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‘Knott Street’ Fights for Recognition
photos by
K atherine B lackmore /T he P ortland O bserver
Champion Knott Street boxer A. Halim Rahsaan, formerly known as Bill Cross, stands proudly with
trainer Chuck Lincoln in front o f trophies won by the team over the years.
about them more.”
Elder said it often takes years on
the ballot for an individual or team
to be recognized, so the boxers’
plight isn’t uncommon.
Announcements will be made
anywhere from mid to late July, with
the induction ceremony held in
October.
Female boxers were unheard o f in the '50s and '60s, but are a common sight in a new generation
o f Knott Street boxers. China Gonzales, 15, has been boxing for four months now.
continued
Yet the team still hasn’t been
honored as a whole by the Oregon
Hall of Fame. They’re hoping for a
chance this year, with final deci­
sions being made on Thursday,
June 30.
“It’salong time coming. Itbaffles
me why, as a team, we haven’t been
able to get in given our accomplish­
ments,” Rahsaan said. “It makes
you wonder what they’re looking
at other than athletic ability.”
Rahsaan implied that other fac­
tors were at hand, like race or eco­
nomic background. This is open to
debate, considering the Board of
Directors at the Oregon Hall of
Fame is comprised of six men and
one woman, all Caucasian. Before
final decisions are made by the
board, however, 600 ballots are
from Front
world title.
Individuals from the collective
have taken home eight “Golden
Boy” awards, a title given to the
outstanding boxer in a tournament.
They ’ ve had international Olympic
c o n te n d e rs, in c lu d in g L o u is
Johnson, Jodie Harris, Wade Smith
and John Howard. The remarkable
accomplishments o f the boxers that
stepped out of that gym are simply
too lengthy to list.
Hoping for honor
“The Knott Street team was
known nationally. We were like rock
stars. Every kid in that era looked
up to you, asked for your auto­
graph,” Rahsaan said.
given out to former inductees and
members - which includes a di­
verse population of voters.
Over 300 teams have been in­
ducted thus far, said Jack Elder,
development director of the Oregon
Hall of Fame. Each year, six entities
are inducted in categories includ­
ing individuals, teams and special
contributors. Knot, Street is under
the special contributor category,
competing with 53 otherentries total
on the ballot.
“W e encourage everyone to
contact their fellow members and
support their nominee through lob­
bying, through influence,” Elder
said. "The Knot, Street Boxers are
impressive. They’re making people
more aware of their story. Because
of their efforts, people are talking
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realizes the significance of an in­
duction.
“They were the most successful
boxing team at that time. They were
O regon’s claim to fame in sports,”
said Brame, a graduate of Jefferson
High School in the ’60s. “It’s kind
of faded from people’s memories
and we want to make sure it gets its
place in the Hall of
Fame.”
No one from the
team , except Ray
Lampkin, has been
h o n o re d and in ­
ducted. Unsuccess­
—Herman Brame, Multnomah
ful tries were made to
County contract administrator
g e t o th e r K nott
Remembering history
Street fighters on the ballot. This is
All the boxers’ want is some ac­ only the second year they’ve made
know ledgm ent o f their united it, along with boxer Thad Spencer.
achievements. For them, that’s part
“Some of the disadvantage is
of what boxing was and is about.
that they’re from a community-
“It was the recognition, winning based group,” Brame said. W ith­
the team trophy, being a champion. out the financial backing and cov­
People congratulating you for your erage that other high school and
efforts,” Rahsaan said.
college sports like basketball, base­
Herman Brame nominated the ball or football have, boxing is less
Knott Street Boxing Team this year. likely to be noticed. In fact, that
Currently a contract administrator could also be why the sport has
o f M ultnom ah C ounty, Brame diminished in appeal over the years.
served on the Oregon Hall of Fame
“At one time, you could get a
board of directors in the ’90s and college scholarship as a fighter,”
They were the most
successful boxing team at
that time. They were Oregon’s
claim to fame in sports.
Brame said. “Once it was dropped
from school supported programs, it
began to lose its popularity. It’s
definitely fallen off.”
He noted that there simply aren’t
enough good trainers anymore, ei­
ther, mentioning Knott Street’s
Chuck Lincoln, “one of the best in
the country.”
“He was so good he couldn’t get
fights," Rahsaan also mentioned.
Community funding forchildren
in general has gone beyond low,
Brame said, which is another rea­
son boxing has faded.
“If you were a low income kid,
you could turn to Knott Street to
learn how to play, box, keep busy,”
he said. “That sort o f thing encour­
aged a lot of kids to go in there, but
now you have to pay for every­
thing.”
Support from city leaders and
grassroots effort is what kept it
going - for awhile.
The Matt Dishman Community
Center still holds a boxing gym, but
the fervor for the sport isn’t as
stirring as it once was.
For now, the Knott Street Boxers
wait to be rejuvenated and remem­
bered by the state they helped put
on the map o f sports.
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