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Sometimes, it’s one of those years.
After a recent stretch in which several top fighters hung up their gloves with the upcoming summer trip to Canastota, NY all but certain, the Class of 2023 is uncertain.
Although every fighter on the “modern” lot has a world-class performance that is better than 99 percent of his peers, he considers the last segment that shared the best time from each great time.
Each round of voting can select up to five fighters and three are guaranteed entry.
Still, to these eyes, exactly zero is an interesting zero for the last group.
No one has passed the “eye test” that is beyond the need for further investigation, unlike the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Roy Jones Jr., who are in the final three induction classes.
Despite a combined six-weight championship record of 154-14-2, none of the newly elected contenders – Arthur Abraham, Omar Narvaez, and Michael Nunn – made it to the third round.
They’re entering 39 holdovers on the ballot, with 66 championships of their own, and the absence of an instant pick requires more research and perhaps a little more allowance for backstories than it’s been doing.
Call it the size of nature.
Regardless, the new class will be honored at the end of induction next June.
And according to tradition in this space that has produced hateful messages for years to suggest that some fighters do not enter the hall without being paid, here is the fall of the 2023 election.
Gentlemen… start your vitriol.
Arthur Abraham
Career: 2003-2018
Write: 47-6 (30)
Title: 160, 168
VOTE: NO
Yuri Arbachakov
Career: 1990-1997
Write: 23-1 (16)
Title: 112
VOTE: NO
Jorge Arce
Career: 1996-2014
Drop: 64-8-2 (49)
Title: 108, 115, 118, 122
VOTE: NO
Paulie Ayala
Career: 1992-2004
Write: 35-3 (12)
Title: 118, 122
VOTE: NO
Nigel Benn
Career: 1987-1996
Drop: 42-5-1 (35)
Title: 160, 168
VOTE: NO
Timothy Bradley is a man on the moon
Career: 2004-2016
Dropping: 33-2-1 (13)
Title a: 140, 147
VOTE: Yes
Vuyani Bungu
Career: 1987-2005
Write: 39-5 (19)
Title: 122, 126
VOTE: NO
Ivan Calderon
Career: 2001-2012
Download: 35-3-1 (6)
Title: 105, 108
VOTE: NO
Joel Casamayar
Career: 1996-2011
Drop: 38-6-1 (22)
Title: 130, 135
VOTE: NO
Sot Chitalada
Career: 26-4-1 (16)
Release: 1983-1992
Title: 112
VOTE: NO
Diego Corrales
Career: 1996-2007
Write: 40-5 (33)
Title: 130, 135
VOTE: NO
Chris Eubank
Career: 1985-1998
Dropping: 45-5-2 (23)
Title: 160, 168
VOTE: NO
Acelino Freitas
Career: 1995-2017
Write: 41-2 (34)
Title: 130, 135
VOTE: NO
Karl Froch
Career: 2002-2014
Write: 33-2 (24)
Title: 168
VOTE: NO
Leo Gamez
Career: 1985-2005
Download: 35-12-1 (26)
Title a: 105, 108, 112, 115
VOTE: NO
Ricky Hatton
Career: 1997-2012
Write: 45-3 (32)
Title a: 140, 147
VOTE: Yes
Genaro Hernandez
Career: 1984-1998
Dropping: 38-2-1 (17)
Title: 130
VOTE: NO
Chris John
Career: 1998-2013
Drop: 48-1-3 (22)
Title: 126
VOTE: NO
Michael Kessler
Career: 1998-2013
Write: 46-3 (35)
Title: 168
VOTE: NO
Santos Laciar
Career: 1976-1990
Download: 79-10-11 (31)
Title: 112, 115
VOTE: NO
Rocky Lockridge
Career: 1978-1992
Write: 44-9 (36)
Title: 130
VOTE: NO
Miguel Lora
Career: 1979-1993
Write: 37-3 (17)
Title: 118
VOTE: NO
Rafael Marquez
Career: 1995-2013
Write: 41-9 (37)
Title: 118, 122
VOTE: Yes
Henry Maske
Career: 1990-2007
Write: 31-1 (11)
Title: 175
VOTE: NO
Dariusz Michalczewski
Career: 1991-2005
Write: 48-2 (38)
Title a: 175, 190
VOTE: NO
Sung-Kil Moon
Career: 1987-1993
Record: 20-2 (15)
Title: 115, 118
VOTE: NO
Michael Moorer
Career: 1988-2008
Drop: 52-4-1 (40)
Title at: 175, HWT
VOTE: NO
Umar Narvaez
Career: 2000-2019
Dropping: 49-4-2 (25)
Title: 112, 115
VOTE: NO
Orzubek Nazarov
Career: 1990-1998
Write: 26-1 (19)
Title: 135
VOTE: NO
Michael Nunn
Career: 1985-2002
Write: 58-4 (38)
Title: 160, 168
VOTE: NO
Sven Ottke
Career: 1997-2004
Record: 34-0 (6)
Title: 168
VOTE: NO
Vinny Paz
Career: 1983-2004
Record: 50-10 (30)
Title: 135, 154, 168
VOTE: Yes
Gilbert Roman
Career: 1981-1990
Drop: 54-6-1 (35)
Title: 115
VOTE: NO
Gianfranco Rossi
Career: 1979-2006
Drop: 62-6-1 (18)
Title: 154
VOTE: NO
Samuel Serrano
Career: 1969-1997
Drop: 50-5-1 (17)
Title: 130
VOTE: NO
Antonio Tarver
Career: 1997-2015
Drop: 31-6-1 (22)
Title a: 175, 200
VOTE: NO
Meldrick Taylor is a man on the moon
Career: 1984-2002
Download: 38-8-1 (20)
Title a: 140, 147
VOTE: Yes
It’s Fernando Vargas
Career: 1997-2007
Write: 26-5 (22)
Title: 154
VOTE: NO
Vazquez Israel
Career: 1995-2010
Write: 44-5 (32)
Title: 122
VOTE: NO
Wilfredo Vazquez is a man on the moon
Career: 1981-2002
Drop: 56-9-2 (41)
Title a: 118, 122, 126
VOTE: NO
Ratanapol Sor Vorapin
Career: 1990-2009
Dropping: 59-8-1 (48)
Title: 105
VOTE: NO
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
Career: 1994-2018
Drop: 91-5-2 (47)
Title: 112
VOTE: NO
**********
This week’s title fight schedule:
A title fight is not planned
Last week’s picks: None
2022 record: 31-12 (72.1 percent)
Overall record: 1,240-404 (75.4 percent)
NOTE: The battles previewed are the only ones that include a full title holder – no temporary, diamond, silver, etc. WBA “world championship” fights are only included if there is no “super champion” in the weight class.
Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and has written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Writers Guild of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.
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