2017 Briscoe Awards Notes

Streaking junior lightweight Tevin Farmer, 25-4-1, 5 KOs, will go home with two awards at Sunday’s 10th Annual Briscoe Awards on Sunday, October 15, 2017. The annual event will be held at Xfinity Live! in Philadelphia.

Farmer, currently riding an 18-bout winning streak, is looking toward a December crack at the vacant IBF 130-pound world title. However, before that milestone comes, he will stop by the Briscoe Awards on Sunday, to receive recognition for the “2016 Performance of the Year” and as the “2016 Prospect of the Year.”

Farmer was brilliant in his fight with Ivan Redkach last year, and his virtuoso performance will be honored as the best among all other Philly fighters for 2016. This is the second straight year that Farmer has won the award.

Overall, Farmer posted four victories in 2016, pushing himself up the rankings and in position for his upcoming title opportunity. That four-fight run earned him the nod as Philly’s best prospect. If he can wrest the title in December, he’ll surely be in the running for the “2017 Philly Fighter of the Year Award”.

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Crowd-pleasing welterweight of the 1950s, Gil Turner will become the sixth recipient of a gravestone by the Philly Boxing History Gravestone Program. A fundraising campaign to pay for the Turner monument will be launched as part of the 10th Annual Briscoe Awards event. Turner’s children and other family members will attend the event on Sunday.

Philly Boxing History Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the great legacy of Philadelphia boxing. Five area boxers have been previously honored by the program, including Matthew Saad Muhammad, Gypsy Joe Harris, Tyrone Everett, Garnet “Sugar” Hart, and Eddie Cool.

Turner became a sensation in the early 1950s, when he reeled off 31 straight wins (25 by KO) to start his career. The streak stretched until July 7, 1952, when Turner faced off against welterweight champion Kid Gavilan, at Municipal Stadium in South Philly. Turner fought on even terms with the champ until round eleven, when the “Cuban Hawk” swooped in and retained his crown by TKO. Turner fought for another six years, but never again vied for a world title. He retired in 1958 with an overall record of 56-19-2, with 35 knockouts. Turner was a popular TV fighter throughout the 1950s and fought numerous big names such as Joey Giardello, Johnny Saxton, Ike Williams, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, Beau Jack, and many others.

He died in 1996, and currently rests in an unmarked grave in North Philadelphia. Once the necessary funds are raised, the monument is expected to be placed in 2018. Tax-deductible donations to the effort can be made at the event or by calling John DiSanto at 609-377-6413.

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Rising Philadelphia lightweight Damon Allen Jr., 13-0-1, 5 KOs, will be honored as “The One to Watch” for the Philly fight scene.

Since his debut in 2013, Allen has been steadily rising in the lightweight division, and now finds himself on the brink of a major breakthrough. With Golden Boy as his promoter, and an impressive skillset in the ring, Allen is well-positioned to soon step into the spotlight.

For these reasons, Philly Boxing History, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and documenting the Philadelphia fight scene, named Allen the “One to Watch” and will present him with a Briscoe Medal at their annual event this weekend.

“It’s an honor and makes me feel like my hard work is not going unnoticed,” Allen said of his Briscoe Award. “I truly believe I’m the ‘one to watch’, and the next big talent coming from the City of Brotherly Love.”

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Dylan Price, of Sicklerville, NJ, will be named the “2016 Amateur of the Year” at the Briscoe Awards. Price won the US National Championships in Reno, Nevada and took home a Bronze Medal at the Youth World Championships, in St. Petersburg, Russia, both in 2016. His stellar year earned him bragging rights as the area’s top amateur.

Price recently turned professional and will take home the final salutation for his fine amateur career on Sunday. Past winners of the award include Darmani Rock, Jaron Ennis, and Stephen Fulton, all currently unbeaten pros.

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The Briscoe Awards are named in honor of legendary Philly middleweight Bennie Briscoe and the trophies given away – the Briscoe Statue and the Briscoe Medal – all bear the deceased icon’s likeness. The event brings together the local boxing community, including the award winners, their families, past and present boxers, fight fans, other boxing people, and general sports fans.

This is the tenth year for the Briscoe Awards, which are presented by Philly Boxing History Inc., a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization, dedicated to preserving and celebrating Philadelphia’s great boxing legacy. Past winners at the Briscoe Awards include Bernard Hopkins, Danny Garcia, Steve Cunningham, and many others.

The event returns to Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, the central hub of Philly’s sports stadiums, located at 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia. Admission is $5, and tickets can be purchased at BriscoeAwards.com or by calling 609-377-6413. Everyone is welcome.

For more information, please call John DiSanto, 609-377-6413 / johndisanto@phillyboxinghistory.com.

The 10th Annual Briscoe Awards will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2017, 1-4 PM, at Xfinity Live!, 1100 Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia.