International Boxing Hall of Fame officials are hoping that induction weekend takes place in mid-June as scheduled.
The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc with boxing and all other sports. One more possible postponement if the threat doesn’t subside soon: The International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend.
The annual event, in which inductees join the pantheon of great boxers and contributors, has become an institution in June in Canastota, New York.
However, the Hall will be closed through the end of the month and possibly beyond. Executive Direction Ed Brophy told the New York Post that he hopes the event will still take place June 11-14.
“Hall of Fame weekend is still on for mid-June,” Brophy told The Post. “But we’ll continue to follow the rules and regulations of the county and the state and monitor all the different guidelines and watch what happens day-by-day and week-by-week as we go through March.”
The Class of 2020 is a high-powered one, as Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley are the marquee names that will enter the Hall. And, for the first time, women will be inducted. The first three honorees are Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker and Barbara Buttrick.
“It’s an historic class with the first females to be enshrined and have their plaques in the museum,” Brophy said. “Ticket sales for the weekend had been good since the fall when we made the announcement of the inductees. We’re still right on target for have a special weekend. We’re going to continue to monitor the next week and a half and the beginning of April and determine what is happening.
“Everything is day-to-day. It’s hard to forecast out to June. But the best position we can be in is to maintain our plans that are well underway and keep moving forward.”
Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley have been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The cream rose to the top of perhaps the deepest list of prospective hall of famers.
Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. They will be inducted on June 14 in Canastota, N.Y.
Also, Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker will be the first women boxers inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In the non-participant category, promoters Lou DiBella, Kathy Duva and Dan Goossen were elected. And among observers, boxing writers Bernard Fernandez and Thomas Hauser will be inducted.
Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 knockouts) probably was the cream of the cream. B-Hop went from prison for armed robbery as a young man to one of the greatest middleweights of all time. Hopkins won seven world titles in two divisions but he was at his best as a 160-pounder.
He set records for longest middleweight reign – more than 10 years – and most successful defenses – 20.
Later, the physical freak became the oldest fighter ever to win a title when, at 46 years old, he outpointed Jean Pascal to win the WBC light heavyweight belt in 2011. He broke his own mark twice, the last time unifying two titles by outpointing Beibut Shumenov in 2014.
“I’m glad I’m entering the house of greatness past and present,” Hopkins said. “Thanks to boxing, I became a greater inspiration to the world.”
Juan Manuel Marquez is pictured moments after his greatest punch, the one that stopped rival Manny Pacquiao. AP Photo / Eric Jamison, File
Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs) fought in the shadow of countrymen Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales for a number of years but outlasted both of them in the end and arguably accomplished more.
The master counter puncher won major titles in four divisions over a decade of remarkable consistency but his four-fight series with Manny Pacquiao stands out. Pacquiao emerged with a 2-1-1 edge in those fights but some believe Marquez should’ve been awarded victory in all four of them.
And, in one of the most dramatic moments of the era, Marquez stopped Pacquiao with a single right hand in 2012.
“This is great. I feel very happy and excited to receive this news,” Marquez said. “I am looking forward to being in Canastota for my induction. I am so happy.”
Mosley (49-10-1, 41 KOs) was an outstanding amateur and dominating lightweight before he took center stage in the sport. He was 32-0 – with 30 knockouts – at 135 pounds, at which he held a title for a year and eight months.
However, he made his biggest impact at higher weights. He jumped from 135 to 147 with the idea of challenging for superstar Oscar De La Hoya’s title and accomplished that goal in 2000, winning by a split decision.
Mosley went on to win a junior middleweight title and reign as the top fighter pound-for-pound for a time but also had mixed results after that. And his reputation was tarnished when he admitted to using PEDs for his rematch with De La Hoya. Still, he’s remembered as one of the best of his era.
Shane Mosley’s most memorable fights were against rival Oscar De La Hoya (right). AP Photo / Mark J. Terrill
“I’m so happy and honored,” Mosley said. “I’ve worked my whole life for this. Even when I started as a kid at 8 years old I knew this is what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be. I have accomplished my goals to be one of the greats and go into the Hall of Fame, so this is a great honor.”
Martin (49-7-3, 31 KOs) rose to fame on the undercards of Mike Tyson’s fights in the mid-1990s. “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” a pioneer among women, won titles and fans, and had the distinction of appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
“I just wanted to be a fighter and fit into the world of boxing and this is a dream come true,” Martin said. “I’m always excited to come back to Canastota, but to come back this year will be very special.”
Rijker (17-0, 14 KOs) is considered by many to be the greatest woman fighter ever. The former kickboxer probably gained her greatest fame when she appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”
“This is very moving. It makes me feel emotional,” Rijker said. “As I entered normal life after boxing there is a memory of boxing that is in my heart and soul. There is really a strong connection I have to that era and I am really honored to be reminded of that time because sometimes there is a time in your life where everything comes together – mind, body and spirit – and definitely my boxing career aligned all three of them to be the best I could be on all levels. I’m very grateful for that and grateful to be recognized.”
