Rich Marotta, founder and CEO of the newly-established Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame (NVBHOF), announced the NVBHOF’s historic inaugural class of inductees at a news conference today, which was held at the Richard Steele Boxing Club in North Las Vegas. Induction will take place in 2013. Details on the ceremony will be released in the coming months. Voting for the inaugural class of the NVBHOF was conducted by its officers and its Board of Directors. The results are as follows:
NEVADA RESIDENT BOXER:
- MIKE TYSON (50-6, 44 KOs). The former undisputed heavyweight champion was also the youngest man to wear the heavyweight crown during his first of three title reigns. He was renowned for his punching power and became boxing’s biggest draw. Tyson is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- MIKE McCALLUM (49-5-1, 36 KOs). Held the WBA super welterweight, WBA middleweight and WBC light heavyweight titles. McCallum is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- DIEGO CORRALES (40-5, 33 KOs). Held the IBF junior lightweight title and unified the WBO and WBC lightweight belts with a knockout victory over Jose Luis Castillo in arguably the greatest fight of his era.
NON-NEVADA RESIDENT BOXER
- JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ (107-6-2, 88 KOs). México’s greatest fighter, this three-division world champion was unbeaten in his first 90 bouts. Made his Nevada debut in 1985, knocking out Roger Mayweather in the second round to retain his WBC lightweight title. Nevada record was 21-4.(12 KOs). Chavez is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
- LARRY HOLMES (69-6, 44 KOs). Known as ‘The Easton Assassin,’ Holmes had one of the great jabs in boxing history. He won the title from Ken Norton in an epic bout in 1978 and held it until 1985. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Holmes was 18-3 in fights in Nevada.
- OSCAR DE LA HOYA (39-6, 30 KOs). The ‘Golden Boy’ won 10 world titles in six weight classes. He was the biggest pay-per-view star of his time and his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007 set the record with 2.5 million buys. He’s now the president of Golden Boy Promotions.
- SUGAR RAY LEONARD (36-3-1, 25 KOs). A 1976 Olympic gold medalist, Leonard was boxing’s top star of the 1980s. His wins over Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran remain among the most significant in the sport’s history. Leonard was 11-0-1 in 12 Nevada fights.
TRAINERS
- EDDIE FUTCH. The legendary Futch, a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, is regarded by many as the best trainer in boxing history. He trained greats such as Joe Frazier, Riddick Bowe, Michael Spinks and Alexis Arguello. He also mentored several great trainers and taught Freddie Roach the business.
- FREDDIE ROACH. The International Boxing Hall of Fame member is most known for his work with Manny Pacquiao, but he trained a series of great fighters, including the late Johnny Tapia and Mike Tyson. Roach is a five-time trainer of the year.
OFFICIALS
- MILLS LANE. Lane became arguably the top referee of his time with a fair but no-nonsense style that commanded the respect of the fighters he worked with. A former pro boxer with a 10-1 record, Lane worked many big fights, including Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield II, Pernell Whitaker-Oscar De La Hoya and Riddick Bowe-Evander Holyfield II. Lane was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and will be inducted in June.
- JOE CORTEZ. Nicknamed “Fair but Firm” for not only his familiar catchphrase but also his style, Cortez was one of boxing’s great referees during his 32-year career. Cortez worked many of the big fights of his era, including Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz.
