Glen Tapia, Diego Rosario among 2023 NJ Amateur Boxing Hall inductees
Five amateur boxing stars of years past will be inducted into the NJ Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame at their sixth annual dinner and induction ceremony, which takes place on Sunday, Jan. 28 at The Brownstone in Paterson, N.J.
Diego Rosario, Glen Tapia, John Magda, Sal Lopez Jr. and Ian Green will be honored at the dinner. Tickets, priced at $75, can be purchased online via the event’s Eventbrite page.
Also to be honored at the dinner are a number of “Athlete High Achievers” among current amateur standouts, plus others who contribute to the amateur boxing scene.
Emmanuel Chance of East Orange will be awarded with the USA Boxing Trailblazer “GOAT” Award. Chance, 17, earned silver at the 2023 Youth Brandenburg Cup in Lindow, Germany.
Among senior boxers, Tyric Trapp, Jean Pierre Valencia and Alessandro Jaucian will be recognized, while Cherish Love, Ramon Ordonez, Ezekiel Suarez, Qawi McFadden and Troy O’Connor will be recognized for “stellar performance.”
The The Barry Goss Memorial Award will go to John Silogy, who trains out of Brunswick Boxing Stars, while Dr. Tony El-Amin will receive the Joe Grier Distinguished Fellow Award, and Dr. Michael LePera will receive the Supporter of the Year Award. Rounding out the awards is Steve Moore and Shadia Mullen, who won the Cora & Red Baron “Husband and Wife” team Award.
About the inductees:
Rosario was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Paterson, N.J., winning five Golden Gloves titles before turning pro in 1980 and winning the New Jersey Sate bantamweight title during a career that ended in 1994 with an 18-6-1 (13 KOs) record. Afterwards he became a trainer, guiding IBF featherweight titleholder Frankie Toledo, as well as his brother, David Toledo. Other boxers he trained include WBA heavyweight titleholder Bruce Seldon, and, currently lightweight prospect Joel Flores (3-0-2, 1 KO) of Passaic.
Tapia, 34, of Passaic won the 2006 USA Junior Olympic National Championships and competed at the AIBA World Junior Championships that same year in Turkey. As a professional, Tapia has compiled a record of 25-5 (17 knockouts).
Magda of Rutherford, N.J. won the state Junior Olympic title in 2008 and the novice N.J. Golden Gloves title in 2009. He added the open class titles in 2011 and 2012. He made it to the finals of the 2013 USA National Championships and turned pro later that year, compiling a record of 11-1 (7 knockouts) before hanging up the gloves in 2016.
“Sizzlin’” Sal Lopez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Elizabeth and Perth Amboy. He was managed by Bob Van Syckle, won three New Jersey Golden Gloves championships and won the PAL National championship and was part of the U.S. national team. Lopez fought as a professional from 1991 through 2003, compiling a record of 18-5-2 (10 knockouts) in a career that saw him fight champions Hector Camacho, Jose Antonio Rivera and Ishe Smith.
Green won the N.J. Golden Gloves in 2013 and 2014, adding the N.J. State Championships in 2013 and the Diamond Gloves in 2014. Now as a professional, Green has a record of 18-2 (12 KOs).
The dinner menu consists of chicken, veal or braised short ribs, plus a salad, pasta, mixed vegetables, assorted rolls focaccia and chocolate cake, with a cash bar for alcoholic beverages.
The event will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Brownstone is located at 351 W Broadway in Paterson, N.J.