The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the members of the Class of 2021. Living inductees include champions Wladimir Klitschko, Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward in the men’s Modern category; Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe in the women’s Modern category; Marian Trimiar in the women’s Trailblazer category and Dr. Margaret Goodman in the Non-Participant category.
Posthumous inductees are featherweight champion “The Springfield Rifle” Davey Moore in the Old Timer category, Jackie Tonawanda in the women’s Trailblazer category, cutman Freddie Brown and manager/trainer Jackie McCoy in the Non-Participant category, journalist George Kimball and television executive Jay Larkin in the Observer category.
The 2021 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend is scheduled for June 10-13th in Canastota, NY.
Mayweather and Klitscho deserve to go in first time. Their body of work and dominance merit that. No doubt about it. I also think Miguel Cotto should have also. Although I do believe Andre Ward deserves to be a Hall of Famer- I just do not think he is a first ballot one. Certainly not over Cotto, or James Toney (who was also up for it first time this year).
Ward’s career was too short, the only fighters he fought that are of any significance are Froch and Kovalev. I doubt neither of them will ever get in the Hall.
Just because he retired undefeated, does not erase the fact he had a rather boring career (there is not one fight anyone would watch over again or would be called a ” classic”). Like I said- a talented, great fighter, but not a first ballot hall of famer. That should be reserved for the truly greats of any sport.
What was the IBHOF thinking? 2 days before they announced the 2021 inductees, they gave Andre Ward a 99% chance of making the HOF. I was shocked to see that. They gave Cotto only an 80% chance of making the HOF. Cotto should have been given a 95% or higher. Cotto should have been a 1st ballot HOF over Ward. The record speaks for itself. Cotto 41-6 33KO’s, 4x division champion. Cotto had a longer championship reign. Cotto also fought a better quality of opposition than Ward. Ward was 32-0 16KO’s, 2x division champion. Do I need to say any more?