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sports Diasabra 11 Juni 2022

Crowded dais as boxing hall of fame inducts three classes

The International Boxing when he was stopped by
Hall of Fame might have Lamon Brewster. He would
to build a new wing to host come back from that defeat
all the inductees after this to dominate the heavyweight
weekend’s ceremonies. division for nearly a decade,
fighting most of the time
Floyd Mayweather Jr. alone in Germany, where he had
makes Sunday’s event one of a big fan base. More casual
the most anticipated in years. fans didn’t like his careful
Add in fighters like Roy Jones style but Klitschko showed
Jr., Andre Ward and Bernard he could brawl, too, when
Hopkins — as well as some he dropped Anthony Joshua
pioneering women — and before 90,000 people in Lon-
the boxing hall in tiny Canas- don before being stopped in
tota, New York, figures to fill 2017 in what would be his
up quickly. last fight. Klitschko has been
The last two ceremonies in Ukraine with his brother,
were canceled because of the Vitali, since Russia invaded
pandemic. So there’s a three- their country.
year class of 27 fighters — CHRISTY MARTIN —
and 36 honorees in total — Her story was as compelling
that should appeal to even the as her fights, and Martin had
most casual boxing fan. a big stage on the undercard
That includes a new wom- of some of Tyson’s pay-per-
en’s category headed by Laila view fights. She was a gritty
Ali and Christy Martin, who fighter who moved forward
shot to fame when she was inductees: BERNARD HOPKINS — prime he was a masterful constantly and her bloody
featured on some of Mike Ty- FLOYD MAYWEATHER The Executioner was certain- blend of speed and power, so match with Deirdre Gogarty
son’s fight cards in the 1990s. JR. — One of the all-time ly one of the greatest middle- shifty that opponents strug- on a Tyson undercard in 1996
Organizers say all the fight- greats, and certainly one of weights of all time, with a gled to even hit him. Jones made a lot of boxing fans
ers are expected to be there the best defensive fighters record 20 straight defenses had a gold medal stolen from realize that women’s fights
except one. Former heavy- ever. His 50-0 record sug- of the middleweight title he him in the 1988 Olympics, were real. Martin would later
weight champion Wladi- gests perfection but May- won in 1995. Hopkins would but went on to win titles in be shot and stabbed by her
mir Klitschko is in Ukraine weather will probably best be later move up to 175 pounds, four different weight classes. husband and trainer, who is
alongside his brother, Vitali, known more for how he cap- and set a record as oldest One of those titles came at currently serving a prison
helping run the capital city of italized on his career better champion when he beat Jean heavyweight when he beat term. Also inducted on the
Kyiv during the ongoing war than any fighter before him. Pascal at the age of 46 to win John Ruiz in 2003, but the women’s side is Laila Ali,
against invading Russia. Vitali He invented the Money May the light heavyweight title. drastic move up from light who carried the weight of her
Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv and persona, but the money was Two years later, he won the heavyweight took a toll on famous father’s name as she
also a former heavyweight very real, including the esti- title again at the age of 48. Jones, who would go on to campaigned her way to a 24-0
champ, was inducted in 2018. mated $200 million he made Hopkins made his biggest lose three of his next four record at a time women’s
There are so many fighters to fight Manny Pacquiao in payday when he stopped Os- fights at 175 pounds. His boxing wasn’t taken seriously.
that the event will be held at the richest fight ever. May- car De La Hoya with a body legacy was diluted further OTHERS — Take your pick
a nearby casino instead of in weather also banked similar punch in their 2004 show- because he fought another 15 among a group of deserving
Canastota. Instead of fight- money to fight UFC’s Conor down, then won again when years after that with middling candidates including Juan
ing each other, the inductees McGregor, and his record he joined De La Hoya as a results. Manuel Marquez, Miguel
will find themselves fighting as a pay-per-view king may shareholder in Golden Boy WLADIMIR KLITSCH- Cotto, Andre Ward, Shane
for time for their acceptance stand for a long time. Is he Promotions. Not only a great KO — One of two hulking Mosley and James Toney. All
speeches in the biggest in- the greatest fighter ever as he fighter, but a great talker, es- heavyweight brothers who are top fighters who could
duction ever for the small hall claims? No, but that doesn’t pecially when it comes to his grew up in the Soviet box- headline any other ceremony
that honors boxing’s greatest. stop him from being in the career. ing system, Klitschko’s ca- that didn’t include some of
Here’s a look at some of the conversation. ROY JONES JR. — In his reer nearly ended in 2004 the greatest ever.

IndyCar to have two female racers in Road

America field

Simona de Silvestro fin- She finished the next two this season, and de Silvestro
ished second at the Hous- races with KV Racing — her will join Tatiana Calderon in
ton Grand Prix, the third one and only season with the the field to give IndyCar two
to last race of the 2013 In- team — and then her four- women entering multiple
dyCar season, and stormed year IndyCar run was over. events for the first time since
into the KV Racing truck She made three starts in 2015 2013.
to confront the owners. driving for Michael Andretti, “It’s a shame it was a long pe-
and was the only woman in riod the last couple of years
“Me! You need to hire me!” last year’s Indianapolis 500, that we hadn’t had somebody
the Swiss racer told her driving for the all-female Pa- in the top level of single-
bosses. They were seeking a retta Autosport team. seaters,” said Calderon, who
replacement for Indianapo- The road back to a regular will make her fifth start of reflect on what might have standings, she was 13th —
lis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, ride has been long and wind- the season for A.J. Foyt Rac- been if funding and the poli- wedged between Sebastien
who had formally announced ing, and de Silvestro will ing. The Colombian’s best tics of racing had been a little Bourdais, the driver who did
one day earlier he was leaving make her first IndyCar start finish was 15th on the road different in 2013. Her lowest replace Kanaan at KV Racing,
the team. De Silvestro was of the season on Sunday at course at Indianapolis; she finish in the final nine races and Josef Newgarden, who
not on the short list for his Road America in Wisconsin. only competes on the road of that season was 14th and was in his second season of
seat. It’s the first of three races Pa- and street courses. she closed with five consecu- IndyCar and on his way to
retta Autosport plans to enter De Silvestro can’t help but tive top-10s. In the final point stardom.