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Riddick Bowe, Ray Mancini, Naseem Hamed elected to Hall of Fame

Fighters Network
04
Dec

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, former lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and former featherweight champion “Prince” Naseem Hamed have been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Thursday.

The three fighters, voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians in the Modern category, will be inducted on June 14 at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

Among others in the Class of 2015: former junior flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken (Old-Timer); former flyweight champion Masao Ohba (Old-Timer, posthumous); former middleweight champion Ken Overlin (Old-Timer, posthumous); publicist John F.X. Condon (Non-Participant, posthumous); referee Steve Smoger (Non-Participant); manager Rafael Mendoza (Non-Participant); HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley (observer); and former RING Magazine Editor and current ESPN.com analyst Nigel Collins (observer).

Below are comments from a few of the inductees.



Riddick Bowe

“I’m ecstatic. As a kid, this is what I dreamed of. I’m just so happy. For me, hard work and determination got me in the Hall of Fame.”

Click here for Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield I

Click here for Holyfield vs. Bowe II (The Fan Man Fight)

Click here for Bowe vs. Holyfield III

 

Naseem Hamed

“This is amazing news. It’s an absolute honor to be recognized with some of the best fighters that ever lived. I’m overwhelmed to hear this news. What can I say? I’m so happy that I officially got the call from the International Boxing Hall of Fame to tell me this.

“For every fighter this is the phone call of a dream because when you get a phone call saying you’re going to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, it’s not every day you get that call.”

Click here for Prince Naseem Hamed vs. Kevin Kelley

 

Ray Mancini

“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.”

Click here for Ray Mancini vs. Art Frias

 

Rafael Mendoza

“This is great. This makes my day, my year and my life because I’ve been in boxing for almost 55 years. This is really something exciting for me. I will be very proud to be there because some of my fighters that I represented are already there like Alexis Arguello, Pipino Cuevas and ‘Chiquita’ Gonzalez. I’m very, very happy. This is the best news in my boxing life.”

 

Steve Smoger

“I’m eternally grateful. It’s really the highest honor and it’s the culmination of a lifetime in the great sport of boxing. I’m humbled, honored and overwhelmed. Words can’t express my gratitude.”

 

Nigel Collins

“I haven’t wiped the smile off my face since the Hall of Fame phoned and gave me the news. There is no higher honor in boxing than being elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and I am deeply appreciative.”

 

Jim Lampley

“I am surprised and delighted to learn of my election to the IBHOF. I look forward with great excitement to making my first trip to Canastota this summer to accept the honor on behalf of my family, my friends, and everyone at HBO and at ringside who has helped to support my long, lucky tenure in boxing. I couldn’t be more appreciative.”

 

Note: Information taken from a release

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