‘Mr Superbad’ wants to set up permanent base for boxing hall of fame

Jun 7 2007 Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

HE’S boxed against some of the sport’s best fighters, toured the world with his soul band and starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra.

Super cool, larger-than-life Freddie Mack has seen it, done it and worn the t-shirt but if you thought he was ready to slow down, you can think again.

Now 72, and still living in Plains with wife Jan, the former light-heavyweight contender and friend of legendary Floyd Paterson, is still a bundle of energy. And he’s certainly not ready for throwing in the towel just yet.

While he’s not fought for over 40 years he never lost his passion for the sport and that’s one of the reasons he and his wife set up the Scottish Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.

They have inducted a host of fighters, including Jim Watt, Ken Buchanan John McCormack, Pat Clinton and Benny Lynch, but now want a permanent base to pay tribute to the Scottish fighters who have graced the ring.

Sadly, events are only held every two years and that simply doesn’t do justice to the hundreds of photos and memorabilia currently in storage.

He said: “We were in New York for the World Boxing Hall of Fame. It was a great event but on the plane home I was so excited about it, that I thought ‘Why don’t we do something like that here in Scotland’.

“There have been so many great fighters in Scotland and Scotland’s my home now, I felt it would be great to give something back.

“So we set up the Scottish Boxing Hall of Fame and it’s proved a great success.”

The first one was held at Summerlee Heritage Park in 2002 and the previous two have been held in the Glasgow Palace of Art.

Great days, followed by great nights but not enough according to the Macks.

Jan said: “It is such a shame that everything gets put into storage but we’ve got incredible stuff and now people are aware of the Hall of Fame we are getting more stuff.

“We’ve got old robes, shorts, Benny Lynch’s gloves and loads of great pictures and boxing fans deserve to get the chance to see them on display on a regular basis.

“It would be great to have all the stuff on display every day of the year.

“And I would love to have it based here in Lanarkshire. After all Coatbridge is the home of boxing because that’s where the first professional bout took place.”

They previously approached Summerlee before it’s refurbishment but they didn’t have the exhibition space.

But with the facility getting a makeover and reopening next year, that could be a possibility as could the Motherwell Heritage Centre.

She said: “It should be in the public domain and, if they can do it for football, I am sure they can do it for boxing.

“We have got our own exhibition stands and our own plasma screens so we now we just need our own home.”

The Scots’ fight game has produced dozens of great fighters and the latest incumbents of the hall of fame for 2008 will be decided by a panel of judges including journalists Brian Donald, John Morrison and John Quinn, historian Norrie Sweeney and former British flyweight champion John McCluskey.

Mack is the president of the association and his wife is treasurer.

He has been living in Scotland for 30 years and made his name in Scotland as a late-night DJ under the alias of Mr Superbad.

But he started his adult life as an accomplished boxer fighting the likes of Jack Dowdell in the light heavyweight division.

Born in South Carolina, he enjoyed a great amateur career and peaked at number three in the world when he turned professional.

Some of his most famous knockouts were against Sante Amonti, Bodell, Chick Calderwood and Roman Morais.

The fight game has been particularly kind to him and that’s why he wants to give something back.

He said: “It’s was a pretty great career, fighting some amazing opponents, travelling the world and meeting some amazing people.

“I got to meet so many famous people. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were friends and they persuaded me to be an extra on Cleopatra. I was one of the six afro slaves that carried Cleopatra.

“I’ve met lots of boxers Mohammed Ali is one of them. He was an educated man that always used his head and was such a talker. Worse than me.

“I’ve settled here in Scotland now. I still go back to America but Airdrie is my home now and that’s why it would be great if we could have a permanent hall of fame right here in Monklands.”

If you would like to get in touch with Jan or Freddie, they can be emailed on info@sbhof.co.uk

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“We’ve got old robes, shorts, Benny Lynch’s gloves and loads of great pictures and boxing fans deserve to get the chance to see them on display on a regular basis”