Deoria, a former professional lightweight fighter, who now directs the Phoenixville Police Athletic League (PAL) boxers, has been selected for induction into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame.

Deoria, a Schuylkill Township police officer, will be inducted on May 16, 2004, at 5 p.m. at Romano's Caterers, which is located at Castor Avenue and Wingohocking Street in Philadelphia.

Deoria, 34, posted a 20-6 record in six years as a pro with 10 knockouts. In 1993, Deoria captured the Pennsylvania state lightweight title.

Other inductees include Vinny Burgese, Sammy Goss, Joe Trofe and Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts, who beat the great "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler for one of his two pro losses.

"It is really nice," Deoria said. "It caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting it. Then I got the letter. I was surprised.

"Coming out of Philadelphia, there are some of the greatest fighters in the world. It is nice to be recognized in that way."

Deoria was born and raised in Phoenixville. He started boxing at age 12. He did all of his training in Philadelphia. Every day after school, Jimmy's father, Jim, would take him down to John Mulvenna's Front Street Gym.

For the next eight years Jimmy competed all over the United States in national tournaments. He also competed in numerous international bouts, including fights in Ireland and Canada. His amateur career included more than 100 fights.

Jimmy earned numerous amateur titles, including five-time Philadelphia Junior Olympic champion; three-time Mid-Atlantic open class champion; and two-time Diamond Belt open class champion. In 1988, he gained the distinction of Mid-Atlantic Fighter of the Year.

In 1990, Jimmy turned professional. He signed a promotional contract with Peltz Boxing Promotions. He was trained and managed by Mulvenna and Jim Deoria, Sr. Out of 26 pro fights, he was the main event 10 times.

During his pro career, Deoria fought three world champions and two number one-ranked fighters. He fought 10 times at the "Legendary" Blue Horizon in North Philadelphia.

In 1993, Deoria changed promoters and turned to Don Elbaum. The pinnacle came on Feb. 13, 1993, when Deoria stopped "Irish" Gene Reed on a TKO in the ninth round to win the state lightweight championship at the Scranton CYC, Reed's backyard.

"I knew he had a really big following and there would be a ton of people there rooting for him," Deoria said. "My back was against the wall to go up there. I felt really good about doing that."

Throughout Jimmy's professional career, he also worked as a full-time police officer. He started a family and continued to train daily in Philadelphia. At the end of 1996, Deoria retired from the ring to devote more time to his family and job. He and his wife now have three children.

In 1999, Jimmy began to think of ways that he could combine his love for boxing and his job as a police officer. He decided to start a PAL program with boxing being the first sport offered. With the help of the community and the local police departments, he started the Phoenixville area PAL at the Civic Center on Main Street.

Since that time, the Phoenixville PAL has grown to include four more programs that has helped keep hundreds of young people off the streets and out of trouble.