International Boxing HOF induction still on for June for now

The Coronavirus outbreak has consumed American society and brought the sports world, including boxing, to halt. However, the International Boxing Hall of Fame still intends, for now, to hold its induction ceremony in June.

The New York Post had the story from boxing writer George Willis saying the International HOF still hopes to meet and do its induction between June 11 – 14:

They're not quite ready to move their Hall of Fame ceremony https://t.co/h4UJPbWOjd

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) March 21, 2020

The Hall, in Canastota, N.Y., did close earlier this week to visitors, but said at the time, it’s is only through March 31st, for now. However, with New York, like many other states going to almost a mandatory isolation for everyone, it’s likely that the International Boxing Hall of Fame won’t reopen till at least the middle of April or longer.

This year’s class is star-studded, including former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard “the Executioner” Hopkins. Hopkins was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame last August.

Other fighters going in include, multi Division World Champion Juan Manuel Marquez and one of the most dynamic fighters of the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions in the early 2000’s, former world champ “Sugar Shane” Mosley.

This would also be the first year that females have been inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, and that would include former world champion fighters Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker. The International Hall is also slated to put promoters Lou Dibella Kathy Duva and the late Dan Goossen in this summer.

The Hall’s executive director, Ed Brophy, told the New York Post,

“We’ll continue to follow the rules and regulations of the county and the state and monitor all the different guidelines and watch what happens day-by-day and week-by-week as we go through March.”

Brophy continued, “It’s an historic class with the first females to be enshrined and have their plaques in the museum,” Brophy said. “Ticket sales for the weekend had been good since the fall when we made the announcement of the inductees. We’re still right on target for have a special weekend.

We’re going to continue to monitor the next week and a half and the beginning of April and determine what is happening. Everything is day-to-day. It’s hard to forecast out to June. But the best position we can be in is to maintain our plans that are well underway and keep moving forward.”

As the Post also pointed out, the New York Boxing Hall of Fame had originally scheduled their induction ceremony for April 19th however they have decided to postpone until September 20th.