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THE BRISCOE AWARDS |
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COMING IN 2008 |
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Almost from the time of this web site's inception, I've dreamed of eventually establishing our own award. My mission has always been to seek new ways to honor the great participants from Philly boxing history, and creating an award seemed like a natural step. Although it is true that other awards abound these days, I remained certain that ours would prove itself to be different from all the rest - in many ways. This web site is happy to announce that our dreams are taking shape and our award is on the brink of becoming reality. Probably the most obvious difference with the Philly Boxing History award is the award itself. I did not want to go to our local trophy shop and pick up the typical golden cup or lunging boxer standing atop what has always looked to me like a filing cabinet. No! This award, meant to honor Philadelphia boxing greatness, had to embody that greatness itself. It had to be an original work and had to be specifically sculpted in the image of one of Philly's all-time best. After briefly considering many of Philadelphia's greats, I came back to my original plan of making Bennie Briscoe the subject matter of the award. The reason was simple. Briscoe perfectly represents boxing in Philadelphia. We all love Rocky, but it is Bennie Briscoe that embodies so much of what Philly boxing is really all about. It was always clear that Bennie was the "One" and that the award just had to be "the Briscoe". However to be able to move forward with this project, it was necessary to go see the reclusive ring star, pitch him the idea, and get his permission for the project. The fear here was that he'd hate the idea or worse yet, not even be interested in talking about it. Bennie's reputation for staying out of the limelight looked to be a major hurdle. But I had spoken to him on the telephone a few times and found him to be extremely nice and not the least bit intimidating, or standoffish. Still I was nervous. About a year and a half ago, as a dry run, I pitched the idea to promoter, J Russell Peltz, during one of my many visits to his office. Of course, Russell was Bennie's promoter from 1969-1982, and knows him as well as anyone outside the Briscoe family. So I pitched away. Peltz liked the idea and even offered to broker the meeting between Bennie and myself. When we visited Bennie and his wife Karen, things went smoothly. Bennie liked the idea and Karen gave her blessing as well. This was a relief because I not only needed their permission, I wanted them to like the idea, be flattered by it, and be part of it. With that hurdle behind me, the next task |
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was to find an artist to do the job. I had an idea that I thought was as good as the Briscoe award itself. My idea was to create a competition at one of (or between) Philadelphia's many renowned art schools. I loved the idea of creating an opportunity for a local young artist and was sure that I'd get a nice piece of work from such a contest. However, what I found was a big lack of interest and tons of red tape. At one point, I thought I really had something going, only to watch it evaporate. Such is the world of academia, I guess. I knew artist Carl Levotch from the Veteran Boxers Association. I had mentioned my idea about a year ago - including the part about the art school contest. Recently we began talking about the project and I found that things really began to click. Our talks made me realize that Carl was the right guy for the job. Not only is he an excellent sculptor, Levotch is a long-time boxing fan who is more than familiar with Briscoe. And so, I was set. But what would this thing look like? Would the finished product actually look like Bennie? It better! My expectations were high. In mid May 2007, I saw Carl's work-in-progress for the first time. I was more than pleased. To say that he nailed it is an understatement. And as Carl often reminds me, it isn't finished yet. You know you are dealing with a talented artist when your request to make the figure's tube socks appear to be striped the way they would have been in the 1970s is taken as a challenge. I can't wait for the final work. We had a very successful showing of the Briscoe statue at this year's PA Boxing Hall of Fame banquet. Since the real Bennie was being inducted, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to unveil it. The statue went over big with all the boxing fans and the Briscoe family. As Carl Levotch completes his sculpture, I am still piecing together the details of the upcoming event that will serve as our first annual Briscoe Awards. Much is still left to plan and execute, but a date in 2008 will be announced shortly. Every year, Philly Boxing History's Briscoe Award will be given to an individual participant (boxer, trainer, manager, promoter, etc.) from Philly's past. The award will also be given to a pair of fighters who participated in a great boxing match in the city's history. The site also plans to honor the current Philly boxing scene by awarding a local "fighter of the year" and the participants of the "fight of the year". The actual event will be a dinner and evening of entertainment focused on the award recipients. However, this event will not be your run-of-the-mill awards banquet. Please check back with this web site for more details as they develop. If you would like to be added to the Briscoe Awards information / mailing list, please send an e-mail to the following address: johndisanto@phillyboxinghistory.com. Please include your name, address, telephone number & e-mail address. |
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May 21, 2007 - John DiSanto |
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