest speaker to follow at 8:00 pm
Ring 8‘s yearly $30.00 membership dues will be collected. Cost for that evening’s dinner is $10.00.

Our guest speaker will be Sean Nam, is the author of the book, Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, Fixed Fights, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.

“Journalist Nam delivers a knockout debut that shines a light on the underbelly of the boxing industry in 1970s Philadelphia. …Nam brings ’70s Philly to vivid life and manages to reignite interest in a decades-old mystery. The result is a remarkable melding of true crime and sports history.”—Publishers Weekly

“Nam has been one of this era’s best boxing writers for quite some time. … Until now, only hard-core boxing fans were aware of Everett’s story. … Now, thanks to Nam, the picture has gone from cloudy to clear and complete.”—Steve Farhood, boxing analyst for Showtime, 2017 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and former editor of The Ring magazine

“It’s investigative reporting and storytelling at its finest with a touch of a Goodfellas meets Raging Bull narrative.” —Harvey Araton, New York Times best-selling author.

“Sean Nam has written a compelling, page-turning history of Tyrone Everett which will appeal to boxing and true crime fans alike. His comprehensive research is mind-boggling … and his writing is top notch.”—Sean Patrick Griffin, author of Black Brothers, Inc.: The Violent Rise and Fall of Philadelphia’s Black Mafia

“If there’s a hero, it’s Sean Nam, whose obsessional reporting and evocative style turn a true story into a noir worthy of a Gamble and Huff soundtrack.” —Mark Kriegel, ESPN analyst and New York Times bestselling author of The Good Son: The Life of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini

“We need more Sean Nams.”—Teddy Atlas, Trainer and Hall of Fame broadcaster

Six months after losing a world title fight that remains infamous as one of the last mob fixes in boxing, Tyrone “The Butterfly” Everett—a flashy, handsome lightweight southpaw on the verge of stardom—was dead. Only twenty-four years old, he was shot in the head by his girlfriend, Carolyn McKendrick, who claimed that Everett had abused her throughout their relationship. But for years, street corner talk raised doubts about what actually took place in Philadelphia at 2710 Federal Street on May 26, 1977.

What really happened on that tragic afternoon? Did Carolyn McKendrick shoot Everett in self-defense, as she claimed? Or did she pull the trigger when she caught Everett and a cross-dressing drug dealer in bed together? Or did Everett die at the hands of a jealous husband who just happened to be a member of the ruthless organized crime outfit known as the Black Mafia?

Set against a backdrop of urban decline, racial tension, gangland violence, and the treacherous subculture of prizefighting, Murder on Federal Street is the riveting story of a young man whose limitless future could not outrace the dangerous present.

Written with verve and an eye for the telling detail, Murder on Federal Street covers the Everett story from prelim bouts in Scranton, to a world championship fight at the Spectrum, to the horrific shooting in South Philadelphia, to the sensational trial of Carolyn McKendrick, to the mournful and mysterious aftermath of nearly fifty years.