There are some big names on the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s 2020 election ballot, but the biggest news is their inclusion of female boxers for the first-time. The IBHOF’s progressive move to honor “trailblazers” like Laila Ali, Holly Holm, and Lucia Rijker is a good sign for a sport that often gets maligned for being anachronistic and downright out of touch.
The men’s 2020 ballot is filled with fighters who thrilled us over the past decades: Jorge Arce, Timothy Bradley, Vuyani Bungu, Joel Casamayor, Diego Corrales, Carl Froch, Bernard Hopkins, Sergio Martinez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver, and Israel Vazquez.
In addition to Ali, Holm, and Rijker, the female boxers nominated include: Christy Martin, Anne Wolf, Sumya Anani, Regina Halmich, Susi Kentikian, Jisselle Salandy, Mary Jo Sanders, Laura Serrano, and Ana Maria Torres.
Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians can vote for up to five male fighters in the category and the top three vote-getters will be elected. Electors can vote for up to three female candidates and two will be elected. A new rule allows any fighter who receives at least 80 percent of the vote to gain entrance.
So, who would you vote for if you had three votes for the men? Bernard Hopkins and Juan Manuel Marquez are locks, but the third one is tough. How about a close split-decision win by “Sugar” Shane Mosely over Sergio Martinez?
For the women, it has to be Laila Ali, who lived up to her famous last name to become the face of women’s professional boxing and two-time Ring Magazine female fighter of the year Holly Holm, who has also enjoyed a stellar UFC career.
We shall see as the new Hall of Fame class will be announced in early December with the 31st annual induction ceremonies taking place on June 14, 2020 in New York.
