So I just found out that Bare Knuckle Boxing has a legitimate hall of fame (see it here), located in some antique barn from 1889 in Belfast, New York. Previous inductees include Bobby Gun (2015) and Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (2016), just to name a few.
The class of 2019 will also feature some familiar faces, thanks to the induction of UFC veteran Bec Rawlings, as well as longtime referee Dan Miragliotta. Sadly, “Rowdy” will be unable to attend the live ceremony due to a prior commitment.
“I’m really sad I won’t be able to attend, but feel really honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Rawlings wrote on Instagram. “I’ve decided to donate my beautiful broken tooth that I had punched out of my mouth in my last title defense against Cecilia Flores to the Bare Knuckle Hall of Fame museum. Hopefully I can get out to visit soon.”
Rawlings is 3-0 as a bare knuckle boxer after crossing over in early 2018 and currently holds the Police Gazette Bare-Knuckle Championship, as well as the World Boxing Foundation Latin American championship.
In other exciting news, Mort Goldsmith will be honored as the “Marie Backus Person of the Year” at this year’s festivities. In fact, you can check out the entire class of 2019, honored on July 12 in “The Empire State,” by clicking here.