INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF Fame Makes Changes To Eligibility

The International Boxing Hall of Fame is putting into effect a couple tweaks which will go into effect soon.

The Canastota-based outf will now have a category for women boxers, and this other change is a nod to the society which has a shorter attentoion span: fighters can get voted into the hall three years after their last fight.

Amendments were approved by the International Boxing Hall of Fame Board of Directors in April.

“In the men’s Modern boxer category, the retirement requirement will change from five (5) years prior to the end of the calendar year in which voting takes place to three (3) years prior to the end of the calendar year in which voting takes place. With this change, boxers who last fought in 2015 and 2016 who were not yet eligible for inclusion on the ballot under previous protocol are now eligible for consideration for the Class of 2020,” read the release which shared the news.

“The Hall of Fame will continue to determine the number of honorees in the Modern category at the start of election process. In addition to the top vote recipients of the pre-determined number, starting in 2020, a candidate in the Modern category receiving 80% or higher of total votes cast will automatically gain enshrinement,” the release continued.

Regarding the addition which will better spotlight women in the business. Voters will be offered choices in the “Trailblazer” and “Modern” category.

Trailblazer nominees are those boxers whose last contest came no later than 1988, said Ed Brophy, the IBHOF head.

For the record, ballots will be distributed on October 1, 2019 and a news conference will be held in early December to announce results of the voting. Inductees will be named in the following categories: Modern, Old-Timer, Pioneer, Non-Participant and Observer; and, for the first time, women’s Modern and Trailblazer categories.

The last hall call enshrined two division world champions Donald “Lone Star Cobra” Curry, Julian “The Hawk” Jackson, James “Buddy” McGirt; welterweight champion Tony DeMarco; matchmaker / promoter Don Elbaum, referee / judge Guy Jutras, publicist Lee Samuels, broadcaster Teddy Atlas and journalist Mario Rivera Martino.