Some of boxings biggest names are headed to Catskill

CATSKILL—Some of boxing's biggest names are headed to Catskill next month as Cus D'Amato's KO Boxing Gym hosts The Legends of the Ring Autograph Show. It brings together Hall of Fame-caliber champions, former world titleholders and boxing personalities for a celebration of the sport's rich history in one of boxing's most iconic towns.

The event will take place Saturday, August 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the boxing gym on the third floor at 422 Main Street. Admission is $75 per ticket, with individual fighters setting their own autograph and photo prices.

To accommodate the event, North Street and Cook Street will be closed, while merchandise and refreshments will be sold outside the gym's entrance on Thompson Street throughout the day.

For head coach Ed DuPont, the event is the culmination of a lifetime devoted to boxing.

"I know many of these guys through the business," DuPont said.

He first learned to fight at just nine years old, training under his father as well as his grandfathers, who were fighters during the Great Depression. Over the course of his own career, DuPont has shared the ring with fifty top 10 world contenders and nine world champions, forging relationships that continue today.

Among those relationships is with “Irish Micky Ward,” the former WBU light welterweight champion whose remarkable career inspired the Academy Award-winning film The Fighter, in which he was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg.

Another featured guest is pioneering women's boxing champion Christy Martin, whose life story is the subject of the upcoming feature film Christy, with Sydney Sweeney portraying the trailblazing champion. Martin helped bring women's boxing into the national spotlight during the 1990s and was the first female boxer promoted by Don King.

The autograph show will feature an impressive lineup of boxing royalty, including former undisputed heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, whose 20 successful heavyweight title defenses remain among the greatest championship reigns in boxing history.

Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight champion Ray "Merciless" Mercer will also attend, alongside former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, former heavyweight champions Tim Witherspoon and Monte Barrett, former featherweight champion Poison Junior Jones, former middleweight champion Michael Nunn, former world champions Heather "Heat" Hardy, Melissa "Little Miss Tyson" St-Vil, Ronica "Queen" Jeffrey, Tracy Patterson, Danny "Little Mac" McDermott, Leo "Lion Heart" Loiacono, John "Iceman" Scully, Bobby "Chappie" Czyz, Chiara "Speedy" Dituri, and numerous other accomplished fighters and boxing personalities.

The event will also feature appearances by veteran cutmen Joey Eye and Richie Schwartz, as well as author Dr. Scott Weiss, whose book Confusing the Enemy explores the psychological teachings of legendary Catskill trainer Cus D'Amato.

DuPont hopes the autograph show will inspire both longtime boxing fans and young athletes who may be stepping into a gym for the very first time.

“Champions are made when nobody is watching,” he says.

With world champions, Hall of Fame-caliber fighters and rising local talent all gathering under one roof, the event promises to celebrate both boxing's storied past and its future in the town that helped make the sport legendary.

For tickets, visit https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/cus-damatos-ko-boxing-gyms-the-legends-of-the-ring-autograph-show.