A Hellertown resident will be inducted into the Lehigh and Northampton County Boxing Hall of Fame Saturday, according to a news release.
Bobby Johnson, a 1975 graduate of Freedom High School in Bethlehem, had a lightweight boxing career that lasted from 1979 to 1996.
According to the news release from the Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame, after his training years in Easton Johnson “drew great crowds (in Atlantic City) for his nonstop action” in the 1980s.
He also competed in the ring abroad in Denmark and the Netherlands, and in 1984 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York, where he lost a unanimous decision to future World Champion Howard Davis.
Johnson finished his career with a 24-8-2 record that included seven knockout wins. Today he works in the construction industry, the news release said.
He will be inducted in a 7 p.m. ceremony at Larry Holmes’ Champ’s Corner, 91 Larry Holmes Drive, Easton.
There will be a social hour beginning at 5 p.m. followed by a dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets to the dinner are $15 and proceeds will benefit an awards program for students as well as a high school college and mentoring program, according to the news release.
Also being inducted into the hall of fame are Mike Brown, a former champion from Bethlehem Catholic and Lehigh University who works as a pharmacist at the Hellertown Rite-Aid; pro and amateur trainers Alec Morales of Bethlehem, Juan Lopez and Golden Gloves National Champ Arturo Trujillo of Easton; bodybuilder Jeff Mosser; and coaches Rich Mazza of Becahi softball and Parkland’s Barry Search.
The evening will feature a silent auction from 5 to 7 p.m. for Larry Holmes items as well as sports and entertainment items. Drawings and raffles will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
Advance tickets can be purchased at Champ’s Corner or by sending a check to Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame, 311 Mulberry St., Catasauqua, PA 18032. For more information, call Joe Zemba at 484-597-9003.
