A look into the IBHOF ballot for the 2026 class
Earlier this month, the International Boxing Hall of Fame sent out ballots to those who are eligible to vote on who could be in the 2026 class. As it is with every instance that the ballot gets sent out, there is a discussion by fans and media alike on who should get in and who should not. There are names on this years list that are first timers and those that have been on the ballot for multiple years. In this column, we will provide a brief bio of the fighters that are on the ballot.
Now as it is with every year, the criteria for voting is as follows:
“You may vote for up to 5 boxers. You are not required to vote for 5, but you may not vote for more than 5. Three fighters will be elected.”
That means that the three fighters with the highest amount of votes will be elected in the 2026 class. Let’s go into the fighters that are on the ballot for this year. Notable accolades will be included with some detail for select fighters on the list.
NOTE – Numbers attached with a question mark in parenthesis mean that there was a draw, no contest, or other technicality affecting the number of title defenses a fighter had.
All names listed in alphabetical order
Arthur Abraham (47-6, 30 KOs) – Over 10 defenses of IBF middleweight title, two time WBO super middleweight champ
Yuri Arbachakov (23-1, 16 KOs) – Defended WBC flyweight title from 1992 to 1997 (9 defenses)
Jorge Arce (64-8, 49 KOs) – Won titles at light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight and super bantamweight
Paulie Ayala (35-3, 12 KOs) – Won titles at bantamweight and super bantamweight
Nigel Benn (42-5-1, 35 KOs) – Won titles at middleweight and super middleweight, defeating Iran Barkley and Gerald McClellan
Vuyani Bungu (39-5, 19 KOs) – Defended IBF super bantamweight title 13 times
Lucian Bute (32-5, 25 KOs) – Defended IBF super middleweight title 9 times
Joel Casamayor (38-6, 22 KOs) – Won titles at super featherweight and lightweight, lineal at lightweight
Sot Chitalada (26-4, 16 KOs) – Two time WBC flyweight champion, lineal from 1984 to 1988
Steve Collins (36-3, 21 KOs) – Two division champion, defended WBO super middleweight title 7 times including 2 wins over Chris Eubank
Golovkin unified the middleweight division on two separate occasions. Photo via Reuters
Chris Eubank (45-5, 23 KOs) – Two division champion, defended WBO super middleweight title 12 times
Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs) – Lineal champion at welterweight, two time WBC super welterweight champion
Acelino Freitas (41-2, 22 KOs) – Unified super featherweight champion, two time WBO lightweight champion
Leo Gamez (35-12, 26 KOs) – Four division WBA champion
Mikey García (40-2, 30 KOs) – Four division champion
Gennady Golovkin (42-2, 37 KOs) – Two time unified champion at middleweight, defended WBA middleweight title 17 (?) times
Artur Grigorian (38-1, 23 KOs) – Defended WBO lightweight title 17 times
Genaro Hernandez (38-6, 22 KOs) – Two time super featherweight champion, defended WBA title 7(?) times
Chris John (48-1-3, 22 KOs) – Defended WBA featherweight title 16 times
Mikkel Kessler (46-3, 35 KOs) – Losses were to HOF fighters, Beat Froch, multi-time super middleweight champion
Dariusz Michalezewski was the WBO champion from 1994 to 2003.
Santos Laciar (79-10-11, 31 KOs) – Two division champion, defended WBA flyweight title 9 times
Rocky Lockridge (44-9, 36 KOs) – Two time super featherweight champion, lineal champ with win over Roger Mayweather
Miguel (Happy) Lora (37-3, 17 KOs) – Defended WBC bantamweight title 7 times, beat Wilfredo Vazquez
Henry Maske (31-1, 11 KOs) – Defended IBF light heavyweight title 10 times
Dariusz Michalezewski (48-2, 38 KOs) – Lineal light heavyweight champion, defended WBO title 23 times
Sung-Kil Moon (20-2, 15 KOs) – Two division champion, defended WBC super flyweight title 9 times
Omar Narvaez (49-4-2, 25 KOs) – Two division champion, defended WBO flyweight title 13(?) times, defended WBO junior bantamweight title 11 times
Orzubek (Gussie) Nazarov (26-1, 19 KOs) – Defended WBA title six times
Sven Ottke (34-0, 6 KOs) – Unified super middleweight champion, defended IBF title 21 times
Shawn Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs) – Two time welterweight champion
Gilberto Roman (54-6-1, 35 KOs) – 1-1-1 against Santos Laciar, two time WBC super flyweight champion with a total of 10(?) defenses
Tarver won titles in multiple divisions and has two wins over Roy Jones Jr. Photo by AFP
Gianfranco Rosi (62-6-1, 18 KOs) – Two time world champion, defended IBF super welterweight title 11 times
Veeraphol Sahaprom (66-4, 46 KOs) – Won WBA bantamweight title in 4th pro fight, defended WBC title 12(??) times
Samuel Serrano (50-6, 17 KOs) – Lineal super featherweight champion x 2, defended title 10 times in first reign, 3 times in second reign
Antonio Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs) – Multi time light heavyweight champion, won IBO cruiserweight title, 2-1 against Roy Jones Jr.
Meldrick Taylor (38-8-1, 20 KOs) – Two division champion, lost to Chavez twice and to Terry Norris
Fernando Vargas (26-5, 22 KOs) – Two time super welterweight champion
Israel Vazquez (38-6, 22 KOs) – IBF, WBC and lineal super bantamweight champion, 2-2 against Rafael Marquez
Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. (56-9-2, 41 KOs) – Three division WBA champion, defended super bantamweight title 9 times
Ratanapol Sor Vorapin (59-8-1, 48 KOs) – Two time IBF minimumweight champion, defended it 12 times in first reign and six times in the second reign
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (91-5-2, 47 KOs) – Two time WBC flyweight champion, lineal champion from 2010 to 2012, had a 55 fight win streak
Shinsuke Yamanaka (27-2-2, 19 KOs) – Defended WBC bantamweight title 12 times, former lineal champion
