Baltimore Hosts Fundraiser for Joe Gans Statue!

How's this for trivia? The first African-American boxer to hold a world championship was a Beltway Boxer. His name was Joe Gans, also known as "The Old Master. For nine years (1900-1909), Gans ruled the lightweight division. Boxrec.com lists his record as 138-10-15 with 96 KO's, however a recent biography of Gans claims there are many more bouts and victories that need to be recorded.

However, Gans has never received the honors and accolades that have been due him. Especially since it took almost a hundred years before another Baltimore boxer (Vincent Pettway) won a world title.

There will be a fundraiser held this Friday night, February 26 that looks to change that. The event will be held at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore from 8 to 11 PM. Funds from the event will go towards the creation of a wax statue to honor Gans. Tickets for the event are $50 for General Admission and $100 for VIP tickets. VIP tickets allow you to spend some time with some of the many celebrities that are slated for the event.

The Celebrity lists includes Showtime Boxing commentator Al Bernstein, Clayton Le Boeuf, star of the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street (which was set in Baltimore) Beltway Boxing legends Vincent Pettway and William Joppy are slated to be there along with members of the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts.

Also, Colleen Aycock, the co-author of the Joe Gans biography (cover is pictured above) will be there and she must be commended for her work on bringing Joe Gans's name back to prominence. She has been a frequent guest on ESPN 1300's Ballroom Boxing Report with Scott Wagner and Scotty Crouse and her passion for this project is something to be admired.

For event ticket sales, please contact Whitney Edmonds, (410) 727-1539 ext 3033.

To read a very nice article about the event, go to this article in the Baltimore City Paper written by Andrea Appleton:

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