Joe Botti, Anthony Williams to be honored at NJ Amateur Hall of Fame
Joe Botti, who has led dozens of young fighters to championships for decades, and decorated amateur Anthony Williams are among those who will be honored by the at the 2026 New Jersey Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame, which takes place March 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the Brownstone in Paterson, NJ.
Botti, a Howell, NJ resident and retired Union City Police captain, will receive the Joe Grier Distinguished Award, an appropriate distinction given that Botti and Grier were contemporaries, and Botti had gifted Grier the ring that currently occupies True Warriors Boxing.
Botti ended an extended break from coaching to resume coaching nearly three years ago, is currently the head coach at Strategic Combat Academy in Sayreville, NJ, rebuilding the program from the ground up and leading several amateurs there to local titles.
His greatest accomplishments came decades earlier with the Union City Boxing Club, which existed solely in his basement from 1989 until 1992, before moving to two different locations in the Hudson County city. Union City Boxing became an amateur powerhouse during the 1990s, winning the team title at the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Golden Gloves, and would produce standouts like Marcus Ross, Juan Ortiz, Antonio Espinosa, Jason Escalera and Juan Rodriguez Jnr.
Anthony Williams of Newark is one of four inductees into the Hall, joined by Glenn Garibaldi and Sal Alessi, while Kevin Vieldhouse will be inducted posthumously. Williams was one of New Jersey’s most accomplished amateurs of the 1990s, beginning with his points victory over Nettles Nasser to win the 1990 NJ Diamond Gloves 125lbs novice title. Williams would add the 125lbs open title in 1992, 1998 and 1999 respectively, defeating Juan Zuniga, Alex Rios and Andy Mitchell, respectively, and earning a silver at the 1998 National Golden Gloves. Among the boxers he defeated in that tournament was 2000 Olympian Rocky Juarez, while he’d fight another 2000 Olympian, Clarence Vinson, at the following year’s National Golden Gloves.
Williams’ son Anthony Johns eventually finished what his father had started, winning the 2019 National Golden Gloves.
Other honorees include Coach Bashir McEachern, who won the Barry Goss Award, and Helena Muhammad, who receives the NJ Amateur Boxing Supporter of the Year award. Amateur Boxing High Achiever Award Recipients include Sir Ameen Saleem, Xavier Correa, Makai Moore, Glynis Reeves, Yoell Cooper and Jamal Totimeh.
Tickets, priced at $85, can be purchased here.