Matt Hubbell Tours The International Boxing Hall of Fame

New York sure is lucky when it comes to being the home to several Hall of Fames!  The National Soccer Hall of Fame is located in Brooks BBQ country also known as Oneonta. Many people that have never heard of this town pronounce it “One-Ahnta”. The National Distance Running Hall of Fame is located on Genesee Street right here in Utica. The National Baseball Hall of Fame is in historic and beautiful Cooperstown, NY, and The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in scenic Canastota, NY.

Recently I had an opportunity to visit The Boxing Hall of Fame. One of my friends does some landscaping on the grounds so I was fortunate enough to get in for free. If you do end up paying however, you'll realize just how inexpensive a day trip to the Hall is!

I grew up being a fan of Mike Tyson. Say what you like about his troubled and tumultuous personal life but there’s no denying the fact that he is the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.  As a kid it was always exciting to see who “Iron Mike” would knock out next. There’s no shortage of Tyson memorabilia at the Hall of Fame either, including a mouth guard that he wore in one of his title fights:

My friend and I joked as to why pieces of Evander Holyfield’s ear were not on display. On June 28, 1997 Iron Mike infamously chomped off a chunk of Evander’s lobe. He got an earful from the Nevada Boxing Association and they went on to revoke his license.

The Boxing Hall of Fame is also of full of life size statues, gloves, vintage photos, and videos from classic fights. The International Boxing Hall of fame truly is the “Showcase of Boxing”! I was especially impressed with the gift shop! They had a wide variety of autographed robes, gloves and shorts. I purchased a heavy duty grey sweatshirt featuring a picture of Tyson.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of boxing you really should venture out to Canastota and check this place out! Ibof.com