It’s election season.

And after many years in which a few names clearly separated from the pack of “modern” fighters angling for International Boxing Hall of Fame induction, we’ve got ourselves a horse race.

Three of the fighters on the ballot will be elected, in addition, thanks to another rule change, to anyone else receiving votes on at least 80 percent of the ballots.

Each modern elector can choose up to five fighters.

Among the newbies are Miguel Cotto, Wladimir Klitschko, Floyd Mayweather Jr., James Toney and Andre Ward, each of whom last fought in 2017.

Those five fighters alone won championships in 15 weight classes.

They join the 37 holdovers on the ballot, with 63 championships of their own.

The 2021 induction weekend – which will join the pandemic-snuffed celebration for the 2020 class – is pegged for June 10-13.

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 a paid admission, here’s a wide-open look at my 2021 ballot.

My voting criteria, while admittedly not as scientific as some colleagues, is simple.

Was the fighter among the best in his peer group for a prolonged stretch of time?

Not a one-year star or a popular guy who got TV time solely due to persona or style, but was he one of those guys – for at least a handful of years – who simply had to be on a short list of the best fighters in the world?

If the answer is yes he’s got my vote. If the answer is no he’s got my apologies.

So, with that, gentlemen… start your vitriol.

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: NO

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

Miguel Cotto
Career: 2001-2017
Record: 41-6 (33)
Titles at: 140, 147, 154, 160
VOTE: YES

Chris Eubank
Career: 1985-1998
Record: 45-5-2 (23)
Titles at: 160, 168
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: NO

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

Wladimir Klitschko
Career: 1996-2017
Record: 64-5 (53)
Titles at: HWT
VOTE: YES

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: NO

Henry Maske
Career: 1990-2007
Record: 31-1 (11)
Titles at: 175
VOTE: NO

Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Career: 1996-2017
Record: 50-0 (27)
Titles at: 130, 135, 140, 147, 154
VOTE: YES

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

Orzubek Nazarov
Career: 1990-1998
Record: 26-1 (19)
Titles at: 135
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: NO

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: NO

James Toney
Career: 1988-2017
Record: 77-10-3 (47)
Titles at: 160, 168, 190
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

Andre Ward
Career: 2004-2017
Record: 32-0 (16)
Titles at: 168, 175
VOTE: YES

* * * * * * * * * *

This week’s title-fight schedule:

Vacant IBO super featherweight title – Fondi, Italy
Patrick Kinigamazi (No. 31 IBO/No. 50 IWBR) vs. Michael Magnesi (Unranked IBO/No. 68 IWBR)
Kinigamazi (32-2, 4 KO): First title fight; Won 14 straight fights since 2012 (14-0, 1 KO)
Magnesi (17-0, 9 KO): First title fight; Two stoppage wins in two scheduled 12-rounders
Fitzbitz says: OK, unless you’re among the hardest of the hardcore, this fight isn’t on the radar. But we’ll take a crack. Magnesi is far younger and seems to have more pop. He wins. Magnesi in 10 (60/40)

Vacant WBO flyweight title – Tokyo, Japan
Giemel Magramo (No. 1 WBO/No. 7 IWBR) vs. Junto Nakatani (No. 3 WBO/No. 4 IWBR)
Magramo (24-1, 20 KO): First title fight; Seven straight stoppage wins since 2016 (34 total rounds)
Nakatani (20-0, 15 KO): First title fight; Never fought beyond the ninth round
Fitzbitz says: An interesting little fight at 112. Magramo is ranked higher, but Nakatani is home and has a bigger name (Milan Melindo) among his past victims. Good enough. Nakatani by decision (70/30)

WBC lightweight title – Hollywood, Florida
Devin Haney (champion/No. 5 IWBR) vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa (No. 10 WBC/No. 16 IWBR)
Haney (24-0, 15 KO): Second title defense; Two stoppage wins in three scheduled 12-rounders
Gamboa (30-3, 18 KO): Eighth title fight (5-2); Both title-fight losses have come at 135 pounds
Fitzbitz says: Gamboa is a rugged, tough dude. He’s been gutty in losses for belts at 135, but not particularly close to winning. Haney is younger and faster, and it’ll show. Haney by decision (90/10)

Last week's picks: 1-1 (WIN: Inoue; LOSS: Santa Cruz)
2020 picks record: 29-6 (82.9 percent)
Overall picks record: 1,146-371 (75.5 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.