The International Boxing Hall of Fame changed some of its rules before voting for its Class of 2020.
The retirement threshold was changed from five to three years, meaning a fighter had to be out of boxing for three years. And the number of inductees was no longer limited to three. A fourth or more could win election into the Hall if they’re on at least 80 percent of the ballots.
The result has been a glut of retired fighters who arguably have legitimate Hall of Fame credentials but are in competition with too many equal or more accomplished fighters.
For example, last year, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were the top three vote getters. No one else was on at least 80 percent of the ballots. That left fighters like Tim Bradley, Carl Froch and Rafael Marquez, among other noteable candidates, out in the cold.
And with a new group of eligible fighters for 2021, they’re chances of induction dwindle.
With all that in mind, we selected 28 active fighters for whom we believe a case could made they belong in the Hall and tried to gauge their chances of earning the required votes to be inducted.
We break them down on a scale of 1-5, 5 meaning they are almost certain to be inducted and 1 the opposite.
5
Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) – Say what you want about whether he’s currently No. 1 pound-for-pound. The Mexican superstar has been willing to fight everyone – sometimes out of his natural weight class – and he’s lost to only one, Floyd Mayweather, the best fighter of his generation. And Alvarez is still in his prime. He already has Hall of Fame credentials as you read this. He’s only going to add to them from here on out.
Roman Gonzalez (49-2, 41 KOs) – The former No. 1 pound-for-pounder dominated the lowest weight classes like few in modern history. The Nicaraguan not only won titles in four divisions, he did it dominating fashion: 41 knockouts in 49 victories. He hit a bump by losing twice to Srisasket Sor Rungvisai but bounced back to regain a title by stopping Kal Yafai, adding to his legacy at 32.
Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) – The only possible knock on the boxing wizard from Ukraine is a small sample of professional fights. However, the two-time Olympic champion has made the most of his 15 bouts, winning titles in three divisions and beating Gary Russell Jr., Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Jorge Linares and Luke Campbell. He also climbed to No. 1 on many pound-for-pound lists, which is a plus. And, 32, he’s still rolling.
Manny Pacquiao – Do we really need to discuss it? The Filipino icon has been at the top of the sport for two decades, building one of the richest resumes in modern history and providing countless thrills along the way. He went 6-2-1 against his great Mexican rivals Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez – all Hall of Famers – alone. The list of other notable victims is long. And, remarkably, he’s still going strong at 41.
Gennady Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) – His middleweight title run was spectacular even if he didn’t face many top-tier opponents. Few wanted to fight him for obvious reasons. Triple-G was champion for more than eight years, during which he had a remarkable streak of 23 consecutive knockouts. That’s crazy. Plus, most people think he beat Canelo Alvarez in their first fight. A victory (instead of a draw) would’ve added considerably to his legacy. All that makes Golovkin a near shoe-in.
***
4
Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) – This is a tough one. On one hand, he has been so dominating that he has won titles in three divisions and reached the pinnacle of the sport as its No. 1 fighter on some pound-for-pound lists. On the other hand, what’s his defining victory? Yuriorkis Gamboa? Viktor Postol? Amir Khan? Ouch. Crawford simply doesn’t have the kind of victories that catch a voter’s eye. Of course, he’ll probably get in even if he never gets that special victory. And, at 32, he still has time to add to his legacy.
Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26 KOs) – Donaire probably clinched his induction with his performance against Naoya Inoue, the Japanese sensation who was pushed to the limit by the Filipino-American. Among Donarie’s credentials: titles in four divisions, huge puncher, spectacular victories over Vic Darchinyan (twice), Moruti Mthalane, Fernando Montiel and Jorge Arce, Fighter of the Year in 2012. Losses to Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters, Jessie Magdaleno and Carl Frampton don’t help but he has probably accomplished enough.
Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) – Fury might get elected if he decided to retire today. One, he’s a two-time heavyweight champion who has proved to be the best heavyweight since Wladimir Klitschko was in his prime. And, two, he has the kind of defining victories that get your attention: a dominating decision over Klitschko and a seventh-round KO of Deontay Wilder. He also has one of the better comeback stories in recent history, which doesn’t hurt. Why isn’t he a 5 here? He doesn’t have much beyond the Klitschko and Wilder victories. Another win over Wilder and one or two over Joshua would make him a legend.
Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) – Few fighters have reached his level of respect – which means a lot – but he probably needs more time. He has only 19 fights. Like Lomachenko, though, he’s crammed a lot into a relatively small sample. He’s already won titles in three divisions and has generally done it in spectacular fashion. Great athlete, great boxer, great power. He has it all. He didn’t look great against Donaire but he fought through injuries against a naturally bigger veteran to have his hand raised. That arguably added to his legacy.
Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) – Garcia didn’t do himself any favors by agreeing to fight Errol Spence Jr., who shut him out, but his willingness to challenge himself against a bigger man, especially one as talented as Spence, was laudable. A close look at Garcia’s resume reveals solid credentials: titles in four divisions, victories over the likes of Orlando Salido, Juan Manuel Lopez, Roman Martinez, Adrien Broner and Robert Easter. A title in a fifth division and a few more big victories could be enough to get him over the hump.
Okelsandr Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) – The gifted Ukrainian might get in regardless of how he fares as a heavyweight. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and was the best cruiserweight of his era, with victories over Krzysztof Glowacki, Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew. That’s impressive stuff. And who knows? He might succeed as a heavyweight. If he wins a title or even records some notable victories, that could clinch his election to the Hall of Fame. The fact he has relatively few fights could work against him.
***
3
Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) – Estrada is still building a Hall of Fame career. At the moment, he has titles in two divisions and has beaten Brian Viloria, Milan Melindo, Giovani Segura, Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (after losing to him earlier). And he gave a prime Roman Gonzalez problems in defeat. He probably hasn’t done enough to win election but, at 30, the Mexican remains at the top of his game. He could fight both Sor Rungvisai and Gonzalez again. Victories over those beasts and perhaps a few more could put him over the top.
Kazuto Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs) – Ioka is an under-the-radar candidate with solid Hall of Fame credentials. He has won titles in two divisions (four if count the ridiculous WBA “regular” title) and has beaten many of the best little men of his era, including Akira Yaegashi, Amnat Ruenroeng, Juan Carlos Reveco (twice) and McWilliams Arroyo. And, at 31, he currently holds a junior bantamweight title and could have more important victories in his future.
Anthony Joshua (23-1) – Joshua seemed to be on his way to first-ballot entry in the Hall of Fame when he ran into a chubby Mexican-American named Andy Ruiz Jr., who stopped him in seven rounds. Joshua bounced back to outpoint Ruiz in the rematch but he isn’t seen quite the same way after the initial setback. Joshua has victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin, which is impressive. And he’s only 30. If he faces Tyson Fury and beats him, people will forget all about the Ruiz debacle and he’ll march triumphantly into the Hall. Another Ruiz-like setback or a blowout loss to Fury could have the opposite effect.
Leo Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) – Santa Cruz could be on his way but he has more work to do. He has won titles in three divisions, beating the likes of Eric Morel, Viktor Terrazas, Abner Mares (twice) and Carl Frampton (after losing their first fight) along the way. He needs to do more than that, though. A title in another division and a victory or two over potential opponents like Gervonta Davis and Gary Russell Jr. could put him over the top.
Guillermo Rigondeux (20-1, 13 KOs) – Laszlo Papp was a great amateur fighter who didn’t have a great pro career. Still, he’s in the Hall of Fame. That bodes well for Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic champion. And the sublimely gifted Cuban has had a good pro career. He’s a former junior featherweight titleholder with victories over the likes of Nonito Donaire and Joseph Agbeko. He was KO’d by Vasiliy Lomachenko but should be applauded for moving up in weight to face such an opponent. Rigo might need one or two more notable wins to get in. He’s 39.
Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) –Spence is a Hall of Famer in the making. He has been a welterweight titleholder for three years, has victories over Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter, and has climbed onto pound-for-pound lists. Yet, even at 30, his best might be yet to come if he has fully recovered from his car accident in October. He could prove to be a 4 or 5 here in the coming years.
Deontay Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) – Another tough one. On one hand, he was undefeated the first 11-plus years of his career, reigned as heavyweight champion for more than five years and knocked out all but one of men he faced. That was a special run. On the other hand, his skill set has always been questioned and the knockout loss to Tyson Fury looked bad, as if Wilder’s limitations were finally exposed. Consider this, though: It took a special heavyweight to do it. And, of course, he’s not finished. He can still add to legacy. The feeling here is that he will get into the Hall.
***
2
Danny Garcia – The two-division titleholder is just a few points away from a 40-0 record and no-brainer Hall of Fame status but, in fact, he lost close decisions to Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. And his fate remains up in the air. He had an underappreciated run early in his career. He beat, in order, Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Morales again, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Mauricio Herrera, Rod Salka, Lamont Peterson, Pauli Malignaggi and Robert Guerrero. Who does that? And he’s not finished. If he can win a few more big fights, maybe regain a belt, he could get in.
Erislandy Lara (26-3-3, 15 KOs) – The ability is there. The resume might not be, in part because of bad luck. The one-time amateur star from Cuba has some impressive victories – Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Ishe Smith, Vanes Martirosyan and Terrell Gausha. His setbacks are more notable – Paul Williams (MD), Canelo Alvarez (SD), Jarrett Hurd (SD). Here’s the thing, though: Lara arguably did enough to win all three of those fights. Imagine what impact victories over Williams and Alvarez would’ve had on his legacy. As it is, Lara is a borderline Hall of Famer at best.
Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) – Pascal probably had little chance of election to the Hall going into 2019. He had had mixed results in recent fights and was approaching his late 30s. Then, last year, he beat Marcus Browne and Badou Jack. Add those late-career victories to wins over Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute, as well as a draw and close loss to Bernard Hopkins, and one could argue Pascal deserves consideration. Losses to Sergey Kovalev (twice), Eleider Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol don’t help his cause. Maybe he needs one or two more significant wins to get in. He better work fast. He’s 37.
Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs) – Russell has Hall of Fame ability but perhaps not the resume. He is currently one of the longest reigning titleholders – having been a titleholder for five years – and has some memorable victories, including those over Jhonny Gonzalez, Oscar Escandon, Joseph Diaz Jr., Kiko Martinez and, most recently, Tugstsogt Nyambayar. On the downside, he has been more inactive than most champions and still doesn’t have a defining victory. Russell, 31, is still near the top of his game. He needs to make the most of his ability while he can.
Keith Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) – Thurman has a strong record, with a long reign as a welterweight titleholder and victories over Diego Chaves, Julio Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. Those are solid credentials. The problem is that Thurman has struggled with injuries the past several years, had a so-so performance in a victory over Josesito Lopez in a comeback fight and then lost to 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao. Whether he can return to full health and win more big fights could determine his fate.
Shawn Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs) – Porter is roughly in the same class as rivals Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. He has been a major player for about a decade, is a two-time welterweight titleholder and has collected a number of important wins, including those over Julio Diaz, Devon Alexander, Paulie Malignaggi, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Garcia and Yordenis Ugas. And he’s never been blown out. He could’ve had his hand raised in his losses to Kell Brook, Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. His setback against Spence in a wild fight certainly didn’t hurt his legacy.
***
1
Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) – The best we can say here is that “Krusher” is probably underappreciated. He has some notable victories – Bernard Hopkins and Pascal (twice), for example. And some people thought he beat Andre Ward in their first fight, which will work in his favor. He also was high on pound-for-pound lists. Things went downhill beginning with the second Ward fight, in which he was stopped. He was KO’d by Eleider Alvarez, although he won the rematch. And Canelo Alvarez took him out. He’s borderline in the old system. In the new one, he could miss out.
Abner Mares (31-3-1, 15 KOs) – Mares probably has better credentials than some might think. He’s won titles in three divisions and has beaten such fighters as Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko (twice), Eric Morel, Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce de Leon. That’s a nice run. He also was stopped in one round by Jhonny Gonzalez and has two losses against Leo Santa Cruz. Mares is probably on the outside looking in at the moment. And recent comments by him seem to indicate that he won’t be around much longer.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41 KOs) – The two-time junior bantamweight titleholder is an interesting case. He has two huge victories over Roman Gonzalez, the second a brutal knockout. He’ll probably be remembered for those fights. And he is 1-1 against Juan Francisco Estrada. His knockout percentage also is eye-catching. That said, he has relatively few important victories compared to some of his contemporaries. And some believe Sor Rungvisai caught Gonzalez on the decline. At 33, he has more in the tank and some big fights ahead of him. Perhaps two or three more notable victories will win over voters.
Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) – One of the best African fighters of his era has had two reigns as flyweight champ that total around six years, which is impressive. He also has wins over Zolani Tete, John Riel Casimero and, in his last fight, Akira Yaegashi in defense of his 112-pound title. Has he done enough? He’s borderline at best. He’d have to extend his reign and record one or two more big victories to have a chance. He’s 37.