IBHOF has become a joke for awhile now. So many more fighters that deserves to be in that are left out because they're not popular enough. Gatti being in was the last straw.
Yup. Also got outboxed by good but not great guys for several rounds before his power bailed him out. Again, none of this is to denigrate Gatti as an exciting fighter who deserves to be remembered. But if Gatti is in the HoF there's scores of guys throughout history, especially in the old days, who deserve to be in there too. Al Bernstein was asked about this in his podcast and said he voted against Gatti getting in, and that he felt Gatti was a fighter worthy of remembering but would have preferred like a side exhibit about him without an induction because of the reasons you describe. It seems like a sentimental pick because of his untimely death and because he had the affections of a lot of the boxing media.
Naseem Hamed When he finally stepped up, the way in which got beat like a ragdoll by Barrera (who was moving up a division) in a one sided humbling beatdown mismatch. And subsequent early retirement knowing he could never compete with the best. Strongly indicates he definitely has no place whatsoever amongst a knowledgeable elite list in boxing such as the hall of fame.
.He was undefeated and should be strongly considered, like him or not. Not all of his wins were robberies...lol
I agree. If you look at Joe Namath's stats (for example, more picks than TD's), yet he got in the HOF.
I have this conversation with other baseball fans constantly, who have turned the Hall of Fame into a Hall of Stats. To me it's not about making a Top N boxers list, it's more about who perpetuated boxing, demonstrated what it was about, and participated in the iconic moments of their era. Gatti is still borderline though, at that point why not Ward and Augustus who were in a number of other bangers? I'm OK with the idea of a big tent HoF. If Gatti wasn't in, no one would go there and say "wow that was so much fun not seeing anything about Arturo Gatti, how refreshing!" You go because you want to see your favorites and you don't think much about who isn't there. At the same time, I hope they maintain some priciples even if they are broad.
