Every year, members of the Boxing Writers Association of America cast their votes to determine the newest inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The voters come from a wide range of countries, including the US, Japan, England, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Puerto Rico, and Germany.
On December 7th, the 2023 Boxing Hall of Fame class was announced and was highlighted by Timothy Bradley Jr. (33-2-1), Rafael Márquez (41-9-0), and Carl Froch (33-2-0) on the men’s side. As for the women’s modern-era, both Alicia Ashley (24-12-1) and Laura Serrano (17-5-3) will be inducted.
Accompanying those legendary boxers in this year’s class are Pone Kingpetch (28-7-0), Tiger Jack Fox (138-24-12), JoAnn Hagen, Joe Goossen (trainer), Brad Jacobs (Top Rank COO), Brad Goodman (Top Rank matchmaker), Seth Abraham (HBO Sports President), and Tim Ryan (broadcaster).
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Other Notable Boxers in the Boxing Hall of Fame
Being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame is an incredible accomplishment for any boxer – or boxing personality. It’s an honor that many of the greatest of all-time share as it helps cement their legacy in the boxing community. Only those that help revolutionize and popularize the sport make the cut.
“Our mission is to honor and preserve boxing’s rich heritage, chronicle the achievements of those who excelled and provide an educational experience for our many visitors,” writes the IBHOF on their official website. Since 1990, nearly 500 boxers and boxing personalities have been inducted into the IBHOF.
The newest inductees listed above will be honored at the International Boxing Hall of Fame Induction Weekend – taking place between June 8-11. The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 11th at the Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center – order your tickets now!
In honor of what’s to come, let’s take a look back at some of the most notable boxers to be inducted in year’s past!
20. Christy Martin
Christy Martin was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 – the first year women were allowed on the ballot. She made her professional boxing debut on September 9, 1989 and fought her final bout on August 14, 2012. In 59 professional fights, she had a record of 49-7-3 (32 knockouts).
On September 9, 2009, Martin defeated Dakota Stone to become the WBC female super welterweight champion – improving her record to 49-5-3. She was stabbed and shot by her husband, Jim Martin, who was also her boxing coach, in 2009. She eventually returned to boxing in 2011, but retired after two fights.
19. Archie Moore
Archie Moore was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He made his professional boxing debut on January 31, 1936 and fought his final bout on March 15, 1963. In 220 professional fights, he had a 186-23-10 record – enjoying one of the longest and most successful boxing careers of all-time.
Moore’s second-to-last fight was against none other than Muhammad Ali – becoming the only boxer to square up against Rocky Marciano and Ali. He was the World Light Heavyweight champion between 1952 and 1962 – the longest reign of all-time – and went on to coach Ali, George Foreman, and more.
18. Ezzard Charles
Ezzard Charles was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the inaugural class – along with Moore and others. He made his pro boxing debut on March 12, 1940 and fought his final fight on September 1, 1959. In 121 professional fights, he had a 95-25-1 record with 52 knockouts.
Charles became the NBA heavyweight champion on June 22, 1959 with a victory against Jersey Joe Walcott. He remained the NBA heavyweight champ until July 19, 1951, when Jersey Joe defeated him in the second rematch. He held the NYSAC and The Ring title between Sep. 27, 1950 and July 19, 1951.
17. Holly Holm
Holly Holm was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022. She made her professional boxing debut on January 25, 2002 and fought her final bout on May 11, 2013. In 38 pro fights, she had a record of 33-2-0 with 9 knockouts to her name. She also did pro kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA).
Holm ended up winning 14 world titles in 3 different weight divisions and had a 14-1-1 record against world champions. Some of her biggest wins were against Christy Martin, Diana Prazak, Jane Couch, and Mia St. John. She also won the UFC bantamweight title after beating Ronda Rousey in 2014.
16. Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2009 – his first year of eligibility. He made his professional boxing debut on July 21, 1989 and fought his final bout on June 21, 2003. In 44 pro fights, he had a 41-2-1 record with 32 of his wins coming via knockout. They called him ‘The Lion.’
Lewis held the world heavyweight title three times during his career and was a two-time lineal champion in the division – he was the most recent heavyweight to be named undisputed champion. To top it off, he won an Olympic gold medal in 1988 for Canada and won the British, Commonwealth, and European titles.
15. Emile Griffith
Emile Griffith was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of its inaugural class. He made his professional boxing debut on June 23, 1958 and fought his final bout on July 30, 1977. In 112 pro fights, he had 85 wins, 24 losses, and 2 draws with 23 of his wins coming by KO.
Griffith was a three-division world champion, including the undisputed welterweight champion. In the early years of his career, he defeated Benny Paret for the second time to defend his title, but Paret slipped into a coma and passed away 10 days later. He felt guilty, but eventually returned to the ring and dominated.
14. Regina Halmich
Regina Halmich was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022 – much like Holly Holm from above. She made her professional boxing debut on March 4, 1994 and fought her final bout on November 30, 2007. She retired with 54 wins (16 knockouts), 1 loss, and 1 draw in 56 career fights.
Halmich had two impressive reigns as WIBF flyweight champion. Her first reign was between 1995 and 1999, while her second reign was between 2003 and 2007 – she defended that title 28 times. That’s not all, Halmich also defended the WIBF light heavyweight title a total of 10 times between 1999 and 2002.
13. Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano – no, not that Rocky – was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the inaugural class. He made his professional debut on July 12, 1948 and fought his final bout on September 21, 1955. He retired with a perfect 49-0-0 record and 43 knockouts under his belt.
Marciano didn’t receive a world title shot until 1952 – at which point he already had a 42-0-0 record. He defeated Jersey Joe Walcott to win the NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles. Rocky defended those titles six times over the next three years before calling it quits after defeating Archie Moore.
12. Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the legendary and iconic inaugural class. He made his professional boxing debut on October 8, 1940 and fought his final bout on November 10, 1965. He had a 174-19-6 record (109 KOs) in 201 pro fights.
Known as one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all-time, Robinson went on a 91-fight win streak between 1943 and 1951 – which isn’t easy to do. He went on a five-year reign as welterweight champion between 1946 and 1951 before winning the middleweight title – which he later regained in 1955.
11. Willie Pep
Willie Pep was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the coveted inaugural class of legends. He made his professional boxing debut on August 8, 1940 and fought his final bout on March 16, 1966. In 241 pro fights, Pep retired with a 229-11-1 record and 65 knockout victories.
Pep was a two-time world featherweight champion between 1942 and 1950 – a reign that would’ve lasted much longer if it weren’t for Sandy Saddler. They fought three times during that span and Pep only won one of them. They would fight a fourth time in 1951, but Pep again came up short and lost by knockout.
10. Lucia Rijker
Lucia Rijker was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 following a legendary boxing and kickboxing career. She made her pro boxing debut on March 21, 1996 and fought her final bout on May 20, 2004 – posting a perfect 17-0-0 record (14 KOs). She also had a 37-0 kickboxing record.
Rijker didn’t waste any time in becoming a world champion. She was named WIBF super lightweight champion on November 20, 1997 and captured the IBO super lightweight title a year later. Her accolades also include starring in the popular film Million Dollar Baby and training Diana Prazak to a world title.
9. Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017 – roughly 6 years after he decided to retire. He made his professional boxing debut on January 20, 1985 and fought his final bout on May 7, 2011. He posted a 44-10-2 career record with 29 of those wins coming via a knockout.
Holyfield might be most remembered by getting his ear chewed off by Mike Tyson, but he was one of the greatest and most feared boxers of all-time. In fact, he defeated Mike Tyson two fights in a row, handing Tyson two of the first three losses of his career. Holyfield was a two-division undisputed champion.
8. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021 following a legendary career that no one can ever match. He made his pro boxing debut on November 30, 1996 and fought his final bout on August 26, 2017, compiling a perfect 50-0-0 record with 27 knockouts to his name.
Mayweather Jr. won 15 world championships during his career, was a five-division The Ring world champion, and was a four-division lineal champion. He won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics and holds a flurry of boxing records that may never be broken. No one played better defense than him.
7. Joe Louis
Joe Louis was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the Hall’s iconic inaugural class. He made his professional boxing debut on July 12, 1934 and fought his final bout on October 26, 1951 – compiling 66 wins and 3 draws in 69 pro fights, including 52 wins by knockout.
Louis is one of the most iconic heavyweights in the history of the sport. He held the world heavyweight title for 12 years between 1937 and 1949, defending the title 25 times during that span – an all-time record for any weight class. Two of his three losses came against Rocky Marciano and Ezzard Charles.
6. George Foreman
George Foreman was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003 – his first year of eligibility. He made his professional boxing debut on July 1, 1969 and fought his final bout on November 22, 1997 – a loss to Shannon Briggs. He had a 76-5-0 career record in 81 pro fights with 68 knockouts.
Foreman won an Olympic gold medal in 1968 before turning pro. He won the NABF heavyweight title in 1971, the Pan American heavyweight title in 1972, and the WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles in 1973. He retired in 1977, but returned in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
5. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the legendary and iconic inaugural class. He made his professional boxing debut on September 20, 1965 and fought his final bout on December 3, 1981. During that time, he had a 32-4-1 record in 37 pro fights with 27 knockouts.
Frazier won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in 1964 – four years before Foreman won his – and was the undisputed heavyweight champion between 1970 and 1973. His reign finally came to an end when Foreman defeated him, as explained above. Frazier also handed Muhammad Ali his first ever loss.
4. Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya was inducted into the International Hall of Fame in 2014 following a legendary career. He made his professional boxing debut on December 12, 1992 and fought his final bout on December 6, 2008. During that time, he compiled 39 wins and 6 losses in 45 pro fights – 30 wins coming by knockout.
De La Hoya was an 11-time world champion and won a world title in six different weight divisions. Even more impressive was his lineal championship in three different weight classes . He also won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and was the top pay-per-view earned until Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao came along.
3. Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 as one of the most feared heavyweights of all-time. He made his professional boxing debut on April 10, 1985 and fought his final bout on June 11, 2005 – during that time, he had a 50-6-0 record in 58 fights with 44 wins by knockout.
Tyson was feared by many right from the start, winning his first 19 fights by way of knockout and 12 of those wins coming in the first round – he not only finished his opponents, but he did so quickly. He won his first title at 20 years old and was the undisputed heavyweight champion between 1987 and 1990.
2. Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, which was his first year of eligibility. He made his professional boxing debut on May 14, 1977 and fought his final bout on March 1, 1997 – he originally retired in 1991. He had a 36-3-1 record in 40 pro fights with 25 knockouts.
Sugar Ray won an Olympic gold medal for the United States in 1976 and went on to become THE boxer of the 1980s, having won five world titles in five different weight divisions during that decade – he was also a lineal champion in three weight classes. He was the first boxer to surpass $100 million in earnings.
1. Muhammad Ali
No boxing list is ever complete without mentioning ‘The Greatest.’ Muhammad Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 as part of the inaugural class. He made his professional boxing debut on December 27, 1960 and fought his final bout on December 11, 1981 – he had a 56-5-0 record.
Ali isn’t just one of the most influential and iconic boxers of all-time, but is one of the most influential and iconic athletes of all-time – or people, in general. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and took activism to another level throughout his entire life. He had a way with words, but backed it up against anyone.
Future Members of the Boxing Hall of Fame
In order to be considered for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, boxers have to wait five years after their final bout – at which point, they’re added to the ballot and are eligible to be voted on. Even then, it takes a lot of votes and a special boxer to make their way into the IBHOF – it’s not an easy process.
Some active boxers we can expect to one day make the cut – whenever they decide to retire – include Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Canelo Alvarez, Errol Spence Jr., Devin Haney, Jermell Charlo, Shakur Stevenson, Naoya Inoue, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Roman Gonzalez.
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While there’s no telling who will make it in the future, these boxers are some of the greatest of their generation and are almost guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame. For now, let’s get ready to celebrate the incoming Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2023 – which features some legendary names in boxing.
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