Coordinates: 43°5.3′N 75°45.05′W / 43.0883°N 75.75083°W / 43.0883; -75.75083 The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta. The IBHOF is one of two recognized^{[by whom?]} international boxing halls of fame, with the other being the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

The first Boxing Hall of Fame was sponsored by Ring magazine and located for decades at the offices of the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. However, in 1990, as a consequence of an initiative by Ed Brophy to honor Canastota's world boxing champions, Carmen Basilio and Basilio's nephew, Billy Backus, the village of Canastota inaugurated the new museum, which showcases boxing's rich history. Multi-award winning artist Richard T. Slone was named their official artist of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997 and remains so to this day.

There are ceremonies conducted every year to honor the inductees and the ceremonies are attended by many former world boxing champions, boxing celebrities and Hollywood celebrities each year.

Professional boxers have to wait five years after retirement to be eligible for election into the Hall of Fame.

On December 9, 2008, the Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2009. Living inductees include bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales (USA), heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (UK), junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell (South Africa), publicist / matchmaker / promoter Bob Goodman (USA), promoter Akihiko Honda (Japan), journalist Hugh McIlvanney (UK) and broadcaster Larry Merchant (USA). Posthumous honorees are: middleweight champion Gorilla Jones, welterweight champion Mysterious Billy Smith, middleweight champion Billy Soose in the Old-Timer Category; manager Billy Gibson and commissioner Abe J. Greene in the Non-Participant Category; journalist Paul Gallico in the Observer Category; and Tom Hyer in the Pioneer Category.

Contents 1 Inductees 1.1 Modern era 1.2 Old Timers 1.3 Pioneers 1.4 Non-participants 1.5 Observers 2 External links

[edit] Inductees

* Year of induction in brackets

[edit] Modern era

[edit] Old Timers

[edit] Pioneers

[edit] Non-participants

[edit] Observers

[edit] External links

• IBHOF Official site