Boxing hall of fame, class of 2009!

[Mendoza]

NEWS RELEASE: International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2009

RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 9, 2008, 1:00 p.m.

BOXERS ORLANDO CANIZALES, LENNOX LEWIS AND BRIAN MITCHELL ELECTED TO INT'L BOXING HALL OF FAME

Bob Goodman, Akihiko Honda, Hugh McIlvanney and Larry Merchant also enter Hall of Fame

CANASTOTA, NY - DECEMBER 9, 2008 - The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the newest class of inductees to enter the Hall. Living inductees include bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales (USA), heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (UK), junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell (South Africa),
matchmaker / publicist / promoter Bob Goodman (USA), promoter Akihiko
Honda (Japan), journalist Hugh McIlvaney (UK) and broadcaster Larry
Merchant (USA).

"We're extremely excited about the Class
of 2009 and very much looking forward to honoring the 20th class of
inductees," said Executive Director Edward Brophy. "All living inductees are anticipated to attend and participate in 2009 Hall of Fame Weekend festivities." The 20th Annual Hall of Fame Weekend is scheduled for June 11-14th in Canastota, NY. Over 20 events, including a golf tournament, banquet, parade and autograph card show, are planned. An impressive celebrity lineup of boxing greats of yesterday and today will attend this year's Induction Weekend. The highlight of the weekend will be the Official Enshrinement Ceremony on the Hall of Fame Museum Grounds in Canastota, New York on Sunday, June 14th to welcome the newest members.

The Hall of Fame also released names of posthumous honorees: middleweight champion William "Gorilla" Jones, welterweight champion
"Mysterious" Billy Smith and middleweight champion Billy Soose in the Old-Timer Category; manager Billy Gibson and commissioner Abe J. Greene in the Non-Participant Category; journalist Paul Gallico in the Observer
Category; and Tom Hyer in the Pioneer Category. Inductees were voted in
by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of
international boxing historians.

For more information on the events planned for the 2009 International Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend, please call the Hall of Fame at
(315) 697-7095 or visit [Only registered and activated users can see links] ([Only registered and activated users can see links]).

[Robbi]

"journalist Hugh McIlvanney (UK)"


Top boxing writer. Among the greatest.

[good right hand]

i happy to hear that canizales and mitchell finally are inducted. i think they should have been in about 5 years ago.

[Adaptation]

Not so sure about Canizales...

But Mitchell, defenitly deservs props.

Obviously, lennox is the man.

[DamonD]

Lennox got in in his first year of eligibility, great stuff.

I was looking back through some old articles, and stumbled across one from one of Lewis's most vocal critics, ol' Ron Borges. Around May '96, and he's basically outright calling Lewis a "coward", "not a fighter" and painting the Mercer win as an outright robbery. If you'd told him that Lewis was a future IBHOF member he'd have laughed in your face then written another long article complaining about Lewis.

What do I see a couple months ago, on TheSweetScience.com? An article from Borges, 'Lewis still the champ', lamenting the loss of great fighters like Lewis in the heavyweight division.

Boxing journos can be so funny.

I'd really love to see Holyfield making the class of 2014, if you catch my drift.

[natonic]

Canizales is very deserving. Great fighter.

[ChrisPontius]

Lennox got in in his first year of eligibility, great stuff.

I was looking back through some old articles, and stumbled across one from one of Lewis's most vocal critics, ol' Ron Borges. Around May '96, and he's basically outright calling Lewis a "coward", "not a fighter" and painting the Mercer win as an outright robbery. If you'd told him that Lewis was a future IBHOF member he'd have laughed in your face then written another long article complaining about Lewis.

What do I see a couple months ago, on TheSweetScience.com? An article from Borges, 'Lewis still the champ', lamenting the loss of great fighters like Lewis in the heavyweight division.


:lol:

Ron Borges is a retard whose IQ is so low that being able to breath without instructions is one of his best accomplishments.

[bladerunner]

Canizales was pretty good but who did he beat?

[McGrain]

Canizales beat a lot of good fighters, but his signature win is probably over Wilfredo Vasquez. That man held three world titles over about ten years.

Cocoa Kid missed out. Can't say i'm surprised, and I understand why, but it would have been nice.

[bladerunner]

Canizales beat a lot of good fighters, but his signature win is probably over Wilfredo Vasquez. That man held three world titles over about ten years.

Cocoa Kid missed out. Can't say i'm surprised, and I understand why, but it would have been nice.
he lost to Vazquez.

[PowerPuncher]

I find Canizales an odd choice considering who isn't in

[McGrain]

he lost to Vazquez.


Oh yeah!

Boot him out :twisted:

[WhataRock]

Well if Galaxy is in then Canizales most definitely deserves a spot.

He was a good fighter, long reigning champ and fought in many countries with his title.
His record is good, not bullet proof but has some decent names on it. Didnt fight Raul Perez but his brother did..not sure what happened there.

I wouldnt say he is any less deserving then Mitchell but then again there are probaly guys who should be in there ahead of him.

[bulakenyo]

Akihiko Honda is a respected boxing promoter in Asia. He owns TEIKEN promotions and the famous TEIKEN gym.

I think he currently has Jorge Linares, and Edwin Valero in his stables.

[bladerunner]

btw the star of the class of 2009 is Larry Merchant.

[Mantequilla]

Canizales is just as deserving as someone like Ricardo Lopez.

he had way more talent than Mitchell.

[sweet_scientist]

There's something wrong with guys like Mitchell and Canizales getting in and fighters like Lionel Rose, Johnny Famechon, Howard Winstone, Santos Laciar, Davey Moore etc. not even being on the list of contention for the HOF.

[Mantequilla]

That's also true, mind you.

i wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the voters haven't bothered to watch most of those guys fight sadly.Canizales and Mitchell got a bit more exposure in america, plus long alphabet reign and that seems to be enough for some,

[Vantage_West]

mitchell i could understand,canizales was a very good fighter and a long reigner but hall of famer is a bit much. good call swe-scie i always took it for granted that lionel rose was in the ibhf.

do you think esb should make a hall of fame? we have just as much right and maybe weight than most boxing commisons right now.
ESBHF sounds odd but i think it would do.anyone wanna agree with me?
also i feel that terry norris should be in the hall of fame. same with mcguigan. as they have shown true elite skill and heart just falling short...and for that they must be remembered but also placed in a certain order.

i think what pissesd most people off is that you get decent abc belt holders along with the 5 wieght world champions, unified, undisputed champions

maybe different levels of hall of fame...
top level for the ali's, robinsons,leonards,haglers

2nd level, for the title champions/contenders who should be remembered but just are not on the echolons. norris's, macguigins, barkley's, quarry's

notables, for notable journeyman or amatuer greats I.E. services to the sports. the reggies, bigfoots, scrap irons, buckley's, papps, savon.

ya semme:blood

[sweet_scientist]

That's also true, mind you.

i wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the voters haven't bothered to watch most of those guys fight sadly.Canizales and Mitchell got a bit more exposure in america, plus long alphabet reign and that seems to be enough for some,

Pretty sad, but that's probably the way it is.

I have no real problem with Canizales and Mitchell getting in the HOF (they satisfy the Ingo, McGuigan, Zaragoza criterion for entry) but there's plenty of other guys that are more deserving that are being left languishing on the outer. The Hall should get it's priorities straight, there was no need to induct those two this year...

[sweet_scientist]

mitchell i could understand,canizales was a very good fighter and a long reigner but hall of famer is a bit much. good call swe-scie i always took it for granted that lionel rose was in the ibhf.

do you think esb should make a hall of fame? we have just as much right and maybe weight than most boxing commisons right now.
ESBHF sounds odd but i think it would do.anyone wanna agree with me?
also i feel that terry norris should be in the hall of fame. same with mcguigan. as they have shown true elite skill and heart just falling short...and for that they must be remembered but also placed in a certain order.

i think what pissesd most people off is that you get decent abc belt holders along with the 5 wieght world champions, unified, undisputed champions

maybe different levels of hall of fame...
top level for the ali's, robinsons,leonards,haglers

2nd level, for the title champions/contenders who should be remembered but just are not on the echolons. norris's, macguigins, barkley's, quarry's

notables, for notable journeyman or amatuer greats I.E. services to the sports. the reggies, bigfoots, scrap irons, buckley's, papps, savon.

ya semme:blood

I'd gladly contribute to an ESBHOF.

[WhataRock]

Its is political I reckon...behind the door deals and helping out old mates.

Its criminal that some guys have been left out over others.

[good right hand]

Canizales was pretty good but who did he beat?

good point, i think it was more of the longevity thing becuase he does have the record for title defenses in his division.

canizales di beat paul gonzalez from america in their rematch. i dont know much about gonzalez but i remember that he was very popular after his gold medal performance in the olympics

[BoppaZoo]

There's something wrong with guys like Mitchell and Canizales getting in and fighters like Lionel Rose, Johnny Famechon, Howard Winstone, Santos Laciar, Davey Moore etc. not even being on the list of contention for the HOF.hers some more that i wish had been voted in
Estaban De Jesus
Danny Lopez

[Dempsey1238]

Mike McTigue is long over due for entry in the hall imo.

[Robbi]

I'd like to see Donald Curry get inducted in the not too distance future.

[natonic]

I'd like to see Donald Curry get inducted in the not too distance future.

Wow! I'm starting to see some of you guy's point. Mitchell and Canizales before Curry? I'm not so sure about that.