Wilfried Sauerland received the biggest honour in boxing on Sunday night when he was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 70-year-old promoter is the first German since all-time great Max Schmeling to have his lifetime achievements recognized in Canastota, New York. “I will never forget this day,” Sauerland said. “To be up there with all the great boxing personalities really is something special for me. When (Hall of Fame President) Ed Brophy called me to let me know about my induction, I simply could not believe it. It does not get any better than this.”
Sauerland is part of the “Class of 2010” alongside light flyweight champion Jung-Koo Chang (South Korea), featherweight champion Danny “Little Red” Lopez (USA), manager Shelly Finkel (USA), referee / commissioner Larry Hazzard (USA), matchmaker Bruce Trampler (USA) and journalist Ed Schuyler (USA). “Wilfried Sauerland is one of the greatest promoters in boxing,” Ed Brophy said. “He has delivered high-class shows for many, many years and he deserves to have his place in the Hall of Fame. He has done a lot for our sport.” Added Sauerland: “I want to thank all my boxers, trainers, the entire team and especially my family. Without their help, this would never have been possible. I am thrilled that my two sons Kalle and Nisse have successfully followed my path. But when your babysitters are John Mugabi or Chisanda Mutti, boxing really is in your blood.”
Wilfried Sauerland at the Hall of Fame
The official induction on Sunday wrapped up the four-day celebrations that also featured a “Banket of Champions” and the “Parade of Champions” in Canastota. Team Sauerland´s cruiserweight titlists Marco Huck (WBO) and Steve Cunningham (IBF) certainly enjoyed the weekend´s festivities. “It was great to be here,” Huck said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To be on the same podium with greats like Angelo Dundee, Ken Norton, Tommy Morrison or Buster Douglas was amazing. And the people in Canastota are great. There is so much love for boxing here. I hope to come back again soon.”
Huck returns to the ring on August 21 in Erfurt, while Team Sauerland keeps working to line up a Super Six tournament in the cruiserweight division. “It is great to fight for Team Sauerland,” Cunningham added. “After just one fight I am a word champion again. We have big plans for the future. The weekend in Canastota was great. It was my second time here and I really enjoyed it.” Wilfried Sauerland believes there are big things coming up for his fighters. “After the big success of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, we are working very hard to make something happen at cruiserweight. We have some very special plans.”
