Holdover Trio The Best of an Anonymous IBHOF Lot in 2024

We can probably all agree that the pandemic was a drag. 

But when it comes to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, we didn’t know how good we had it.

The COVID-prompted triple induction ceremony in 2022 yielded an historic collection of fighters who’d been no-brainers from the moment they appeared on the ballot. In fact, it’s no stretch to suggest the nine modern male inductees across those three years were as good a run as the Hall has ever had.

Lest anyone forget, the 2020 class included Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley. The 2021 class included Wladimir Klitschko, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Andre Ward. And the 2022 class included Miguel Cotto, Roy Jones Jr., and James Toney.

Which, with apologies to Timothy Bradley Jr., Carl Froch, and Rafael Marquez, made 2023 a letdown.

Problem is, it doesn’t seem it’ll be any different the next time around.

The 2024 induction weekend kicks off in exactly 240 days and it’ll take that long or more to generate authentic enthusiasm for a new crop of honorees that’ll be plucked from a collection consisting primarily of fighters who’ve been passed over multiple times. 

Though every fighter on the “modern” ballot had a world-class career that was better than 99 percent of his peer group, it’s parsing that final percentage that separates the all-time good from all-time great.

Each modern elector can choose up to five fighters and three are guaranteed entrance.

Still, to these eyes, precisely zero are a slam dunk for the latter category.

None pass the “eye test” that supersedes need for further research, unlike the likes of Hopkins, Mayweather, and Jones. In spite of championships in three weight classes and a combined 131-7-4 record, none of the new ballot candidates – ex-WBO lightweight champ Artur Grigorian and former WBC bantamweight titleholders Veeraphol Sahaprom and Shinsuke Yamanaka – rise to the level of that trio. 

They join the 39 holdovers on the ballot, with dozens championships of their own, and the lack of instant selections required a bit more research and perhaps a bit more allowance for back stories than is typical.

Call it circumstantial greatness.

Regardless, a new class will be honored during induction weekend next June.

And in keeping with a tradition in this space that’s yielded years of hate mail for suggesting certain fighters don’t belong in the hall without paid admission, here’s a wide-open look at my 2024 picks.

Gentlemen… start your vitriol.

Arthur Abraham

Career: 2003-2018

Record: 47-6 (30)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Yuri Arbachakov

Career: 1990-1997

Record: 23-1 (16)

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

Jorge Arce

Career: 1996-2014

Record: 64-8-2 (49)

Titles at: 108, 115, 118, 122

VOTE: NO

Paulie Ayala

Career: 1992-2004

Record: 35-3 (12)

Titles at: 118, 122

VOTE: NO

Nigel Benn

Career: 1987-1996

Record: 42-5-1 (35)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Vuyani Bungu

Career: 1987-2005

Record: 39-5 (19)

Titles at: 122, 126

VOTE: NO

Ivan Calderon

Career: 2001-2012

Record: 35-3-1 (6)

Titles at: 105, 108

VOTE: NO

Joel Casamayor

Career: 1996-2011

Record: 38-6-1 (22)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Sot Chitalada

Career: 26-4-1 (16)

Record: 1983-1992

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

Diego Corrales

Career: 1996-2007

Record: 40-5 (33)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Chris Eubank

Career: 1985-1998

Record: 45-5-2 (23)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Acelino Freitas

Career: 1995-2017

Record: 41-2 (34)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Leo Gamez

Career: 1985-2005

Record: 35-12-1 (26)

Titles at: 105, 108, 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Artur Grigorian

Career: 1994-2009

Record: 38-1 (23)

Titles at: 135

VOTE: NO

Ricky Hatton

Career: 1997-2012

Record: 45-3 (32)

Titles at: 140, 147

VOTE: YES

Genaro Hernandez

Career: 1984-1998

Record: 38-2-1 (17)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Chris John

Career: 1998-2013

Record: 48-1-3 (22)

Titles at: 126

VOTE: NO

Mikkel Kessler

Career: 1998-2013

Record: 46-3 (35)

Titles at: 168

VOTE: NO

Santos Laciar

Career: 1976-1990

Record: 79-10-11 (31)

Titles at: 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Rocky Lockridge

Career: 1978-1992

Record: 44-9 (36)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Miguel Lora

Career: 1979-1993

Record: 37-3 (17)

Titles at: 118

VOTE: NO

Henry Maske

Career: 1990-2007

Record: 31-1 (11)

Titles at: 175

VOTE: NO

Dariusz Michalczewski

Career: 1991-2005

Record: 48-2 (38)

Titles at: 175, 190

VOTE: NO

Sung-Kil Moon

Career: 1987-1993

Record: 20-2 (15)

Titles at: 115, 118

VOTE: NO

Michael Moorer

Career: 1988-2008

Record: 52-4-1 (40)

Titles at: 175, HWT

VOTE: NO

Omar Narvaez

Career: 2000-2019

Record: 49-4-2 (25)

Titles at: 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Orzubek Nazarov

Career: 1990-1998

Record: 26-1 (19)

Titles at: 135

VOTE: NO

Michael Nunn

Career: 1985-2002

Record: 58-4 (38)  

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Sven Ottke

Career: 1997-2004

Record: 34-0 (6)

Titles at: 168

VOTE: NO

Vinny Paz

Career: 1983-2004

Record: 50-10 (30)

Titles at: 135, 154, 168

VOTE: YES

Gilberto Roman

Career: 1981-1990

Record: 54-6-1 (35)

Titles at: 115

VOTE: NO

Gianfranco Rosi

Career: 1979-2006

Record: 62-6-1 (18)

Titles at: 154

VOTE: NO

Veeraphol Sahaprom

Career: 1994-2010

Record: 66-4-2 (46)

Titles at: 118

VOTE: NO

Samuel Serrano

Career: 1969-1997

Record: 50-5-1 (17)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Antonio Tarver

Career: 1997-2015

Record: 31-6-1 (22)

Titles at: 175, 200

VOTE: NO

Meldrick Taylor

Career: 1984-2002

Record: 38-8-1 (20)

Titles at: 140, 147

VOTE: YES

Fernando Vargas

Career: 1997-2007

Record: 26-5 (22)

Titles at: 154

VOTE: NO

Israel Vazquez

Career: 1995-2010

Record: 44-5 (32)

Titles at: 122

VOTE: NO

Wilfredo Vazquez

Career: 1981-2002

Record: 56-9-2 (41)

Titles at: 118, 122, 126

VOTE: NO

Ratanapol Sor Vorapin

Career: 1990-2009

Record: 59-8-1 (48)

Titles at: 105

VOTE: NO

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam

Career: 1994-2018

Record: 91-5-2 (47)

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

Shinsuke Yamanaka

Career: 2006-2018

Record: 27-2-2 (19)

Titles at: 118

VOTE: NO

* * * * * * * * * *    

This week’s title-fight schedule:    

SATURDAY

IBF/WBO middleweight titles — Rosenberg, Texas 

Vincenzo Gualtieri (IBF champ/Unranked Ring) vs. Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (WBO champ/No. 2 Ring) 

Gualtieri (21-0-1, 7 KO): First title defense; First fight outside of Germany 

Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KO): Third title defense; Gone beyond eight rounds twice in 14 fights 

Fitzbitz says: I’m not convinced either guy is even the second coming of Demetrius Andrade, but someone’s got to win. Alimkhanuly passes the eye test more convincingly. Alimkhanuly in 8 (90/10) 

WBO junior middleweight title — Broadbeach, Australia 

Tim Tszyu (champion/No. 2 Ring) vs. Brian Mendoza (No. 2 WBO/No. 4 Ring) 

Tszyu (23-0, 17 KO): First title defense; KOs in two straight “interim” title fights (10 total rounds) 

Mendoza (22-2, 16 KO): First title fight; Three straight wins by KO (17 total rounds) 

Fitzbitz says: This ought to be a pretty fun fight. Tszyu has got loads of pressure on him fighting at home and defending a gifted title. I think he’s up to it, but it’ll be no shocker if not. Tszyu by decision (65/35) 

Last week’s picks: 3-0 (WIN: Shigeoka, Wood, Shigeoka)   

2023 picks record: 36-12 (75 percent)     

Overall picks record: 1,286-420 (75.4 percent)    

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body’s full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA “world championships” are only included if no “super champion” exists in the weight class.    

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.