Circumstantial Greatness: Absence of Locks Widens IBHOF Voting Net

Sometimes, it’s just one of those years.

After a recent stretch in which several high-profile fighters hung up the gloves with a subsequent summertime trip to Canastota, N.Y. all but guaranteed, the Class of 2023 is less certain.

Though every fighter on the “modern” ballot had a world-class career that was better than 99 percent of his peer group, it’s parsing that final percent that separates the all-time good from all-time great.

Each modern elector can choose up to five fighters and three are guaranteed entrance.

Still, to these eyes, precisely zero are a slam dunk for the latter category.

None pass the “eye test” that supersedes need for further research, unlike the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Roy Jones Jr., who were in the last three induction classes.

In spite of championships in six weight classes and a combined 154-14-2 record, none of the new ballot candidates – Arthur Abraham, Omar Narvaez, and Michael Nunn – rise to the level of that trio. 

They join the 39 holdovers on the ballot, with 66 championships of their own, and the lack of instant selections required a bit more research and perhaps a bit more allowance for back stories than is typical.

Call it circumstantial greatness.

Regardless, the new class will be honored during induction weekend next June.

And in keeping with a tradition in this space that’s yielded years of hate mail for suggesting certain fighters don’t belong in the hall without paid admission, here’s a wide-open look at my 2023 picks.

Gentlemen… start your vitriol.

Arthur Abraham

Career: 2003-2018

Record: 47-6 (30)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Yuri Arbachakov

Career: 1990-1997

Record: 23-1 (16)

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

Jorge Arce

Career: 1996-2014

Record: 64-8-2 (49)

Titles at: 108, 115, 118, 122

VOTE: NO

Paulie Ayala

Career: 1992-2004

Record: 35-3 (12)

Titles at: 118, 122

VOTE: NO

Nigel Benn

Career: 1987-1996

Record: 42-5-1 (35)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Timothy Bradley

Career: 2004-2016

Record: 33-2-1 (13)

Titles at: 140, 147

VOTE: YES

Vuyani Bungu

Career: 1987-2005

Record: 39-5 (19)

Titles at: 122, 126

VOTE: NO

Ivan Calderon

Career: 2001-2012

Record: 35-3-1 (6)

Titles at: 105, 108

VOTE: NO

Joel Casamayor

Career: 1996-2011

Record: 38-6-1 (22)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Sot Chitalada

Career: 26-4-1 (16)

Record: 1983-1992

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

Diego Corrales

Career: 1996-2007

Record: 40-5 (33)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Chris Eubank

Career: 1985-1998

Record: 45-5-2 (23)

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Acelino Freitas

Career: 1995-2017

Record: 41-2 (34)

Titles at: 130, 135

VOTE: NO

Carl Froch

Career: 2002-2014

Record: 33-2 (24)

Titles at: 168

VOTE: NO

Leo Gamez

Career: 1985-2005

Record: 35-12-1 (26)

Titles at: 105, 108, 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Ricky Hatton

Career: 1997-2012

Record: 45-3 (32)

Titles at: 140, 147

VOTE: YES

Genaro Hernandez

Career: 1984-1998

Record: 38-2-1 (17)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Chris John

Career: 1998-2013

Record: 48-1-3 (22)

Titles at: 126

VOTE: NO

Mikkel Kessler

Career: 1998-2013

Record: 46-3 (35)

Titles at: 168

VOTE: NO

Santos Laciar

Career: 1976-1990

Record: 79-10-11 (31)

Titles at: 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Rocky Lockridge

Career: 1978-1992

Record: 44-9 (36)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Miguel Lora

Career: 1979-1993

Record: 37-3 (17)

Titles at: 118

VOTE: NO

Rafael Marquez

Career: 1995-2013

Record: 41-9 (37)

Titles at: 118, 122

VOTE: YES

Henry Maske

Career: 1990-2007

Record: 31-1 (11)

Titles at: 175

VOTE: NO

Dariusz Michalczewski

Career: 1991-2005

Record: 48-2 (38)

Titles at: 175, 190

VOTE: NO

Sung-Kil Moon

Career: 1987-1993

Record: 20-2 (15)

Titles at: 115, 118

VOTE: NO

Michael Moorer

Career: 1988-2008

Record: 52-4-1 (40)

Titles at: 175, HWT

VOTE: NO

Omar Narvaez

Career: 2000-2019

Record: 49-4-2 (25)

Titles at: 112, 115

VOTE: NO

Orzubek Nazarov

Career: 1990-1998

Record: 26-1 (19)

Titles at: 135

VOTE: NO

Michael Nunn

Career: 1985-2002

Record: 58-4 (38)  

Titles at: 160, 168

VOTE: NO

Sven Ottke

Career: 1997-2004

Record: 34-0 (6)

Titles at: 168

VOTE: NO

Vinny Paz

Career: 1983-2004

Record: 50-10 (30)

Titles at: 135, 154, 168

VOTE: YES

Gilberto Roman

Career: 1981-1990

Record: 54-6-1 (35)

Titles at: 115

VOTE: NO

Gianfranco Rosi

Career: 1979-2006

Record: 62-6-1 (18)

Titles at: 154

VOTE: NO

Samuel Serrano

Career: 1969-1997

Record: 50-5-1 (17)

Titles at: 130

VOTE: NO

Antonio Tarver

Career: 1997-2015

Record: 31-6-1 (22)

Titles at: 175, 200

VOTE: NO

Meldrick Taylor

Career: 1984-2002

Record: 38-8-1 (20)

Titles at: 140, 147

VOTE: YES

Fernando Vargas

Career: 1997-2007

Record: 26-5 (22)

Titles at: 154

VOTE: NO

Israel Vazquez

Career: 1995-2010

Record: 44-5 (32)

Titles at: 122

VOTE: NO

Wilfredo Vazquez

Career: 1981-2002

Record: 56-9-2 (41)

Titles at: 118, 122, 126

VOTE: NO

Ratanapol Sor Vorapin

Career: 1990-2009

Record: 59-8-1 (48)

Titles at: 105

VOTE: NO

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam

Career: 1994-2018

Record: 91-5-2 (47)

Titles at: 112

VOTE: NO

* * * * * * * * * *

This week’s title-fight schedule:

No title fights scheduled

Last week’s picks: None

2022 picks record: 31-12 (72.1 percent)

Overall picks record: 1,240-404 (75.4 percent)

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body’s full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA “world championships” are only included if no “super champion” exists in the weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.

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