Manny Pacquiao, 8-division champion, elected to Hall of Fame
Among those joining him in Class of 2025: Nunn, Paz, Bayless, Greenburg, Gordon
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Manny Pacquiao, who rose from abject poverty in the Philippines to global icon, won world titles in a record eight weight classes, spent time as boxing’s pound-for-pound king, and became one of the most popular and bankable fighters in history, has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, even as he explores opportunities to return to the ring.
Regardless of if Pacquiao fights again or not, he was one of 14 people elected across seven categories in balloting results announced on Thursday.
Joining Pacquiao in the marquee modern men’s category are former middleweight and super middleweight champion Michael Nunn and Vinny Paz, who won world titles at lightweight and junior middleweight and captivated the boxing world with his return to the ring after suffering a fractured neck in an auto accident that was thought to be career ending.
While vote totals are not announced, electors were permitted to vote for up to five modern men’s candidates from the 42-man ballot with the three leading vote getters being elected, or anyone above an 80 percent vote threshold.
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Those elected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international historians will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame museum in Canastota, New York, at the conclusion of the annual induction weekend, which will take place at the museum and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, from June 5 to June 8.
Also elected were the late former middleweight champion Rodrigo Valdez in the old timer category; Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis and Mary Jo Sanders (modern women); referee Kenny Bayless, the late cutman Al Gavin and late referee Harry Gibbs (non-participants); television executive and producer Ross Greenburg and broadcaster/journalist Randy Gordon (observers); Cathy “Cat” Davis (women’s trailblazer); and 1800s bare knuckle fighter Owen Swift (pioneers).
Modern men
Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs), who boxed from 1995 to 2021, turned pro at 106 pounds, won world titles in a record eight divisions from 112 to 154 pounds — flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight — during his remarkable and historic career.
He is viewed as the greatest boxer from the Philippines; Asia’s greatest fighter; in the conversation for best southpaw of all time; and became the oldest welterweight titleholder ever at age 40 when he outpointed Keith Thurman for the WBA belt in 2019.
“I am so happy that I have been selected to enter the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This certainly is a wonderful Christmas gift,” Pacquiao said. “Throughout my career as a professional fighter and a public servant, it has been my goal to bring honor to my country, the Philippines, and my fellow Filipinos around the world. Today, I am humbled knowing that in June, I will receive boxing's highest honor, joining our national hero, Flash Elorde, as well as my trainer and friend Freddie Roach.
“I am very grateful to those who voted for me, and I look forward to celebrating with family, friends, and fans at induction weekend.”
Pacquiao was the pound-for-pound king; a box office sensation; a thrilling fighter to watch; and became a global icon that was one half of the richest fight in history by a lot in a decision loss to fellow Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather in their long-awaited 2015 welterweight unification fight.
Pacquiao notched numerous significant wins in some of the biggest pay-per view fights in boxing. He was a major underdog when he stopped HOFer Oscar De La Hoya in a stunningly one-sided beat down to send the “Golden Boy” into retirement; knocked out two HOFers in Miguel Cotto to win the WBO welterweight title and Ricky Hatton to win the lineal junior welterweight title; went 2-1-1 in a memorable series against HOFer Juan Manuel Marquez; routed Antonio Margarito to win the WBC junior middleweight title and establish the weight class title record; easily outpointed HOFer Shane Mosley; twice beat HOFer Marco Antonio Barrera, went 2-1 against HOFer Timothy Bradley Jr., although the loss in their first fight was one of the most controversial in boxing history; and was 2-1 against HOFer Erik Morales in an epic trilogy.
Pacquiao was also voted fighter of the year by the BWAA (2006, 2008 and 2009) and fighter of the decade (2000-2009).
“Manny Pacquiao is a global icon and one of the most accomplished boxers to ever step into the ring,” Hall of Fame executive director Ed Brophy said. “With titles in eight divisions and wins over a who’s who of modern stars, he earned the respect and admiration of fans across the globe.”
To see how I voted in each category click here for part 1
To see how I voted in each category click here for part 2
Michael Nunn
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Nunn (58-4, 38 KOs), who boxed from 1984 to 2002, was a regular on the pound-for-pound list and an emerging star with dominating southpaw skills and an engaging personality that put him in several high-profile bouts on HBO and Showtime.
He won the IBF middleweight title by knocking out then-unbeaten Frank Tate, his amateur rival against whom he had gone 1-2, in the ninth round in 1988 and made five successful defenses, all against notable opponents: Juan Roldan, Sumbu Kalambay (Nunn’s first-round knockout was picked as the 1989 Ring magazine KO of the year), Iran Barkley, Marlon Starling, and HOFer Donald Curry before losing it to HOFer James Toney.
In 1992, Nunn, who joins his trainers Angelo Dundee and Joe Goossen in the Hall, won a split decision over Victor Cordoba to claim the WBA super middleweight title and then more convincingly outpointed him in an immediate rematch among his four successful defenses.
Post boxing, Nunn served 15 years in prison on a drug trafficking conviction and was released in 2019. The HOF election was something he dreamed of.
“I’ve been waiting on this moment for so long. God has truly blessed me,” Nunn said. “I want to thank the International Boxing Hall of Fame and all the voters. This is the highest achievement a boxer can have in the sport. As a small town guy from (Davenport) Iowa to reach the highest achievement in boxing makes me proud. This is the crowning moment of my career.”
Vinny Paz
Paz boxed from 1983 to 2004 and became one of boxing’s most popular fighters. Known as “The Pazmanian Devil” for his all-out, go-for-broke style, Paz (50-10, 30 KOs) outpointed Greg Haugen to win the IBF lightweight title in 1987, lost it to him by decision in an immediate rematch, and outpoint him in a non-title fight in 1990 to win the trilogy.
Although Paz (formerly Pazienza), of Cranston, Rhode Island, lost a decision to Roger Mayweather challenging for the WBC junior welterweight belt in 1988 and Hector Camacho for the WBO belt in 1990, he stopped Gilbert Dele in the 12th round to win the WBA junior middleweight title in 1991.
Six weeks later, Paz fractured his neck in a car accident and is career seemed to be over. But in an inspirational comeback, he overcame the odds and returned to the ring 14 months later, eventually twice beating the faded great Roberto Duran and getting stopped in six by a prime Roy Jones Jr. in a super middleweight title challenge in 1995.
Old timers
Colombia’s Valdez (63-8-2, 43 KOs), who boxed from 1963 to 1980 and was 71 when he died in 2017, was a two-time middleweight champion.
In 1973, Valdez beat Bennie Briscoe for the second time, knocking him out in the seventh round to win the vacant WBC middleweight title. He made four defenses before losing a close decision to all-time great Carlos Monzon in 1976 in a unification bout for the undisputed crown. In a 1977 rematch, Monzon outpointed Valdez for the second time to retain the title.
Monzon retired after the win and Valdez faced Briscoe for the third time, this one for the vacant undisputed title and won a 15-round decision. Valdez lost the title via decision to Hugo Pastor Corro in his first defense in 1978 and another decision to Corro later in the year in an attempt to regain the title in a rematch.
Modern women
Mexico’s Chavez (32-5-3, 4 KOs), who boxed from 2006 to 2021, won titles in two divisions. She won the IBF junior flyweight belt from Irma Sanchez in 2011 followed by three defenses before she was stripped and won the WBC flyweight title from Arely Mucino in 2015 followed by six defenses.
Chavez, who was rained by Hall of Famer Nacho Beristain, went 11-1 in world title bouts.
Mathis (27-4-1, 23 KOs),of France, fought from 1995 to 2016 and won the WBA junior welterweight title in 2007 and added the WBC title in a 2008 unification win over Ana Pascal, who she stopped in the third round.
“I gave everything to boxing,” Chavez said. “It was my work and my life but the most beautiful things in my life came from boxing. It is a legacy I will leave to my daughter. I’m amazed and this fills my heart so much. Boxing keeps giving me all the best.”
Mathis, one of women’s boxing’s best punchers, beat HOFers Jane Couch and Holly Holm, although Holm defeated her in a rematch and she lost to surefire future HOFer Cecilia Braekhus in back-to-back fights in 2012.
Sanders (25-1-1, 8 KOs), of Detroit, who is the daughter of Detroit Lions tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders, packed a lot into her 2003 to 2008 career.
She won the WBC junior welterweight title against Eliza Olson in 2005 before eventually vacating. Sanders defeated women such as Layla McCarter, Chevelle Hallback and Lisa Holewyne. The only blemishes on her record came in her final two bouts, a decision loss and a draw to HOFer Holly Holm.
Non-participants
For most of the 2000s and 2010s, Bayless, of Las Vegas, was widely considered the best referee in boxing and assigned to one big fight after another.
He would go to the center of the ring, tell the fighters before they touched gloves, “What I say, you must obey,” and then referee a clean and fair fight. He refereed from 1992 to 2023, when he announced his retirement, and, according to Boxrec, he officiated 851 bouts, including nearly 200 title bouts.
He was regularly assigned to the biggest, highest-stakes, most pressure-filled fight, including Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, by far the biggest fight in boxing in recent decades, not to mention other mega fights: Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez, Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin I, Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez II, Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton, Bernard Hopkins-De La Hoya and Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder II.
“This is the most coveted award in the sport of boxing,” Bayless said. “I am truly humbled and thankful to the voting panel and to God for this honor.”
The Brooklyn, New York-born Gavin, who died at 70 in 2004 following a stroke, boxed as an amateur in the 1950s and learned from cutmen and trainers such as Ray Arcel, Freddie Brown and Chickie Fererra. Gavin worked the corners of such stars as Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya, Vitali Klitschko, Micky Ward, Vito Antuofermo, Kevin Kelley, Junior Jones and Eric Harding, who he also trained
Gibbs, of England, who was 79 when he died in 1999, refereed from 1958 to 1986 and worked fights involving Sugar Ray Robinson, Sonny Liston, Emile Griffith, Ken Buchanan, Barry McGuigan, Miguel Canto and many other greats. Among the most notable bouts he refereed were Muhammad Ali-Brian London, Joe Frazier-Joe Bugner and Wilfredo Gomez-Carlos Zarate.
He also judged, working fights such as Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran I, Chris Eubank-Nigel Benn II, Julio Cesar Chavez-Hector Camacho and Azumah Nelson-Jeff Fenech II
Observers
Greenburg, a San Antonio native, who has long lived in the outskirts of New York City, put his stamp on the best broadcast in boxing history as the longtime executive producer and later president of HBO Sports, where he worked for 33 years (1978 to 2011).
He was largely responsible for the look, sound and feel of HBO’s fights for decades. He helped revolutionize televised boxing by bringing CompuBox stats to the network, hiring the late Hall of Famer Harold Lederman to be the unofficial judge, and having translators in corners, which brought new dimensions to televised boxing.
In 1990, he was honored by the BWAA with the Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcast journalism. He helped create the “Legendary Nights” documentary series and “24/7” franchise. He was later promoted to president of HBO Sports in 2000, where he had the last word on what fights and fighters the network would get behind.
He won eight Peabodys and 56 Sports Emmy awards.
Brooklyn, New York’s Gordon began covering boxing in 1974. He was editor in chief of Boxing Illustrated from 1979-81, named editor in chief of The Ring magazine in 1983 and worked as an analyst for ESPN (1980-82), USA Network (1983-88) and MSG Network (1986-88). He also served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission (1988-95), president of the Association of Boxing Commissions (1990-92) and director of boxing at the Foxwoods resort (1995-97). Since 2009, he has covered the sport on SiriusXM as host of “At the Fights” alongside Gerry Cooney.
“I’ve got a lot of great phone calls during my career — from Bert Sugar to be editor of The Ring to the governor to become the commissioner of New York, but this is the greatest boxing business call in my entire life,” Gordon said of the call telling him he had been elected.
Women’s trailblazer
Unable to obtain a pro license in New York due to her gender, Davis, a native of Winnfield, Louisiana, turned pro in 1976 in Maine and boxed in Washington, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. She filed a sex discrimination suit against New York State Athletic Commission, and eventually won.
Along with Marian Trimiar and Jackie Tonawanda, Davis was among the first women to be granted a pro license by the NYSAC in 1978, a landmark ruling that paved the way for women to box in New York. She went 13-0 before retiring in 1981.
Pioneer
England’s Swift, known as “The Little Wonder,” was 15 when he debuted in 1829 as a bare knuckle fighter. In the aftermath of his bout with William Phelps, who died following the 85-round fight, the London Prize Rules were introduced to enhance the sport’s safety. Swift, who fought as a lightweight, was 14-2. He died in 1879.
For information on events planned for Induction Weekend call 315-697-7095 or visit www.ibhof.com.
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Not to rain on anyone’s parade here, but Vinny Paz doesn’t belong on the ballot, much less in the Hall. Boxing’s HOF has some dubious members, so it is what it is, but the bar has been lowered significantly, and now an argument can be made for anyone on that ballot.
That said, congrats to all electees, as this sport takes so much from those in and around it, and it’s nice to feel some recognition at the end of the day.
How many electors get to vote on the HOF each year?