On April 12, 2019, Nick Petrecca, a long-time Teamster member and Trustee of Teamsters Local 705 Retiree’s Club, will be inducted into the Illinois Boxing Hall of Fame at the 4th Annual Illinois Boxing Hall of Fame Banquets and Induction Ceremony.
Petrecca will be honored for notable victories that he attained between 1962-1964 when he was named the featherweight (1962 & 1963) CYO champion and awarded the prestigious honor of Chicago Golden Gloves Champion (1963 & 1964), one of the longest-standing and most elite titles in the realm of amateur boxing, upheld by only a few individuals, including American Professional boxer Joe Fraizer.
Petrecca, a long-time sports enthusiast who excelled in the athletic arena from a young age, found an outlet for self-expression and individuality in the sport of boxing. Petrecca’s finesse, dexterity and ingenuity inside of the ring catapulted him to success, having achieved 61 amateur bouts with only one defeat noted in his five-year career.
Petrecca embraced the drive, dedication and self-discipline that he embodied as an athlete and upheld and fostered these attributes in different, but never-the-less successful, avenues both in his personal life, as a devoted husband and father and in his professional life, as a member of the labor force.
In his early twenties, Petrecca became a member of Teamsters Local 705, employed as a driver for various trucking companies throughout his thirty-year tenure with the Local. Much like his boxing career, Petrecca climbed the ranks within the Teamster Organization and went on to fulfill positions as a Business Agent for his Local and as an International Organizer for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for eleven years.
“Everything that my father has learned and attained in the individual discipline of boxing, he has applied to his professional career and has instilled these values within our family,” said Nick Petrecca Jr., who followed in his father’s footsteps and plays an active role in the labor force as a Member of Teamsters Local 700, “this is one of his greatest achievements and I could not be prouder of all that he has accomplished both inside of the ring as boxer and outside of the ring as a dedicated father and Teamster Member.”
Now retired from his Teamster posts, Petrecca continues to remain active within the Labor Organization, attending Teamster affiliated events and serving as Trustee of Teamsters Local 705 Retiree’s Club.
“Nick has maintained his momentum of success that has undoubtedly been a direct result of his strong drive to better himself, to challenge himself and to inspire those around him,” said Terrence J. Hancock, President of Teamsters Joint Council, “he has and continues to leave his mark in and out of the boxing arena but more importantly as a loyal supporter of the entire Teamsters community and we applaud him on his countless achievements.” “I’m proud to call Nick my friend and champion in life.”
Teamsters Local 705 is an Affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union throughout the State of Illinois and Northwest Indiana.