The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) announced its newest class of inductees, including former world lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, heavyweight champion Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe and featherweight champion “Prince” Naseem Hamed in the Modern category; light flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken in the Old-Timer category; booking agent / manager Rafael Mendoza and referee Steve Smoger in the Non-Participant category; and editor / journalist Nigel Collins and broadcaster Jim Lampley in the Observer category.
Mancini, fighting out of Youngstown, Ohio, captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight championship in 1982, stopping Arturo Frias in the 15th round, and successfully defended his WBA title four times against Ernesto Frias (TKO1), Deuk-Koo Kim (KO14), Orlando Romero (KO9) and Hall-of-Famer Bobby Chacon (TKO3).
Mancini said the following when informed of his IBHOF election: “Wow. I’m humbled and I’m honored. To be in the International Boxing Hall of Fame with so many of my friends and heroes is overwhelming.”
The 2015 Hall of Fame Weekend is scheduled for June 11-14th in Canastota, NY. Over 10 events, including a golf tournament, banquet, parade and autograph card show, are planned. An impressive celebrity lineup of boxing greats of yesterday and today will attend this year’s Induction Weekend. The highlight of the weekend will be the Official Enshrinement Ceremony on the Hall of Fame Museum Grounds in Canastota, New York on Sunday, June 14th to welcome the newest members.
The Hall of Fame also released names of posthumous honorees: Masao Ohba and Ken Overlin in the Old-Timer Category; and publicist John F.X. Condon in the Non Participant Category. Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians.
