State of the City address to be given Tuesday
The mayor will give his annual State of the City Address on Thursday, June 9 at 6 p.m. at the Bayonne Knights of Columbus on 669 Avenue C. The event will be hosted by the Bayonne Chamber of Commerce.
A legendary friendship
Chuck Wepner, international boxing legend and Bayonne native, discussed the legacy of Muhammad Ali and their friendship on Monday in an interview with the Bayonne Community News. Ali, who died this week at the age of 74, was famously challenged by Wepner for the world heavyweight belt in 1975.
Chuck Wepner lost in the 15th round, but he said in the interview,“The greatest thing I got from that fight was Muhammad Ali’s friendship. I remained friends with him for the 48 years of his life.”
To prepare for the fight, Wepner trained long and hard in the Catskills in New York. He said before the fight, “If I don’t beat Ali, I just want to prove that I belong in the ring with him.”
In the ninth round of that fight, Wepner knocked down Ali, a rare occurrence. Ali reportedly said Wepner stepped on his foot. Wepner said after that round, his manager told him, “Turn around, Chuck. He’s pissed off.”
“He did, he turned it up a couple of notches. We were toe to toe for the whole fight. But he was just too good for me.” He said, “I wanted to prove that it wasn’t a wrong match. I was a 30-1 underdog and I think I did a good job in proving people wrong.”
Wepner said that Ali was the best fighter who ever lived, and he fought many great fighters in his day, most notably Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and Ali. Even though Ali is the greatest of all time, Wepner said Sonny Liston had the hardest punch. But Wepner might be partial. Liston have him 72 stitches in his face one fight. That has to be a hard punch.
He lost some good fights to all-time greats, but Wepner said, “I’m undefeated in alleys, bars, and phone booths”
Of his hometown, where he still lives today, he said, “Bayonne is a great town but you have to fight for it. Nobody is going to hand it to you. You have to go out and fight for it. That’s why I live here. I love the town and be part of this great community.”
Successful Tackle ALS Fundraiser held on June 4
In July 2015, Brandon Smith, a basketball coach, football coach, started showing symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function. The cause is unknown, and there is no cure yet. A Bayonne native who attended BHS, Smith coached basketball at the high school for eight years and football for four. Later this year, he plans to coach the Bayonne Renegade, a youth football program for kids ages 6-14.
This weekend, an ALS fundraiser was held in his honor. His wife, Christyann Altamirano, said on the event’s Facebook page, “Brandon and I would like to thank everyone who came out to support him! We are so grateful for the amount of support everyone has been giving to him. He is a Warrior and a strong man and he will fight this disease! Thanks again everyone for the support. We love you all!” They are continuing to accept donations on their GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/helpbrandonsmith.
Bayonne man murdered in Jersey City
Davon Gordon, 25, of Bayonne, was pronounced dead as a result of a shooting on West Side Avenue in Jersey City June 4. Esther Suarez said Jersey City police were dispatched to West Side and Fairview Avenues at about 2:45 a.m. on the report of gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers found two individuals who had been shot.Gordon sustained gunshot wounds to his torso and was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:15 a.m. The other man, also 25, was also transported to the Jersey City Medical Center for a gunshot wound to his lower extremity and was treated and released from the hospital.
Thus far, no arrests have been made in connection with the shootings. The Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit is actively investigating the case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office at (201) 915-1345 or by leaving an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office official website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.