At 82 years old, Gene Reese of Harrison refereed the super heavyweight championship bout last Saturday night to cap a week at the National Golden Glove Tournament of Champions at Salt Lake City.
Reese began the week with a big surprise — induction into the Golden Glove Hall of Fame as this year’s official being honored. He was one of three people added to the hall.
His wife, Janis, knew all about it and had prepared biographical information for the occasion. Someone from Knoxville had sent tournament director Larry Fullmer a copy of the radio broadcast of the most famous boxing match in Chattanooga history, which Reese won in 1960.
As the background of a particular inductee was being read, Reese noted that the events and places being mentioned sounded very familiar.
“They kept talking about this and that, and all the countries, and I thought, ‘That sounds like me,'” Reese said after returning home. “Boy, they really surprised me.”