Two canceled induction weekends have made this year’s International Boxing Hall of Fame celebration in Canastota, New York, an embarrassment of riches.
The IBHOF will welcome three classes of all-time great boxers into its fold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which finally subsided enough to allow for a supersized event this weekend. Those elected will be formally inducted on Sunday.
Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins top the deep list of men who will enter the Hall in the modern category.
And those being inducted will also include the first class of women boxers, including Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker in the modern classification.
Here is a list of the inductees (in alphabetical order), with commentary for each one.
CLASS OF 2020
MEN
BERNARD HOPKINS
Record: 55-8-2, 32 KOs
Active: 1988-2016
Key victories: Glen Johnson, Simon Brown, Antwun Echols (twice), Keith Holmes, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Kelly Pavlik, Roy Jones Jr., Jean Pascal, Tavoris Cloud, Beibut Shumenov
Titles: Middleweight (1995-2005), light heavyweight (2011-14)
Background: BeHop wasn’t super athletic or powerful. He was merely an enduring boxing wizard, which ultimately earned him reverence as one of the greatest ever in the sport. He set the middleweight record for successful title defenses, 20, which alone would’ve been enough to earn him a place in the Hall. He then became the oldest to ever win a major title when, at 48, he outpointed Tavoris Cloud to win a light heavyweight title.
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ
Record: 56-7-1, 40 KOs
Active: 1993-2014
Key victories: Derrick Gainer, Orlando Salido, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz (twice), Manny Pacquiao
Titles: Featherweight 2003-05, 2006-07; junior lightweight 2007-08; lightweight 2009-12, 2012-13
Background: Marquez started as one third of the great Mexican trio that included Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera but he ended up surpassing his countrymen. The master counterpuncher is best known for his four-fight series with Manny Pacquiao, in which he went 1-2-1. Some believe he deserved to win all four fights. And he claimed the most-dramatic victory of the series, a one-punch knockout that stunned the boxing world in 2012. He was still a world class fighter past 40.
SHANE MOSLEY
Record: 49-10-1, 41 KOs
Active: 1993-2016
Key victories: Phillip Holiday, John John Molina, Oscar De La Hoya (twice), James Leija, Wilfredo Rivera, Fernando Vargas (twice), Ricardo Mayorga (twice), Antonio Margarito
Titles: Lightweight (1997-99); welterweight (2000-02, 2009-10); junior middleweight (2003-04)
Background: Sugar Shane, quick and explosive, made his biggest mark at welterweight and heavier but he might’ve been at his best at lightweight, at which he was 32-0 (30 KOs). However, he became a star when he jumped to welterweight and in 2000 outpointed Los Angeles rival Oscar De La Hoya in their first of two fights. He would remain a major figure in the sport for the next decade-plus.
WOMEN
CHRISTY MARTIN
Record: 49-7-3, 32 KOs
Active: 1989-2012
Key victories: Deirdre Gogarty, Mia St. John, Dakota Stone
Titles: Junior middleweight (2009-10)
Background: Martin was a creation of promoter Don King, who had her fight repeatedly on the undercard of Mike Tyson fights. And she became popular, culminating with her appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated. “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” also was a natural warrior who improved as a boxer as her career progressed. Her biggest fight came in 2003, when she was stopped by Laila Ali. Martin won the 154-pound title when she outpointed Dakota Stone in 2009 at 41.
LUCIA RIJKER
Record: 17-0, 14 KOs
Active: 1996-2004
Key victories: Chevelle Hallback, Andrea DeShong, Jane Couch
Titles: Junior welterweight (1997, 1998)
Background: Some of those familiar with Rijker, who trained under Joe Goossen, Freddie Roach and Emanuel Steward, believe she’s the greatest female boxer of all-time. The accomplished martial artist from the Netherlands sparred regularly with elite male boxers, who respected her all-around ability. She largely flew under the radar because she wasn’t showcased like Christy Martin, Mia St. John and Laila Ali were. She enjoyed her greatest fame as an actress in the film “Million Dollar Baby.”
CLASS OF 2021
MEN
WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO
Record: 64-5, 53 KOs
Active: 1996-2017
Key victories: Chris Byrd (twice), Ray Mercer, Samuel Peter (twice), Hasim Rahman, David Haye, Alexander Povetkin
Titles: Heavyweight (2000-03, 2006-15)
Background: Dr. Steelhammer was the most-accomplished heavyweight of his era, reigning as the No. 1 big man for more than a decade largely as a result of his jab and lethal right hand. He had some slip-ups early in his career but rebounded to surpass Joe Louis and Larry Holmes as the longest-reigning heavyweight champions, serving as champion for 12 years when you combine his two reigns. His only true rival in his prime was his brother, Hall of Famer Vitali Klitschko.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
Record: 50-0, 27 KOs
Active: 1996-2017
Key victories: Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo (twice), Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao
Titles: Junior lightweight (1998-2002); lightweight (2002-04); junior welterweight (2005-06); welterweight (2006, 2006-08; 2014-16); junior middleweight (2007, 2012-16)
Background: Mayweather was polarizing outside the ring but as consistent as anyone in history inside it. His sublime skills combined with his work ethic – he was ready to fight every time he stopped into the ring – made him largely untouchable during his career, which culminated in a convincing victory over rival Manny Pacquaio in a record-breaking pay-per-view fight in 2015. Some people (including Mayweather) would argue that he’s the greatest fighter of all time. “Money” also earned far more than any other fighter, reportedly $800 million in the ring alone.
ANDRE WARD
Record: 32-0, 16 KOs
Active: 2004-17
Key victories: Edison Miranda, Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green, Sakio Bika, Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Sergey Kovalev (twice)
Titles: Super middleweight (2009-15), light heavyweight (2016-17)
Background: The last American man to win a gold medal wasn’t flashy or particularly powerful but few have had his level of skill and ring acumen. He burst upon the professional scene in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, in which the then-young fighter defeated Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch to win the tournament title and establish himself as a star. Sergey Kovalev gave him his toughest fight but was knocked out in their rematch.
WOMEN
LAILA ALI
Record: 24-0, 21 KOs
Active: 1999-2007
Key victories: Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, Suzette Taylor, Valerie Mahfood (twice), Gwendolyn O’Neil, Erin Toughill, Christy Martin
Titles: Super middleweight (2002-07),
Background: Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali, had the advantage of her last name but it turned out that she had both ability and punching power. She made a splash by defeating the daughter of her father’s rival, Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, in 2001 but had many more quality victories. Her highest-profile fight came in 2003, when she stopped overmatched Christy Martin in four rounds.
ANN WOLFE
Record: 24-1, 16 KOs
Active: 1998-2006
Key victories: Dakota Stone, Mary Ann Almager, Vienna Williams, Gina Nicholas, Marsha Valley, Valerie Mahfood, Vonda Ward
Titles: Junior middleweight (1995-2002), light heavyweight (2004)
Background: Wolfe was a skillful, powerfully built fighter known for her dedication in the gym. Her one-punch, first-round knockout of 6-foot-6 Vonda Ward in 2004 went viral on YouTube but she destroyed many other opponents too. She went on to become a trainer, most notably working with James Kirkland.
CLASS OF 2022
MEN
MIGUEL COTTO
Record: 41-6, 33 KOs
Active: 2001-17
Key victories: Randall Bailey, Demarcus Corley, Paulie Malignaggi, Carlos Quintana, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, Joshua Clottey, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito, Sergio Martinez
Titles: Junior welterweight (2004-06); welterweight (2006-08, 2009); junior middleweight (2010-12, 2017); middleweight (2014-15)
Background: Cotto was one of greatest Puerto Rican stars of all time, using his combination of ability and professionalism to fight at the highest level of the sport for a decade and a half. The four-division titleholder was never afraid to fight the best possible opponents. And while he didn’t always win his biggest fights – for example, he lost to Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez – he always gave a good account of himself.
ROY JONES JR.
Record: 66-9, 47 KOs
Active: 1989-2018
Key victories: Bernard Hopkins, Thomas Tate, James Toney, Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin, Virgil Hill, John Ruiz, Antonio Tarver, Felix Trinidad
Titles: Middleweight (1993-94); super middleweight (1994-96); light heavyweight (1997, 1997-2003, 2003-04); heavyweight (2003-04)
Background: When Jones was at his best, no one on this list could touch him. His combination of speed, athleticism and crushing power – as well as the ability to use them to destroy opponents – was something to behold from middleweight all the way up to heavyweight. The fact he defeated two fellow inductees (Hopkins and Toney) on Sunday says a lot about him. He made history by outpointing John Ruiz to win a heavyweight title but was never the same after gaining and then losing weight to move back down to 175 pounds.
JAMES TONEY
Record: 77-10-3, 47 KOs
Active: 1988-2017
Key victories: Merqui Sosa, Michael Nunn, Reggie Johnson, Mike McCallum (twice), Iran Barkley, Tim Littles, Charles Williams, Vassiliy Jirov, Evander Holyfield
Titles: Middleweight (1991-93); super middleweight (1993-94); cruiserweight (2003)
Background: Toney was as gifted as anyone who will enter the Hall on Sunday. He was a born boxer, with once-in-a-generation instincts, but he didn’t have the discipline between fights to realize his full potential. As it was, he was one of the best of his era. He made a splash by stopping unbeaten Michael Nunn to win a middleweight title in 1991 and fought at an elite level for another 20 years.
WOMEN
REGINA HALMICH
Record: 54-1-1, 16 KOs
Active: 1994-2007
Key victories: Jill Matthews, Hollie Dunaway, Elena Reid, Kim Messer, Delia Gonzalez
Titles: Flyweight (1995-2007); junior bantamweight (1998-99, 2004), junior flyweight (1996-2007)
Background: The former kickboxer from Germany ventured outside Europe only once – losing to Yvonne Trevino in 1995 in the U.S. – but she was dominating on her native continent. She had two reigns as flyweight champion, with an incredible 28 total successful defenses. She was a major figure in her home country.
HOLLY HOLM
Record: 33-2-3, 9 KOs
Active: 2002-13
Key victories: Christy Martin, Anne Sophie Mathis, Diana Prazak, Mary Jo Sanders, Jane Couch, Chevelle Hallback, Mia St. John, Jaime Clampitt
Titles: Junior welterweight (2004-06, 2010, 2012-13); welterweight (2006-09, 2012): junior middleweight (2006-08)
Background: Holm became a hometown favorite in her native Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she fought the majority of her bouts. The former kickboxer, who had excellent boxing skills, won a reported 14 titles in three divisions. She went on to compete in mixed martial arts, in which she knocked out UFC star Ronda Rousey in a significant upset.