Providence, RI (April 11, 2022) – Legendary promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the president and CEO of CES Boxing and CES MMA, is one of nine inductees in the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
Established in 1965, the Heritage Hall of Fame exists to honor and recognize, and to extol and publicize the achievements of those Rhode Island men and women who have, in the words of the Hall of Fame induction citation, “made significant contributions to their community, state, and/or nation.” With nearly 800 members, the Heritage Hall of Fame tells the story of Rhode Island history via interactive technology using the biographies of its inductees while noting their collective impact upon every phase of Rhode Island’s development.
“I’m genuinely humbled to be part of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame Class of 2022,” Burchfield said. “To be inducted alongside this year’s class and be included alongside some of the historic figures who’ve helped shape Rhode Island’s history is a tremendous honor, one which cannot be overstated. This is reflective of the years and years of hard work and dedication not only by myself, but by the team that has surrounded me for decades. I am truly blessed.”
Burchfield, a North Providence, RI, native; former restaurateur; and boxing referee, international judge, and promoter; joins restaurateur and founder of the Independence Trail Educational Foundation Robert I. Burke, businessman and developer Arnold Buffum Chace Jr., former Speaker of the House John B. Harwood, Community College of Rhode Island professor emeritus and Westerly Armory Restoration president Roberta Mudge Humble, former Board of Trustees of Rhode Island Hospital chair Dr. Edward A. Iannuccilli, Providence Journal reporter Mark Patinkin, civic leader and philanthropist Stanley Weiss, and former pro boxer Wilfred W. Greene.
This year’s 57th annual induction ceremony will be held Sunday, May 1 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick beginning at 5 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at riheritagehalloffame.com or by phone at 401-273-1787.
As a new member of the Heritage Hall of Fame, Burchfield now sits alongside an elite list of Rhode Island royalty, including prominent figures such as the state’s founder, Roger Williams; former U.S. Senator John O. Pastore; Governor Theodore Francis Green; State Senator and Representative Eleanor Slater; legendary Mount Saint Charles Academy hockey coach, the late Bill Belisle; and J. Arthur Trudeau, a pioneer in the support of those with intellectual disabilities in Rhode Island and across the nation.
Known affectionally throughout the sport as “Mr. B,” Burchfield first became involved in boxing as a judge, traveling internationally to score world title bouts in Sicily and Paris. As a promoter, Burchfield guided five-time world champion Vinny Paz, promoting his 50th and final win, and launched the careers of many of the northeast region’s greatest fighters, including “Sucra” Ray Oliveira, Peter Manfredo Jr., Scott Pemberton, Matt Godfrey, and former U.S. Olympian Jason “Big Six” Estrada, among others.
The tradition has continued into the new millennium, as Burchfield is the only promoter in the world to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions, including undefeated lightweight Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz of Worcester, MA, who recently dazzled in front of a worldwide audience in the main event of the February 18 telecast of ShoBox: The New Generation with a unanimous decision win over Nahir Albright to improve to 15-0-1.
One of Burchfield’s greatest achievements is his dedication to promoting women’s boxing and serving as a pioneer in the sport during a time in which many promoters refused to take such risks. Burchfield helped launch the career of former three-time world champion boxer Jamie Clampitt, former world lightweight title-holder Elizabeth Mueller, two-time world champion Missy Fiorentino, former World Boxing Council middleweight world champion Kali Reis, world-title challenger Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes, and two-time world champion Shelly Vincent.
After promoting his first event in 1992 at the Rocky Point Palladium in Warwick, RI, Burchfield continued to develop champions well into the 21st century and earned several noteworthy awards, including the NABF Promoter of the Year in 2004 in addition to his 2011 induction into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. In February of 2021, the World Boxing Council (WBC) awarded Burchfield with its Green and Gold WBC World Champion Belt as part of a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his vast contributions to the sport.
Outside the boxing world, Burchfield is best known as the owner of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Restaurant & Lounge, which Burchfield transformed from “a little checkerboard Italian restaurant to Las Vegas.” The Classic became the place to be for locals and celebrities alike, including former world boxing champions “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali, Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, and legendary college basketball coach Rick Pitino.