The Class of Stephen Blea
Stephen Blea, who encompasses the whole gamut of boxing, will be inducted into the 2024 Class at the US National Boxing Hall of Fame for his overall outstanding contribution and achievements to the Sport.
Stephen has received the letter of Congratulations for the ceremony will taking place on April 28th in Montebello, California.
Stephen was a boxer, a coach, referee and judge. He recalls with pride when the Great Don Jose Sulaiman commented upon the full range of his resume when he joined the WBC in 2003.
At the suggestions of his cousin Margarito, Stephen extended his reach from coach to referee and judge, when one of his fighters lost a controversial fight and Magarito told him to quit complaining and take it to the next two steps, so he himself could make a significant difference…“The rest is history.”
Stephen also reflects: “This now is also bitter sweet, because the people who so helped me to get here…my Father, my Cousin and Don Jose are no longer here, and you know how you want to share this, because they were part of this and helped me grow. They opened doors of opportunity for me and told me, you need to take care of business.”
Stephen paused for a moment when asked which of his jobs in boxing has brought him the most satisfaction and replied: “Coaching, because I've got to help a lot of young kids. I'm so proud of this. My goals as a coach are that they have to be in school and maintain a grade point average. My Father said to me, no matter what you do you're going to finish high school and graduate, and if you want to go on to college that is an awesome opportunity.
“With my kids and Raylene's children, of the 11, we've got 10 college graduates. That is the main goal.”
And Stephen thanked all the people who have made his achievments possible by saying: “I would like to dedicate my award to my WBC, NABF, Colorado Commission families and all the boxers I have had the opportunity to work with. And especially my children and grandchildren for sharing me with the boxing community all of these years… and my Raylene.”
Article sponsored by HÖRFA