Jim Amato 607 connecties

I am a native of Cleveland, Ohio and I'm a longtime avid fan of the Browns and Indians. Although I enjoy baseball and football my true passion is boxing.

I was born in 1954 and raised in Warrensville Heights the hometown of Oakland A's star, Sal Bando. I became interested in boxing in the mid 1960's and started buying Ring magazines on a regular basis. As I got older I expanded my interest by buying Ring Record books and collecting memorabilia. When the Beta and VHS film craze hit in the 1980's, I began collecting fight films. My collection is closing in on close to 2000 bouts and fight highlight clips. I also have accumulated a vast collection of boxing magazines, books and autographed photos. I started my own outlet, Amato Sports Memorabilia in 2004.

I began covering fights in 1992 reporting on the Roberto Duran-Ken Hulsey fight in Cleveland for Boxing Illustrated. I have since contributed articles to Boxing World, Boxing Times, Heavyhitters, Cleveland's East Side Daily Newspaper, The Neutral Corner and the IBRO Journal. I've also been fortunate for having articles posted on several on line boxing sites including East Side Boxing, Inside Boxing, The Sweet Science, Let's Talk Boxing and Boxing In Las Vegas. I am a staff writer for Chicago Boxing and Inside Boxing. I launched his own web site, Amato Boxing in May of 2005. The link is ;

http://boxinggreats.multiply.com

Several fine writers have contributed to Amato Boxing including Frank Lotierzo, Tom Donelson, Greg Smith, Mike Casey, Armando Cabrera, Mike Dunn, Steve Canton, John Bardelli, Angelo Louisa and Ted Luzzi. Many others as well. Some of the most respected writers in the business. I'm very proud of that.

I am a member of the Boxing Writers Association Of America (BWAA) and I'm also a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO), that was once directed by the late Hall Of Fame member Ralph Citro. Boxing notables, the late Hank Kaplan (also in the Hall Of Fame) and the respected HBO judge Harold Lederman are among IBRO's members.

I was on the Publicity Committee for the American Association For The Improvement Of Boxing (AAIB) that was co-founded by Steve Acunto and the late Rocky Marciano. I'm a member of the Ohio State Former Boxers And Associates and the Trumbull County Of Ohio Legends Of Leather, President Sal Marino. Proudly I was inducted into the Legends Of Leather Hall Of Fame in 2006. I am also a past member of the Society For American Baseball Research (SABR) and I've contributed baseball related articles to the At Home Plate and Around The Diamond websites.

JIM AMATO, [email: jimsboxing@zoominternet.net]