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.