Thirty-five years after the International Boxing Hall of Fame first opened in Canastota, a new batch of inductees will be inducted this weekend.
The Hall of Fame officially opened in the summer of 1989. The following year, legends such as Willie Pep, Archie Moore, Muhammad Ali and local hero Carmen Basilio came to Central New York as its first inductees.
The 35th class of inductees will be recognized during the Hall's Induction Weekend Celebration, which began today at the Hall and culminates with an induction ceremony on Sunday at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.
The 2024 inductees include two-division champions Michael Moore, Ricky Hatton, Ivan Calderon and Diego Corrales in the men's Modern division, Jane Couch of Great Britain and Ana Maria Torres of Mexico in the women's Modern division, Luis Ángel Firpo in the Veteran division, Teresa Kibby in the Women's Trailblazer division, trainer Kenny Adams, manager Jackie Cullen and publicist Fred Sternberg in the Non-Participant division, journalist Wallace Matthews and announcer Nick Charles in the Observer division. Corrales, Firpo, Kibby and Charles will be inducted posthumously.
Sternberg, a longtime publicist who has worked with Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Moseley and 2024 Hall of Fame member Corrales, is a Syracuse University alumnus, graduating in 1981 with degrees in political science and advertising.
Induction Weekend events will kick off with the ringing of the opening bell on the museum grounds Thursday. Events will include a fist toss on the Hall of Fame grounds on Friday, a Collectors' Show at Canastota High School on Saturday, a Champions Banquet at Turning Stone on Saturday night, a Parade of Champions through the streets of Canastota on Sunday and an induction ceremony at the Turning Stone showroom on Sunday afternoon.
Additionally, Turning Stone will host a live professional boxing card on Friday night, with the main event featuring Oscar Collazo and Gerardo Zapata fighting for the WBO minimumweight world title. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the card will air on DAZN.
Hall of Fame ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. will emcee Sunday's ceremony. Lennon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, and his father, the late Jimmy Lennon Sr., was inducted in 2017.
Sunday's ceremony will be streamed live on the Hall of Fame's YouTube channel and is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
Weekend Schedule:
Thursday, June 6
3 pm: Opening Bell, Hall of Fame Grounds
1:30pm – 5:30pm: Ringside speeches, Hall of Fame grounds
Friday, June 7
10:00 AM to 2:00 PM: Ringside speeches, Hall of Fame grounds
2:30pm: Fist throwing, Hall of Fame grounds
6 pm: Professional boxing card, Turning Stone Resort Casino Events Center (tickets via Ticketmaster, TV via DAZN)
Saturday, June 8
8:30 AM: 5K Race and Fun Run, Canastota High School
9:30am – 3pm: Ringside speeches, Hall of Fame grounds
10am to 3pm: Boxing autographs, collectibles, card shows, Canastota High School
6:30pm: Banquet of Champions, Turning Stone Resort Casino
Sunday, June 9
noon: Parade of Champions, Downtown Canastota
2:30pm: Turning Stone Resort Casino Induction Ceremony
