New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame

Announcements /
The New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame (NMBHOF) inducted six boxing legends from around the state, including two boxers from Roswell last Saturday evening at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center.
 
The evening started with the inductees and guests having the opportunity to talk and catch up with each other. After the meet-and-greet, the president of the NMBHOF Ray Baca and Roswell Mayor Timothy Jennings presented their opening addresses.
 
After the opening address, the guests lined up for a barbeque dinner with ribs, brisket and cobbler.
 
Once the guests had settled in and finished their dinners, the NMBHOF Emcee David Finger brought Mike Hamm to the stage to introduce Roswell’s own Ronald Brown as the first inductee.
 
Ronald Brown was a state champion in 1976 and competed in regional and national competitions throughout the ‘70s and ’80s. Brown said that he never thought he would be inducted into something like the NMBHOF. “It feels great, I can tell you that,” Brown said. “I never dreamed about it when I left Roswell. When I went to college, I was boxing. When I left college, I was boxing. When I went to Utah, I was boxing. I did it because I love the sport and I never thought about this day.” In 1986, Brown moved to Utah and began working at the Clearfield Job Corps and the juvenile justice system. Brown kept up with boxing by coaching and volunteering his time at the Marshal White Community Center in Ogden, Utah.
 
The next inductee, Rocky Burke, is a boxer and a world-class referee. Introduced by his brother, Louie Burke, Rocky said that it means everything to him to be recognized by his home state. “It just means so much to me to be recognized by my home state,” Burke said. Burke was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico on Veteran’s Day and went to the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) after high school. While in NMMI, Rocky was instrumental to the Broncos’ boxing program and it led to his first New Mexico State Novice Championship. Rocky made it to the finals of the 1976 Western Olympic Trials in Reno, Nevada where he lost a close decision against the future world champion, Bruce Curry. As a pro, he made his debut at the Pan Am Center in Las Cruces in a nationally televised fight and retired from boxing with a 6-1 record. Burke went on to become a referee and has officiated more than 200 fights across the globe. “The camaraderie, the brotherhood and the families of these boxers. In the end, we’re all family and it means so much to me that it all started here,” Burke said.
 
The next inductee was Bill Daniels. Raised in Hobbs, Daniels attended NMMI where he became a Golden Glove boxing champion twice. Daniels was also a decorated combat pilot in World War II and the Korean War. As a philanthropist, Daniels established the Daniels’ Fund in Colorado before his death in 2000. His non-profit awarded more than $1 billion in grants and scholarships. Daniels’ Fund Senior Vice-President Bo Peretto accepted Daniels’ award on his behalf.
 
The fourth inductee, introduced by family members Shirley Hall and Loretta Boyd, was Willie Hall Jr.. He is the son of boxing coach Willie Hall Sr. and a Roswell boxing star. Willie Hall Jr. is a State Champion and 1977 award-winner at the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in the 165-pound division. He has also served as a football coach at Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, Texas since 1983 where he is based. After the induction, Willie Hall Jr. gave his thought on what boxing gives to the community. “I think boxing is great because it gives kids an outlet outside of school sports,” Hall Jr. said. “It gives the kid who thinks he’s the tough guy on the block an opportunity to show it and it’s a great opportunity. It’s not about joining. It’s about joining the sport and loving it. Ultimately, you are going to get hit. People who join this sport have a passion for it and a certain toughness.”
 
Next was Joe Louis Murphy. After a successful amateur career with two Golden Gloves State titles, Murphy turned pro at the age of 19 in Reno while serving in the United States Air Force. After retiring from boxing in 1966, Murphy served in Vietnam as a member of the Air National Guard. When he came back, Murphy became a referee, judge, promoter and trainer in Albuquerque where he trained fighters like Tommy Cordova and Sean McClain. Murphy’s award was received by his grandson Malcolm Shelby. Joe Louis Murphy was unable to attend the induction but joined the celebration via Zoom along with the Olguin family.
 
Florencio “Flory” Olguin was the sixth inductee and he was introduced by his brother Filemon Olguin. Flory Olguin was born in 1938 as the first of 16 children in Milagro, N.M. 40 miles west of Santa Rosa. Olguin never intended to become a fighter, according to his son Florencio Olguin Jr. However, Olguin filled in as a last-minute replacement in an amateur show and the rest was history. Olguin turned pro in 1958 when he fought a fellow Albuquerque native by the name of Joey Limas on his debut. Olguin retired in 1965 with a record of 20-40-2 with 11 knockouts. Olguin was also an Army veteran and a Bernalillo County Sheriff in his post-boxing career. Olguin died in 2012 at the age of 73.
 
A special award was granted to Elba Garcia-Burke, mother of Loiu and Rocky Burke, for her service in the New Mexico boxing community. Burke was born in 1936 to a pioneering family in Mesilla Valley. She was educated at Hillsdale College, New Mexico State University and completed her business program at Robbins Business College. Elba worked with the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management where she directed work for numerous disenfranchised programs. After her husband and regional boxing coach Sammy Burke died at the age of 53, Elba Burke continued on with the family businesses and boxing. Louie and Rocky Burke received the NMBHOF Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of their mother.
 
Finally, the founder of the NMBHOF Jerry Martinez was formally recognized and presented with a plaque for his efforts, addressing the crowd and speaking about the grace and strength of a boxer. Martinez spoke about his battle with Parkinson’s disease and his memories as an undefeated fighter. Boxers next meet in Roswell at the end of March for the 75th anniversary New Mexico State Boxing championship.

Sports reporter Blynn Juliano Beltran can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 304, or sports@rdrnews.com.