HAYWARD, Calif. — Long before he became a famous boxing official, Kenny Bayless had deep roots in Hayward.

A Pioneer graduate from the class of 1972, Bayless wasn't the only — or even the first — member of his family to walk the stage and receive their diploma that year. Bayless graduated the same day as both his mother and twin brother, Kermit, and even had an older brother who previously graduated from the institution formerly known as Cal State Hayward.
 
"It was a very special moment," he recalled. "Not too many people can say they went to college with their mom."
 
The Bayless family added another chapter to its impressive history on Oct. 19, when Kenny was inducted into the Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame along with former softball head coach and standout Danielle Stines, former Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis and the 1988 National Champion women's soccer team.
 

 
While Kenny may be the most popular member of the family now that he has officiated several premier boxing superfights, he was often overshadowed athletically growing up by his twin brother Kermit.
 
Although he played tennis growing up, Kenny often faced pressure from his peers to not just compete in track and field — but standout — due to the outstanding success of both his brothers.
 
"People would say, 'If you're his twin, you've got to be just as good,'" said Kermit Bayless, a 1986 inductee into the Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
While Kermit was being heavily recruited at Berkeley High School for track and field, Kenny wasn't far behind.

"Kermit was doing real well and got recruited to Cal State Hayward," said Kenny. "I remember my mom telling the recruiter that we were a package deal. (The coaching staff) had no problems with it."
 
Initially, Kenny decided to tryout for the basketball team despite not playing a single minute on the hardwood in high school. He wound up playing freshman basketball at Cal State Hayward.
 
However, he had a revelation while running suicide drills during one practice.
 
"I noticed I was always finishing in the top one or two, which was kind of surprising to me seeing how I never played basketball in high school," Kenny said. "Then coach Malachi Andrews got me to try out for track"
 

 
Kenny Bayless' track and field career got off to a rough start.
 
"I remember (Kenny) was throwing up on the track during workouts," said Kermit. "He had charley horses, cramps and was practically passing out during workouts.
 
"But (Kenny) worked his butt off and accomplished a lot in just two years."
 
Not only was it a challenge to excel in a new sport, the asthma attacks Kenny had throughout his youth made it even more difficult on the track.
 
"When I would have an attack, that meant I had to stop what I was doing," Kenny explained. "I carried an inhaler everywhere I went, and when I felt an attack coming on, I had to shut down and take a couple whiffs.
 
"It was frustrating because all the other fellas just kept running."
 
Despite the hurdle, Kenny was posting marks under 48-seconds in the 400-meter by his season year, and ran lead off for the 4x400 relay team that set a new NCAA Division II record of 3:08.8 at the Fresno Relays.

In the process, the entire team earned All-America honors that spring.
 
"When (Kenny) passed the baton, we were in first," Kermit recalled. "I still remember how caught off guard I was.
 
"The other schools thought we were doing something illegal. They thought I was running the first leg of the race, then coming back and running the last leg. They thought we were the same person."

For Kenny, the accomplishment provided a great sense of gratification.
 
"The most exciting part for me is the fact I didn't start running track until got to (Cal State Hayward)," said Kenny. "To end up becoming an All-American makes it really special."
 
Eventually, top-tier Division I programs in Northern California no longer wanted to compete against Division II Cal State Hayward.
 
"We put Cal State Hayward on the map," said Kermit. "It got to a point where Cal Berkeley, University of San Francisco and others didn't want to compete against us because they didn't want the embarrassment of losing to a Division II school.
 
"We were posting bonafide Division-I times as a Division-II school, and Kenny was the one that made all that possible when he decided to stop playing basketball."
 

 
Today, Kenny Bayless is best known as a prominent boxing referee who has officiated several of the sport's biggest events, including the 2015 bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
 
But his plan didn't turn out the way he envisioned when he first moved to Las Vegas.
 
Initially, Kenny wanted to gain experience as a school teacher in Nevada, then move back to the Bay Area. He was only drawn to boxing only because Las Vegas lacked the high-profile professional sports scene he left behind in Northern California.
 
"At the beginning, it was pretty tough moving to Las Vegas," Kenny said. "I didn't know what to expect.
 
"The only thing happening UNLV basketball or the shows on The Strip. But what it did have was professional boxing."
 
Soon, Kenny began going to professional boxing shows, which peaked his interest after growing up watching Muhammad Ali. Eventually, he became more and more involved in the sport and wanted to be a ringside judge.
 
"Then a friend said, 'why not try referring? You seem to be in good shape,'" Kenny said. "So I gave it a try, thinking, 'what do I have to lose?'
 
"I had hurdles and a lot of barriers to get past in Las Vegas. Once I was appointed, I still had hurdles which I worked through and put in hands of God. I wanted to quit and throw in the towel. I just stuck in there and it got a little better, doors started to open. Once the doors opened, I showed just how valuable I was and everything took off. One big fight led to another, and before you know it, I'm the main man."
 

 
After clearing all the obstacles in his path, Kenny Bayless was officially appointed as a professional referee in 1991.
 
Twenty eight years later, he is one of the most recognizable boxing officials in the world.
 
"I love it," Kenny said. "It keeps me active and focused. I know people who can't stay focused 30 seconds never mind for three minutes. For me, it's a blessing to be in as long as I have.
 
"My work is clean. I hear it from fighters and sports fans all the time that everything is going to be alright when I'm refereeing the fight. It makes me want to continue to do a good job."
 
Kermit is a also prominent figure himself in the boxing world, working as a ringside judge.

However, he admits his brother now garners most of the spotlight between the two, compared to the days when Kenny was often in Kermit's shadow.

It was recently confirmed when Kermit worked the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Shawn Porter bout in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2019.
 
"Every 20 feet somebody was asking for an autograph thinking I'm Kenny," Kermit said while laughing.