NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) – HBO plans to give late Daily News cartoonist Bill Gallo a 10-count salute shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday night, just before the Bernard Hopkins-Jean Pascal WBC light heavyweight title fight gets underway in Montreal.

“Bill Gallo was a friend to boxing and to HBO,” said producer Dave Harmon, according to the Daily News. “We are saddened with his passing, and look forward to honoring him Saturday night with boxing’s traditional 10-count salute, while airing some of Bill’s classic drawings.”

Gallo died last Tuesday of complications from pneumonia at age 88. For seven decades, he profiled the great sports figures of the past century, going back to Jack Dempsey, Man O’ War, Jesse Owens, Babe Ruth, Joe Namath, Reggie Jackson and scores of others.

Gallo was part of the “dailyness” of the paper, and a person “believed in the old school values of decency and what was once called class,” former columnist Pete Hamill told the gathering at Gallo’s funeral last Friday.

Among Gallo’s most popular cartoon characters was a mocking portrayal of George Steinbrenner, the late Yankees owner, in a spiked Prussian military helmet as General Von Steingrabber, and forever loyal Mets fans Basement Bertha and Yuchie.

“I don’t think there’s anything better than his caricature of George,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. “He really was, and is, a true legend of the city.”

What was your favorite Gallo character? Comment away below…

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