Former area boxer gets state hall of fame nod

Earl Large, who began his boxing career in 1955 at the amateur level in Clovis and went on to a lengthy stint as a professional, is scheduled to be one of six people inducted into the New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame on Oct. 28 in Albuquerque.

As an amateur, Large earned a National AAU bantamweight title in 1967 and won National Golden Gloves bantamweight titles in 1967 and 1968. As a pro from 1968-79, he went 39-17-2 with 17 knockouts, fighting twice against world bantamweight champion Chucho Castillo and once against world lightweight champion Sean O’Grady.

He also competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in 1968, after which he moved to El Paso and fought out of that venue as a pro.

Austin Killeen, president-elect of the New Mexico Boxing HOF, said he believes Large could have had a better career had he been handled properly.

“He was a tremendous fighter who really had no one looking out for him,” Killeen said. “Earl was a very dangerous fighter. No one really wanted to fight him.”

The New Mexico Boxing Hall of Fame has been in existence for less than 10 years, perhaps explaining why Large, who turns 71 on Sept. 20, hadn’t already been selected.

“We never looked for it,” said his son, Earl Large II. “(But) I think he was kind of overlooked.”

He said his father has been in declining health in recent years.

“He’s had dementia, and the last couple of years he’s had Parkinson’s disease,” said Earl II, who himself had a 17-year boxing career which ended in 2003 at age 33 and also included a few pro fights.

Rocky Burke of Las Cruces, a member of the Boxing HOF board of directors, said he saw one of Large’s bouts against Castillo in Juarez, Mexico. He thought Large essentially got robbed when the judges awarded the decision to Castillo.

“Earl just gave him a boxing lesson,” said Burke, who was selected to the HOF along with his brother and both parents. “Unfortunately, that’s the way boxing is, but even the Mexican crowd booed the decision.”

He said Large was as talented as any fighter he’d seen coming from this state.

“It was amazing to see the speed he had,” Burke said. “He was quicker than any other fighter I’ve seen.

“We really have respect for Earl Large. In my eyes, he was probably the best out of any of the fighters in New Mexico.”