J. Russell Peltz
Encyclopedia
J Russell Peltz is an American boxing promoter. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
, Peltz is best known for his fight promotions at the Spectrum
, the Blue Horizon
, and currently at Bally's Atlantic City
.
in 1968. After a brief newspaper career at The Evening Bulletin, he began a remarkable boxing promoting career in Philadelphia on September 30, 1969, with a main event at the Blue Horizon
featuring Bennie Briscoe
vs. Tito Marshall. Briscoe won by knockout and the Blue Horizon had a standing-room-only crowd of 1,606.
. Peltz became one of the most successful local boxing promoters in the world during his tenure at the Spectrum, from 1973 until 1980. Some top Philly fighters Peltz showcased: Bennie Briscoe
(who Peltz handled for ten years), Willie Monroe, Bobby Watts, Eugene Hart
, Stanley Hayward, Mike Rossman
, Sammy Goss, Richie Kates, Tyrone Everett, Curtis Parker, Jeff Chandler
and Matthew Saad Muhammad
.
Middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler boxed five times for Peltz at the Spectrum. Other out-of-town fighters who boxed for Peltz at the Spectrum
included: Marvin Johnson
, Ernie Terrell
, Earnie Shavers
, Michael Spinks
, Emile Griffith
, Thomas Hearns
, Roberto Duran
, Alfredo Escalera
, Jesse Burnett
, Alvaro Lopez
, Billy Douglas
, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
and Bobby Chacon
.
When Tyrone Everett challenged Alfredo Escalera
at the Spectrum
for the WBC junior lightweight title in 1976, the 16,019 attendance set the record for the largest crowd ever to watch a fight indoors in Pennsylvania. In 1978, when Bennie Briscoe
met Marvelous Marvin Hagler at the Spectrum
in a 10-round match, the 14,950 fans in attendance established the mark for the largest indoor crowd in Pennsylvania
history for a non-championship fight.
Peltz guided a fighter to the world title for the first time in 1978 when Marvin Johnson
won the WBC light-heavyweight title, stopping Mate Parlov
in Marsala, Sicily. Johnson also twice won the WBA version of the title in 1979 and 1986, respectively. Peltz handled Jeff Chandler
, the Hall-of-Fame bantamweight champion, who gained the WBA crown in 1980 when he Knocked out Julian Solis
in Miami, Florida
.
After the rise of casinos in Atlantic City in the 1970s, Peltz began to promote at the now defunct Sands Atlantic City
and Resorts Atlantic City
, while continuing to promote boxing shows in Philadelphia.
In those years, world champions Peltz handled included: Charlie Brown (boxer)
(IBF lightweight champion); Gary Hinton
(IBF junior welterweight champion); Charles Williams (boxer)
(IBF light-heavyweight); Robert Hines
(IBF junior middleweight champion); and Charles Brewer
(IBF super middleweight champion). Another Peltz fighter, middleweight Frank Fletcher, became one of network television's most popular fighters, boxing six times on NBC
in wildly exciting brawls from 1981 through 1984.
Other Peltz fighters who challenged for world titles during those years included: Jerry Martin
(light-heavyweight); Tony Thornton
(super middleweight); super middleweight Bryant Brannon; and lightweight Billy Irwin.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Peltz became synonymous with boxing at the Blue Horizon
, including an eight-year stretch (1993–2001) of consecutive sellouts in the 1,346-seat building. Peltz was a partner with New Jersey-based Main Events in promotion of the late boxing champion Arturo Gatti
from 1991-2004. Peltz also guided Kassim Ouma
of Uganda
to the IBF junior middleweight title in 2004.
Hotel and Casino, handling fighters such as Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones
and super bantamweights Teon Kennedy
and Rogers Mtagwa
. He also serves as an adviser and matchmaker for Main Events and welterweight boxer Zab Judah
. He is the director of Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in Philadelphia.
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
and the World Boxing Hall of Fame
World Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
, Peltz is best known for his fight promotions at the Spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
, the Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon was a British blues record label founded by Mike Vernon in the mid 1960s.Its roots lay in Vernon's mail order label Purdah Records, which released just four 7" singles; including "Flapjacks" by Stone's Masonry ; and another by John Mayall and Eric Clapton "Bernard Jenkins", and...
, and currently at Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was...
.
Early life
Peltz became a boxing fan at age 12, and saw his first live fight at 13. In college, he was the Outstanding Male Journalism Graduate at Temple UniversityTemple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in 1968. After a brief newspaper career at The Evening Bulletin, he began a remarkable boxing promoting career in Philadelphia on September 30, 1969, with a main event at the Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon was a British blues record label founded by Mike Vernon in the mid 1960s.Its roots lay in Vernon's mail order label Purdah Records, which released just four 7" singles; including "Flapjacks" by Stone's Masonry ; and another by John Mayall and Eric Clapton "Bernard Jenkins", and...
featuring Bennie Briscoe
Bennie Briscoe
"Bad" Bennie Briscoe was the quintessential Philadelphia boxer."Bad" Bennie fought from 1962 to 1982, and retired with a career record of 66 wins 24 losses and 5 draws. Briscoe was a top-rated Middleweight contender during the 1970s, unsuccessfully challenging for the World Title on three...
vs. Tito Marshall. Briscoe won by knockout and the Blue Horizon had a standing-room-only crowd of 1,606.
Life As A Boxing Promoter
After promoting at various venues in Philadelphia for four years, Peltz became boxing director at the SpectrumSpectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
. Peltz became one of the most successful local boxing promoters in the world during his tenure at the Spectrum, from 1973 until 1980. Some top Philly fighters Peltz showcased: Bennie Briscoe
Bennie Briscoe
"Bad" Bennie Briscoe was the quintessential Philadelphia boxer."Bad" Bennie fought from 1962 to 1982, and retired with a career record of 66 wins 24 losses and 5 draws. Briscoe was a top-rated Middleweight contender during the 1970s, unsuccessfully challenging for the World Title on three...
(who Peltz handled for ten years), Willie Monroe, Bobby Watts, Eugene Hart
Eugene Hart
Eugene "Cyclone" Hart was a terrific punching American middleweight boxer who fought from 1969 to 1982. Hart never fought for the title and could not get a victory against the upper echelon fighters he faced. His best showing against a top notch fighter was when he fought "Bad" Bennie Briscoe to...
, Stanley Hayward, Mike Rossman
Mike Rossman
Mike Rossman is an American former world champion boxer. He is of Jewish/Italian origin, which led to his monikers "The Kosher Butcher" and "The Jewish Bomber." He finished his professional boxing career in 1983 with a record of 44–7–3, with 27 knockouts.-Life and career:Rossman was born in...
, Sammy Goss, Richie Kates, Tyrone Everett, Curtis Parker, Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (boxer)
"Joltin'" Jeff Chandler is a former boxer. Chandler reigned as the WBA Bantamweight Champion from November 1980 to April 1984....
and Matthew Saad Muhammad
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Matthew Saad Muhammad is a former boxer who was the world's light heavyweight champion.Saad Muhammad's mother died when he was an infant, and he and his elder brother were sent to live with an aunt. When he was five, his aunt could not afford to look after both of them and she instructed Saad...
.
Middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler boxed five times for Peltz at the Spectrum. Other out-of-town fighters who boxed for Peltz at the Spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
included: Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson is a former boxer from the United States, who fought in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, winning a bronze medal, and made his way up the professional ranks in the light heavyweight division soon thereafter...
, Ernie Terrell
Ernie Terrell
Ernie Terrell is an American singer, record producer, and former World Boxing Association heavyweight boxing champion. At , he was very tall, by the standards of the day....
, Earnie Shavers
Earnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
, Michael Spinks
Michael Spinks
Michael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...
, Emile Griffith
Emile Griffith
Emile Alphonse Griffith is a former boxer who was the first fighter from the U.S. Virgin Islands ever to become a world champion. He is perhaps best known for his controversial third fight with Benny Paret in 1962 for the welterweight world championship...
, Thomas Hearns
Thomas Hearns
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
, Roberto Duran
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
, Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera is a Puerto Rican who was a world champion boxer. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music.-Early boxing career:...
, Jesse Burnett
Jesse Burnett
Jesse Burnett of Los Angeles, California, was a light heavyweight and cruiserweight boxer. His professional record was 23-18-2 with 11 Knockouts...
, Alvaro Lopez
Álvaro López
Álvaro López is the drummer from British post trip hop band Second Person. His most well-known project to date has been as drummer/programmer on Second Person's 2004 debut release Chromatography and its follow up The Elements with band-mates Julia Johnson and Mark Maclaine.The Madrid-born...
, Billy Douglas
Billy Douglas
Billy Douglas was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist.Douglas played with Larry Ringold while young, both of them having been house in the same boys' institution. He played locally in his teens, and moved to New York City in 1932 as a member of Earle Howard's band. He played with Percy Nelson...
, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad is a retired American boxer.- Amateur career :Boxing under his birth name, Eddie Gregory, Muhammad won two New York Golden Gloves Championships. Gregory won both the 1971 and the 1972 New York Golden Gloves 147 lb Open Championships...
and Bobby Chacon
Bobby Chacon
Bobby Chacon is an American former, two-time, world boxing champion.-Career:Chacon turned professional in 1972 and won his first 19 fights, including a win against former champion Jesus Castillo...
.
When Tyrone Everett challenged Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera
Alfredo Escalera is a Puerto Rican who was a world champion boxer. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music.-Early boxing career:...
at the Spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
for the WBC junior lightweight title in 1976, the 16,019 attendance set the record for the largest crowd ever to watch a fight indoors in Pennsylvania. In 1978, when Bennie Briscoe
Bennie Briscoe
"Bad" Bennie Briscoe was the quintessential Philadelphia boxer."Bad" Bennie fought from 1962 to 1982, and retired with a career record of 66 wins 24 losses and 5 draws. Briscoe was a top-rated Middleweight contender during the 1970s, unsuccessfully challenging for the World Title on three...
met Marvelous Marvin Hagler at the Spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
in a 10-round match, the 14,950 fans in attendance established the mark for the largest indoor crowd in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
history for a non-championship fight.
Peltz guided a fighter to the world title for the first time in 1978 when Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson
Marvin Johnson is a former boxer from the United States, who fought in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, winning a bronze medal, and made his way up the professional ranks in the light heavyweight division soon thereafter...
won the WBC light-heavyweight title, stopping Mate Parlov
Mate Parlov
Mate Parlov was a Croatian boxer, and an Olympic gold medalist for former Yugoslavia. As a professional, he won the European light heavyweight title in 1976 and WBC light heavyweight world title in 1978....
in Marsala, Sicily. Johnson also twice won the WBA version of the title in 1979 and 1986, respectively. Peltz handled Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (boxer)
"Joltin'" Jeff Chandler is a former boxer. Chandler reigned as the WBA Bantamweight Champion from November 1980 to April 1984....
, the Hall-of-Fame bantamweight champion, who gained the WBA crown in 1980 when he Knocked out Julian Solis
Julian Solis
Julian Solís is a former boxer from Puerto Rico. He was born in the San Juan area of Río Piedras, but because of the closeness of his birthplace to Caguas, he often trained at the Bairoa Gym in Caguas...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
After the rise of casinos in Atlantic City in the 1970s, Peltz began to promote at the now defunct Sands Atlantic City
Sands Atlantic City
The Sands Casino Hotel was a casino and hotel that operated from August 31, 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium housing the casino and various...
and Resorts Atlantic City
Resorts Atlantic City
Not to be confused with the Las Vegas, Nevada based casino/resort operator Resorts International Holdings.Resorts Casino Hotel is a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Resorts was the first casino hotel in Atlantic City, becoming the first legal casino outside of Nevada in the United...
, while continuing to promote boxing shows in Philadelphia.
In those years, world champions Peltz handled included: Charlie Brown (boxer)
Charlie Brown (boxer)
Charlie "Choo Choo" Brown is a former professional boxer in the lightweight division.- Pro career :...
(IBF lightweight champion); Gary Hinton
Gary Hinton
- Professional career :Hinton turned pro in 1978 and won the vacant IBF light welterweight title with a decision win over Reyes Antonio Cruz in 1986. He lost the title in his first defense to Joe Manley by KO later that year.- External links :...
(IBF junior welterweight champion); Charles Williams (boxer)
Charles Williams (boxer)
Charles Williams , was a professional boxer in the Light Heavyweight division.Williams, known as "Prince" Charles, turned pro in 1978 and in 1987 he captured the IBF Light Heavyweight Title by TKO'ing Bobby Czyz in the 9th round. He defended the title eight times before losing the title to Henry...
(IBF light-heavyweight); Robert Hines
Robert Hines
Robert Hines , was a professional boxer in the Light Middleweight division.Known as "Bam Bam", Hines turned pro in 1981 and won the IBF Light Middleweight Title with a decision win over Matthew Hilton in 1988. He lost the belt in his first defense to Darrin Van Horn...
(IBF junior middleweight champion); and Charles Brewer
Charles Brewer (boxer)
Charles Brewer , was a professional boxer of 185 cm height in the Super Middleweight division....
(IBF super middleweight champion). Another Peltz fighter, middleweight Frank Fletcher, became one of network television's most popular fighters, boxing six times on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in wildly exciting brawls from 1981 through 1984.
Other Peltz fighters who challenged for world titles during those years included: Jerry Martin
Jerry Martin
Jerry Lindsey Martin is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the son of major league pitcher Barney Martin....
(light-heavyweight); Tony Thornton
Tony Thornton
Tony Thornton was an American professional boxer who died of a motorcycle accident on 10 September 2009.Tony went to West Chester University...
(super middleweight); super middleweight Bryant Brannon; and lightweight Billy Irwin.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, Peltz became synonymous with boxing at the Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon
Blue Horizon was a British blues record label founded by Mike Vernon in the mid 1960s.Its roots lay in Vernon's mail order label Purdah Records, which released just four 7" singles; including "Flapjacks" by Stone's Masonry ; and another by John Mayall and Eric Clapton "Bernard Jenkins", and...
, including an eight-year stretch (1993–2001) of consecutive sellouts in the 1,346-seat building. Peltz was a partner with New Jersey-based Main Events in promotion of the late boxing champion Arturo Gatti
Arturo Gatti
Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was a Canadian professional boxer. Born in Cassino, Italy, and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Gatti relocated to Jersey City, United States as a teenager...
from 1991-2004. Peltz also guided Kassim Ouma
Kassim Ouma
Kassim Ouma is a Ugandan boxer. He is currently the NABA middleweight champion.-Early life:Born into poverty, at the age of six he was kidnapped and forced to join the National Resistance Army and consequently did not see his family for five years. Ouma is the 7th of 13 children, which include 7...
of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
to the IBF junior middleweight title in 2004.
Peltz As Boxing Promoter Today
Peltz is active as a boxing promoter today in Philadelphia and Bally's Atlantic CityBally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was...
Hotel and Casino, handling fighters such as Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones
Mike Jones (boxer)
Mike Jones is an undefeated American professional Welterweight boxer. Jones is the current NABA and WBO NABO Welterweight champion.-Professional career:...
and super bantamweights Teon Kennedy
Teon Kennedy
Teon Kennedy is the current North American and United States Boxing Association dual Super Bantamweight champion...
and Rogers Mtagwa
Rogers Mtagwa
Rogers Mtagwa is a Tanzanian professional boxer who currently competes in the featherweight and super bantamweight divisions. Mtagwa is most notable for having fought for a version of the world title at both featherweight and super bantamweight...
. He also serves as an adviser and matchmaker for Main Events and welterweight boxer Zab Judah
Zab Judah
Zabdiel Judah is an American professional boxer. Judah has won five world titles between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, and is a former undisputed welterweight champion....
. He is the director of Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., in Philadelphia.
Awards and Achievements
- PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Boxing Hall of Fame, (1978) - James J. Walker Memorial Award from the Boxing Writer's Association of America, (1999)
- World Boxing Hall of FameWorld Boxing Hall of FameThe World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
, (2000) - Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, (2002)
- International Boxing Hall of FameInternational Boxing Hall of FameThe modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
, (2004) - New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Boxing Hall of Fame, (2008) - Philadelphia Temple University School of Communications & Theatre Hall of Fame (2010)