International Boxing Hall of Fame
Titletown U.S.A.
Canastota has a rich boxing heritage, which makes it an ideal home for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This small central New York town (population: 5,000) is located about twenty miles east of Syracuse on the New York State Thruway.
In 1895, the first projection of a motion picture film, with a device known as the Biograph, took place in Canastota. Appropriately, the film showed boxers sparring. In the twentieth century, boxing gyms and clubs flourished in Canastota, and an active amateur program continues there today. In addition to its own boxing tradition, Canastota is close to Syracuse, a major boxing venue for many years.
Canastota is most proud, however, of the two champions its boxing environment eventually produced: native sons Carmen Basilio, welterweight and middleweight champion in the late 1950s, and Basilio's nephew, Billy Backus, welterweight champ in 1970 and '71.
In August 1982, a movement was started to raise $30,000 in donations from local businesses to construct a showcase featuring memorabilia from the careers of Basilio and Backus. The showcase, a brick structure with tall picture windows and overhanging roof, was built directly across the street from the future site of the Hall of Fame. It was dedicated in August 1984.
This success gave impetus to the group that had already established itself as the Boxing Hall of Fame, Inc. to plan and build a shrine for the sport and its stars from around the world. The Ring had at one time inducted members into a Hall of Fame located in its offices. However, that hall never established an existence independent of the magazine and did not survive changes in the publication's ownership and offices.
Many Canastota residents put their energies behind the effort to establish a new Hall of Fame, and local boxing enthusiast Edward Brophy became the Hall's executive director. The Hall's founders secured two state grant's for $50,000 for a feasibility study and other preliminary work. Twenty-five area residents pledged $1,000 each, and the village and township councils approved small annual appropriations. A location near the Thruway, and agreements from collectors to donate boxing memorabilia to the museum were lined up, and four years later, the 2,000 square-foot facility opened its doors to the public. The Hall has seen two major expansions since its opening, and further plans, including a new library facility, are in the works. The village continues to actively support the Hall, and many residents have contributed a decade or more of service.
Inside the Hall
Exhibits include the "Wall of Fame," where each inductee is represented with a plaque including a photo and brief biography. Championship belts, plaster casts of famous fists, and the robes, trunks, and gloves of storied fighters are prominently displayed. The unique collection of fist casts grows each year as living honorees join in fistcasting on the induction weekends.
Other displays in the Hall include tickets and programs from famous fights, and historic copies of The Ring. In addition, a collection of equipment used in training shows the different gloves and protective devices used in preparing for a fight. An exhibit of the tools used by cut men gives the boxing fan a rare opportunity to see firsthand what a cornerman uses to control cuts. In addition to these and other exhibits, videotapes of great fights and fighters are shown on monitors located throughout the museum.
The Hall of Fame also boasts an extensive boxing library, available for use by the general public by appointment. The library's holdings include annual editions of the Ring Record Book, biographies and autobiographies of boxing figures, and many other books dealing with the sport. Of special interest to the boxing enthusiast is the collection of boxing magazines and programs, most notably the complete bound volumes of The Ring. The museum also has a gift shop, replete with boxing collectibles.
The Vote
Until 2014, members of the Hall of Fame fell into five categories: Modern (Last bout no earlier than 1943), Old-Timer (Last bout no earlier than 1893; no later than 1942), Pioneer (Last bout in or prior to 1892), Non-Participant (Those who have made contributions to the sport apart from roles as boxers or observers, such as trainers, managers, promoters, and officials), and Observer (Print and media journalists, publishers, writers, historians, photographers and artists).
In 2014 the IBHOF amended the voting:
- The Pioneer category no longer will be voted on annually, but rather every five years to coincide with the Hall’s anniversary years. Therefore, the next Pioneer class will not be enshrined until June 2019 when the IBHOF marks its 30th induction weekend. In line with past policy, only the top vote-getter will earn enshrinement.
- The Modern category’s starting year was moved from 1943 to 1989. Fighters on the previous Modern ballot whose final bout occurred in 1988 or earlier were removed to make room for boxers who probably wouldn’t have made the ballot nearly as quickly as they would have under the old system. Also, the pool of nominees was reduced from 45 to 30--but includes 20 first-timers, the most since the Hall’s inaugural year. Finally, because of the shorter list of nominees, voters are permitted to choose a maximum of five fighters instead of the previous limit of 10. Like past years, the top three vote-getters will be inducted.
- The biggest changes were reserved for the Old Timers category. To accommodate the mass migration of names previously listed on the Modern Ballot, the cut-off date for the Old-Timers was extended from 1942 to 1988. With nearly 80 names comprising vastly divergent eras now in the mix, the Hall decided to split the Old Timers into two distinct groups: The “Early Era” that constitutes the original 1893-1942 Old Timers ballot span, and the new “Late Era” that will list fighters whose careers ended between 1943 and 1988. The two ballots will alternate from year to year, with the 40 “Late Era” fighters getting the first crack before the voters, who can choose as many as five. Like the Pioneers, only the top vote-getter will be elected.
In order to be placed on the ballot, individuals must first clear a pre-screening committee of boxing historians. Fighters are required to have been retired for five years, but Non-Participants and Observers can be elected to the Hall of Fame even if they are still active.
Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and an international panel of boxing historians cast votes. Voters from Japan, England, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Germany, Puerto Rico and the United States are among those who participate in the election process.
An independent accounting firm tabulates the votes and the results are presented to the Hall. A news conference is held each year in December to announce the new class of inductees and the formal induction ceremony is held each year in June.
The first year of inductions was 1990. 53 people were inducted, including 20 in the Modern category, 21 in the Old-Timer category, and five in the Pioneer category. Executive director Edward Brophy said the first class included so many members because "it's 1990 and we have nearly 100 years of boxing to catch up on." In the Modern category, 11 boxers were inducted in 1991, seven were inducted in 1992, and five were inducted in 1993. Starting in 1994, four boxers from the Modern category would be inducted annually. In 2006, the number was lowered to three.
Induction Weekend
The high point of the year at the International Boxing Hall of Fame is induction weekend in June, when new members are inducted. Famous boxers, past and present, pour into town. The atmosphere is casual, and members of the public are quite likely to be able to talk with and get autographs from some of the sport's heroes.
Besides the induction ceremony, the weekend features many other boxing related activities, such as a golf tournament where fans can play golf with the boxing greats, a cocktail party, a banquet, and a parade of champions through the town. In addition, the public can attend ringside lectures given by fighters and other prominent figures in the sport, and workout sessions from today's top stars. For those interested in boxing memorabilia, a large boxing collectibles show is held in the Canastota High School gym.
As an added attraction, a celebrity serves as Grand Marshal of the parade. Celebrities from the entertainment world who have been the Parade Grand Marshal are Mr. T, Sherman Hemsley, Bo Derek, Al Lewis, Tony Sirico, Tony Orlando, Ryan O'Neal and Mario Lopez.
Though it is still relatively new, the International Boxing Hall of Fame is rapidly living up to its nickname: "The Showplace of Boxing".
(Source: The Boxing Register - International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book)
Hall of Fame Tidbits
- Official Site
- Hall of Fame Inductees:
Alphabetical | Sortable Table - Induction Programs:
1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
Mailing Address:
International Boxing Hall of Fame
1 Hall of Fame Drive
Canastota, NY 13032
Phone: (315) 697-7095; Fax: (315) 697-5356