World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin has been officially inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place in Canastota, New York, The Ring reported.
Golovkin was inducted in the Men’s Modern Category, together with former world champions Antonio Tarver and Nigel Benn.
At the ceremony, Golovkin stated that boxing became his life work and called the Hall of Fame induction one of the career’s main awards.
«Boxing is my life … I’m truly honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The recognition means more to me than I can express. I’m very proud to be standing with legends. I never stopped believing in myself. This honor wouldn’t be possible without my team and I’d like to express my gratitude to my coaches, Abel Sanchez, Johnathon Banks … and thank you to Tom Loeffler. My family … my wife, my kids and my brother, [because of you] I’m standing with great people,» The Ring cited Golovkin as saying.
First representative of Kazakhstan
Golovkin became the first Kazakhstani boxer to be honored with induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It was announced last year that the athlete would be inducted into the IBHOF Class of 2026.
Golovkin is a former unified world middleweight champion. Over his professional career, he had 45 fights, winning 42 of them, with 37 victories coming by knockout. One of the defining chapters of his career was his trilogy of fights with Saul «Canelo» Alvarez.
Context
The International Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 1989. The induction of new members is considered one of the most respected traditions in global boxing. Becoming part of the IBHOF is a career-defining honor for boxers, coaches, referees, and other members of the boxing community.
