Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and all-time great Mexican 
icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. are among three fighters on the International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot for the first time dominated the sport from the 1980s to the mid-2000s.
The inductees will be announced on December 7. The induction ceremony is set for June 12 of next year at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. Fighters must be retired for five years before they become eligible for election.
Tyson (50-6, 44 knockouts) riveted the world with his crushing power and self-destructive behavior in and out of the ring. Of course, that includes biting off a portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear. He was the youngest-ever heavyweight champion and won versions of the title five times.
Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KOs), regarded by many as the best fighter in Mexico’s rich boxing history, was a three-division champion and long reigned atop of the pound-for-pound list. He claimed titles at junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight in a career that spanned 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.
Another fighter in his first year of eligibility, Kostya Tszyu, has a good chance of being inducted in his first try. Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs), who was born in Russia but moved to Australia after his standout amateur career, had two junior welterweight title reigns during his 13-year professional career. He stopped Jake Rodriguez in the sixth round in 1995 to claim the IBF 140-pound title and defended it five times until suffering an upset knockout loss to Vince Phillips.
The trio of Tyson, Chavez and Tszyu, all popular fighters around the world, being on the ballot for the first time gives the Hall of Fame the potential for a star-studded class.
There are Tyson haters who say that Tyson didn’t beat a legitimate fighter when they were in ther prime and thus doesn’t deserve the HOF induction.
I think that unifying the heavyweight title says a lot…
Chavez and Tyson for sure are in, hopefully Tszyu gets in too.
How can you not vote them in the HOF ???
Nobody Like Chavez!!!
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