Russ Anber on Hall of Fame induction: 'A pinnacle moment'

Russ Anber will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend in Canastota, capping a career that spans four decades and several world champions.

The 65-year-old Montreal native becomes the first Canadian trainer enshrined in the Hall, joining countrymen Arturo Gatti and referee Guy Jutras among inductees from his city. Anber got the call last November from IBHOF executive director Ed Brophy while attending the Canadian national championships in Winnipeg. "I could hardly contain my excitement because I couldn't say anything to anyone while I was there, or for the next few weeks after getting back home," Anber told The Ring.

From First Corner to Rival Boxing Gear Empire

Anber worked his first professional corner in October 1979 for middleweight contender Vinnie Curto and has since trained or cut for Oleksandr Usyk, Roy Jones Jr., Artur Beterbiev, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko. He founded Rival Boxing Gear in 2003 after a 13-year run as the exclusive Canadian distributor for Ringside. Beyond the corner, he served as a color commentator at six Olympic Games for CBC and built fighters from Montreal's amateur ranks, including David Lemieux, Hercules Kyvelos and the Grant brothers.

Despite the global stage, Anber calls Otis Grant's WBO middleweight title win in December 1997 his defining memory. "Nothing ever will replace Otis Grant winning the world championship," he said. "For the simple reason that 16 years before that when he was 13 years old and I was just a few years older than him, 19, 20, dreaming and saying, 'We're going to win a world championship.'" Anber will have Grant ride alongside him in the Hall of Fame parade.

A boxing memoir titled Russ Anber: Unrivaled, written with Paul Harrietha, releases July 1. Limited editions will be available at the induction weekend.

Source: ringmagazine.com