A knockout moment: Freddy Liberatore to be inducted into Boxing Hall of Fame

Freddy Liberatore hasn’t sparred professionally in a boxing ring since 1995, when he lost the world title bout to Gabriel Ruelas. Even after all this time, Liberatore can still pack a punch, something he does on a regular basis with the punching bag in the garage of his home in Baldwin.

"It’s a great workout. I don’t spar anymore because I took enough punches and I want to keep what I have left," joked Liberatore, 54. "After I’m done hitting the bag, I’m very relaxed."

Asked if those workouts have been even more therapeutic as a way to release any pent-up anger during the pandemic, he replied "I would say so."

Certainly the past 18 months have at times been as rough as a right upper cut. His post-boxing career as a video engineer handling corporate and entertainment events slowed considerably and is finally gaining momentum thanks to a rise in virtual events and the reopening of venues. Then there was the loss of two close friends during that time, as well as the death of his father, also named Freddy, shortly before the pandemic began.

So Liberatore’s long-delayed induction into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame on Sept. 19 is sure to be an even more emotional evening for him. At the ceremony, which had been planned for April 2020 and then rescheduled for last September, Liberatore will take his place in the hall's Class of 2021 along with 27 other boxing industry greats at the ceremony at Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach. Inductees are also given a boxing belt emblazoned with an image of the Empire State Building with a pair of boxing gloves hanging from it.

"I’m happy they rescheduled it, and it’s going to be a happy moment," he said. "Both of my daughters are back home from college, and they’ll be around for it." Also in attendance will be his high school sweetheart and wife of 29 years, Lisa, as well as his mom, Elizabeth.

"It’s an honor, it’s satisfying," he added. "It’s something that fills any kind of emptiness I might have had when I didn’t win the world title and had to retire from boxing."

In a 25-bout career between 1989 and 1995, Liberatore had an impressive record of 20 victories, four losses, one draw and 11 knockouts.

"Freddy gives you 100%. Everybody liked him, but he was a tough hombre," said Bob Duffy, president of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame. "He was a quiet guy on the outside, but when he went in the ring, he went to business. He fought in a tough division. Every fight was a war."

WHAT’S IN A NICKNAME?

Liberatore, who was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, and raised in Flushing, was always interested in athletics, excelling in football, baseball and soccer as a youth. While attending Bayside High School, he started learning boxing and it soon became a passion for him. He got his first real taste of boxing victory when he competed in the New York Golden Gloves in 1988 and received the Fighter of the Night Award. In February 1989, he had his first professional bout at Manhattan's Felt Forum, facing off against Joe Mitchell, an opponent who had nearly six inches on him. Liberatore soon found his pocket and defeated Mitchell handily.

If opponents had any doubts as to whether he was a formidable contender, Liberatore’s nickname made that point clear.

Known as "the Pitbull," he took that moniker from his pet pooch, a kindred spirit with whom he shared a similar personality. "My pit bull was really playful. He would lay on his back and you’d rub his belly and he was very friendly. But if he saw another dog, he went crazy. He was a different dog," Liberatore said. "When I was outside, I was friendly, but when I was fighting, I became a different beast."

That was a side to his personality that his mother never wanted to see. "I couldn’t watch the fights. I would stay in my office and pray. My husband would come in to tell me he won," said Elizabeth Liberatore of Medford. "When he came home from his fights I was happy to see he was OK, but it was still difficult to even see a cut over his handsome face."

She then added: "I was always proud of him. I am proud of what he became and His choice then was the right choice."

During his career, Liberatore took on a number of heavy hitters: Frankie Toledo, Manuel Santiago, Harold Warren and, one of his toughest opponents, Calvin Grove in 1994, who was coming off a five-fight winning streak that included victories against two former world champions.

"I didn't get the fight with Calvin Grove until I defeated Harold Warren, who was ranked No. 6 in the world," Liberatore said. "Calvin Grove and I were two top-ranked fighters in the world competing against each other for a shot at the WBC [World Boxing Council] title. I dropped Calvin Grove multiple times during the 10-round bout and won by a split decision. The close decision shocked not only me but the commentators and the audience."

He had no idea, however, that his next fight, against Ruelas in January 1995, would be his last. Though Liberatore hoped it would end with him earning the world title, he finished instead with an injured right hand that would require surgery.

Within months of the operation, Liberatore started sparring again and was ready to take on another opponent. "I just kept my eye on the prize and that was about winning the world title, because then I would be able to make some serious money," he said.

When he was offered a bout against Angel Manfredy, a top 10-ranked fighter with 17 wins and no losses, the purse that came up was more of a joke.

"When they offered me a meager $2,000 for a 10-ound fight on ESPN at the Mohegan Sun, I was shocked and insulted," Liberatore said. "I expected to be treated much better from the sport I gave so much to."

LIFE AFTER BOXING

Liberatore realized his fighting days were numbered and began to reassess his career and his responsibilities to his family.

"I remember looking at my precious little baby girl in her bassinet sleeping and I thought to myself, what kind of life am I going to provide for her and my wife? That was when I decided to walk away from the sport of boxing."

While he was relieved to step away from the physical and emotional stress of boxing, he wasn’t sure how easy it would be to make a decent living without a college degree.

"In the beginning of my career, I worked here and there in the fish market and also delivered produce to restaurants in order to pay for basic needs," he said. "I wasn't able to have a full-time job because most of my sparring was done in the middle of the day, which was a conflict. I became fully dedicated to boxing when I started fighting eight-round fights."

After boxing, Liberatore worked briefly as a carpenter's helper, a job he found "humbling." He then took exams for the New York City and Suffolk County police departments as well as a test to be a correction officer in Las Vegas. None worked out.

His ability with a camera and his love of electronics landed him at Kaufman Astoria Studios, where he began his video engineering career working on shows including MTV’s "Total Request Live," "The Ricki Lake Show" and "Fox After Breakfast." He took engineering classes and for more than 20 years has worked for WorldStage Productions, where he is now a senior engineer.

Liberatore has no complaints about the way his life has turned out, though he occasionally waxes nostalgic over his glory days in the ring.

"What I do miss is the adrenaline rush from the time you are warming up in the dressing room, the long walk to the ring with your music in play and then jumping into the ring to meet the person you are about to go to battle with," he said. "And I miss the feeling of being victorious at the end of the fight. The praise and the pats on the back from the attention you get from your fans is the icing on the cake."