Barry Tompkins surprised by Boxing Hall selection
Barry Tompkins has called some of the most memorable fights in boxing history, but when he was announced Tuesday as part of the latest class for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, he was surprised.
“I’ve never been in a fight in my life, not even in high school,” quipped the San Francisco native who lives Sausalito.
Tompkins said he owed a lot of his success as a boxing announcer to his Showtime partner, Steve Farhood, a journalist who will be inducted with Tompkins.
Tompkins called fights for HBO for many years, replacing Hall of Fame broadcaster Don Dunphy.
Tompkins’ fights included the 1982 “Battle of the Champions” in Miami between Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor, who stopped Arguello in the 14th round.
Leonard’s controversial split decision over Marvin Hagler in 1987 “wasn’t the greatest fight, but it was the biggest event” he worked, Tompkins said.
Tompkins even called a famous Hollywood fight, making his acting debut to portray a sportscaster at the Rocky Balboa-Ivan Drago fight in “Rocky IV.”