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Framed picture of the Greatest Southpaw in Boxing History. Fetched a high price at auction. Jimmy Carruthers was the first man in Veterans Hall of Fame.

YOU'LL recognise the red "Famous Five" print that Jeff Harding signs for Henry Nissen

Souvenirs of Rose v Harada in Tokyo, 1968

Fighting Harada, All-Time Orient Great. Frank Quill applauds.

MAL Ivory, treasurer 20 years of Victorian Past & Present Boxers Club, reckons he can tell Henry Nissen from twin Leon (Aussie flyweight champ and Commonwealth Games rep). Victorian P & P is the world's oldest retired boxers club.

SYDNEY Referees. Spencer Tracy lookalike, Billy Males, with Charlie Lucas.

FIGHTING Harada mingles with the WBF squad (Ignatius , Mick and Chris), and lensman Kid Kalin.

Rocky Mattioli and Jeff Harding were inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in Melbourne's massive Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

The Victory Room in the mighty sports arena, which did not exist when Rocky was WBC light-middleweight champion (1977-79) and Hit Man WBC light-heavyweight champion (1989-91), echoed to applause during a seven-hour night of celebration by four hundred fight buffs.

These two champs join John Famechon and Barry Michael, Jeff Fenech and Lionel Rose in the list of Moderns. For ever.
Fenech and Rose did not turn up Saturday night.

"Australia's my land," said Rocky Mattioli, currently living in Milan but keen to come home when wife Silvia concurs.
"What I did I did for Australia."

The Rock spoke like an orator and looked a treat in dinner suit and spats.

Jeff Harding was Sydney-style blunt. "It's a bloody hard sport," said Hitman. "I thank my grandfathers, my uncles, three generations fought for Australia. My family will be fighting for Australia in the years to come."

The two heroes signed autographs by the hour.

Man at centre of Hall of Fame. Bryan Membrey the artist drew the emblem, a southpaw right lunge. Based on a classic Sydney newspaper photo: lightweight contender Membrey throwing the long lead.

TWO of the Greatest. Fighting Harada and John Famechon. John ended Harada's ring career in 1970. A motorist ended John's marathon running in 1991.

Fans flock to the Rock

Paul Ferreri and Henry Nissen were two of the Famous Five on the red cover. Somehow we suspect this is Leon Nissen. Henry and Leon impersonated each other in amateur contests. Arthur, Sol and the Tanners never found out.

A toast in Carlton Draught to Rocky Mattioli, newly in the Hall of Fame. "Australian beer is the world's best," Rocky told FOL. "My personal favourite? Crown Lager."

Man at right master-minded this great night: Hall of Fame secretary, Frank Maher. Mike Ryan (left) promoted Barry Michael's (centre) first Commonwealth Lightweight Title defence. Ryan wears green Glasgow City tie: challenger Dave McCabe brought a suitcase of ties.

Spotlight also lit the Japanese legend, Fighting Harada. World Boxing Council governor, Frank Quill, presented Masahiko ('Fighting') as the all time great boxer out of the Orient, ahead of the late Flash Elorde of the Philippines.
Twenty-seven Orient candidates were considered, said Mr Quill, chairman of the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation. Harada becomes an Honorary Lifetime Member.

The second category, Internationals (who fought here), was joined by America's Sam Langford. The Boston Tar Baby was the Negro boxer on whom Jack Johnson drew the colour bar.

Another heavyweight, Peter Jackson entered the Pioneers category.
"The Black Prince" took up boxing in Australia, took Gentleman Jim 61 rounds, and now lies in Toowong Cemetery, Queensland.

Old Timers inducted were Aussie triple champ of the 1920s (light, welter, middle), Hughie Dwyer, and Bill Lang, pre-World War One, the only white man to take on Jack Johnson, Sam Langford and Sam McVea.

Sydney welterweights, Tommy Burns and George Barnes, were inducted in Veterans category (pre-1965). Some wonderful scrappers have yet to make it: Hassen, Tollis, Trevor King, Frank Flannery, who attended large as life.

Stadiums Ltd founder, John Wren, and TV Ringside founder, Ron Casey. go into the Hall of Fame as Non-combatants (mistakenly read out as Non-participants). They were participants, like Winston Churchill.

Mal Ivory at our table remembered back 55 years. Mr Wren called him over. 'You don't want to fight Ritchie, son?' - "I'm willing to fight him, Mr Wren, but my trainer said No, he is nine pounds heavier than me (9 st)."
The awe-ful promoter nodded approval.

John Wren Junior accepted this honour, on behalf of his forebear, who "controlled Australian boxing for near 40 years in a form of benevolent dictatorship" (quoth Arnold Thomas). "It could be said, he cleaned up the fight game in Australia."

TWO in the morning and they won't go home. ABF Victoria chiefs - Andrew Campbell (vice-prez), Bryan Membrey (prez), Damien Membrey (secretary) - lingered with Mike Ryan and historic ring announcer, Howard Leigh, double-Scotch in tartan tie.

Hail to Gilberto Biondi, the Gladiator. Lightweight champ, sometime trainer of Mattioli. Gil's wife, Georgina.

SAM Soliman lays the hand of experience on Heath Ellis' shoulder. The master of ceremonies, Gus Mercurio, made reference to Heath Ellis, unprompted - perhaps the first amateur credited publicly at Australia's new Hall of Fame. Picture Brock Ellis

Mr and Mrs Jack Rennie. From Rosy dawn, to the recent Foundation, Jack saw it all.

Kid Kalin captured a great night. And had one himself.