Gennadiy Golovkin, Vernon Forrest and Steve Collins are included on the latest International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot as an international panel prepare to cast their votes for induction into Canastota in 2026.
Each year new faces appear on the ballot and Golovkin, who had his last fight in 2022, is now eligible in the Men’s Modern category after being inactive for a period of three years. Kazakhstan’s Golovkin, 42-2-1 (37 KOs), was the dominant middleweight of his era and looks all but certain to be inducted into the prestigious hall.
Atlanta, Georgia’s Forrest, 41-3 (29 KOs), held titles at welterweight and junior middleweight and twice defeated 2020 inductee Shane Mosley in 2002. Ireland’s Collins, 36-3 (21 KOs), is another two-weight beltholder having claimed WBO titles at middleweight and super middleweight in the 1990s.
On the Women’s Modern ballot, there are debuts for Japan’s five-division champion Naoko Fujioka, 19-3-1 (7 KOs), Germany’s two-division champion Christina Hammer, 28-1 (13 KOs), and Mexico’s Jackie Nava, 40-4-4 (16 KOs), another two-weight titlist.
Welsh flyweight Willie Davies (Wales), 119-28-17 (8 KOs), has been added to the “early era” old timer ballot.
Trainer/cutman Jimmy Glenn (USA), referee Jack Reiss (USA), publicist Kelly Swanson (USA), and judge Steve Weisfeld (USA) have been added to the non-participant ballot.
In the observer ballot, new additions are Britain’s prolific broadcaster and journalist Steve Bunce, American journalist Steve Springer and American TV producer Gordon Hall.
“The annual ballot mailing is a special time for the sport of boxing," said Executive Director Edward Brophy. "There is tremendous anticipation as the Hall of Fame and the worldwide boxing community anxiously await the results to determine who will join the list of boxing immortals.”
Ballots were distributed October 1 and a press announcement will be made in early December to reveal results of the voting. Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and boxing historians from around the world cast votes. Voters from Japan, England, Canada, Argentina, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, Mexico and the United States are among those who will participate in the election process.
