PASCACK VALLEY—“The Holy Name smoker was not only a ‘first’ in this area (bringing Golden Glove boxers for the Father-Son Night), but it was one of the most successful events ever sponsored by the group. Six-hundred men and boys attended the bouts and really got a good show,” read a Feb. 16, 1961 report from the Westwood News.
In the early 1960s, the Holy Name Society of Assumption Church in Emerson sponsored a series of smokers, or boxing exhibitions, to benefit the church building fund. These Golden Gloves events, which brought boxers to town for matchups held in the Assumption School auditorium, were billed as fun nights out for fathers and sons.
The inaugural 1961 event included eight three-round bouts with past Golden Gloves champions, plus a wrestling match and a half-hour comedy show by Al Kelly, who did take-offs on boxing and baseball.
The wrestlers were local high schoolers Joseph DiFalco and Robert Galvin.
Boxing referees were Fitzie Pruden, former welterweight fighter, Gus Lesnevitch, former world light-heavyweight champion, and Lee Savold, former European heavyweight champ.
With 600 men and boys attending an event that had planned for 500, the night was deemed a great success.
Another smoker and sports night the following year, on Feb. 11, 1962, featured nine boxing bouts on the schedule and one very big name on the bill: former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey.
Nicknamed the Manassa Mauler for his hometown in Colorado, Dempsey reigned as heavyweight champ, 1919–1926, and became one of the most famous boxers in history and a cultural icon.
The International Boxing Hall of Fame explains, “Jack Dempsey was one of America’s first great sports heroes. His savage style captivated the public and made him as popular a figure as Babe Ruth or Red Grange…His power was so prodigious that he once scored knockouts in 14 and 18 seconds. In his 78-bout career, Dempsey compiled 49 knockouts, with 25 of them in the first round.”
Refereeing along with Dempsey were former world heavyweight champion Jimmy Braddock, who held the title 1935–1937, and Lesnevitch with a return appearance. The Assumption School auditorium was packed to capacity and the event was another boon to the church building fund.
Construction of the new Assumption Church on Jefferson Avenue started in September 1963 and the building was dedicated in March 1965. The opening proved to be a massive event attended by 1,200 people.