GENNADIY GOLOVKIN’S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION HAS BEEN CALLED TOO GENEROUS BY SOME, BUT THOSE CRITICS ARE IGNORING THE OBVIOUS By Don Stradley Big Drama Show
D uring the early years of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, back when Madonna topped the global charts with “Vogue” and George H.W. Bush was America’s president, the shrine in Canastota moved quickly to shore up its list of honorees. The first few induction ceremonies saw a dramatic frontloading of all the obvious names from boxing’s illustrious past: Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and many other iconic figures that belonged in such a setting. That’s how it went for years, with the Hall combing through boxing’s vast backlog of champions and equating itself with undisputed greatness. Manuel Ortiz, one of the best bantamweights of the 20th century, wasn’t inducted until the IBHOF’s seventh ceremony, which shows how thick the competition was during the Hall’s launch. But something odd happened once the unquestionably great ones were all in. Gradually, some decidedly not- great fighters started appearing among the annual inductees. In the ensuing decades, the Hall welcomed dozens of fighters who were certainly entertaining but hardly worth mentioning in the same breath as Ali or Robinson. Apparently, the doors to the place
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