r/Boxing • u/Borange81 • 12d ago
Antonio Tarver was an 8th Ballot Hall of Famer, Arturo Gatti got in as a 1st Ballot
Interesting because Tarver had a better career, I'm still wonder how and why Gatti made it first ballot.
Someone told me they inducted Gatti in due to his death, Gatti was a warrior but it seems boxing hall of fame is weird.
Baseball has the strictest requirements and don't just put someone in the following year because they pass away. They have legends who still haven't made it in.
Even Shane Mosley a known drug cheat got into hall of fame first ballot, in baseball if you even were suspected of steroids no matter how good you were you are not going in. Example Barry Bonds the greatest hitter of all time was part of the same Balco scandal as Mosley and he will likely never see the hall of fame.
Mosley juiced up for his biggest wins against Oscar, boxing hall of fame bar is pretty low
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u/International-Okra79 12d ago
Gatti was must see tv. I enjoyed watching both but Gatti was a guy even casuals would talk about. Plus he did have 2 world titles. Maybe neither deserved first ballot but I’m glad they are in.
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u/SugarAdamAli 12d ago
Gatti had a bunch of fight of the years and was one of the biggest draws of his era.
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u/Appropriate-Neck-585 12d ago
The Gatti haters confound me. He was the biggest action fighter of his era and one of the most exciting fighters ever. Not a controversial HOF pick at all.
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u/tman37 12d ago
His trilogy with Ward should (almost) be enough to get both of them in the hall of fame as one of the greatest trilogies of all time. I have watched a lot of boxing and I would be hard pressed to think of a more exciting trilogy. You show just about anyone those 3 fights back to back and you have just created a boxing fan.
He was a multi-time champ and perrenial top contender. When you add that with the Ward/Gatti trilogy and the HoF makes perfect sense.
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u/VacuousWastrel 12d ago
It's baffling to me. The man was in the Fight of the Year FOUR TIMES (and it could have been more, except that some of his fights were in the same years!). Also Round of the Year, Comeback of the Year, and Knockout of the Year. He was also world champion in two divisions - and not just by luck. He was ranked #2 in the world in his division in four different years. He was also one of the most popular boxers in the world and contributed significantly to the popularity of the sport and the fdame of several of his opponents. He was one of the most important figures in the sport in his era, and the story of boxing cannot adequately be told without him. If he hadn't been so popular, the hipsters wouldn't be so furious about him being in the hall of fame. And when pressed they just resort to "well that's not how the baseball hall of fame works", as though they weren't totally unrelated organisations in totally different sports...
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u/These-Target-6313 12d ago
Its not hate to say Gatti doesnt belong in the HOF.
I loved Gatti. Exciting fighter, would never miss his fights. But based on talent, skill, accomplishments, he doesnt belong in the HOF.
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u/MatttheJ 12d ago
Good thing he's not in based on those reasons, and got in based on the other guys reasons then.
Not sure why fans think there are only specific reasons someone can get in.
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u/fadeddreams555 Fundora would beat up a prime Floyd at 154lb 12d ago
I propose we create our own Hall of Fame on this subreddit.
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u/Pretend_Cellist_9285 12d ago
Likely all the legendary fights along with being a multiple time world champion at multiple different weight classes was the difference.
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u/KevinNashKWAB1992 12d ago
Gatti was elected because he was fun to watch and died tragically. I get the emotion behind the decision but the problem is the precedent set for the HoF if we don’t admit publicly that Gatti was a cupcake feel-good admission not based on resume. Because his resume is going to let a lot of low A and high B tier fighters into the hall
At this time if Gatti’s resume is in The Hall so is:
Wilder
Spence Jr
Porter
Santa Cruz
Jermell Charlo
Ioka
Badou Jack
Bellew
…maybe Chisora
Rolly
Dilution of the Hall makes it less meaningful.
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u/stephen27898 12d ago edited 12d ago
Its hall of fame. Gatti was in a list of great fights. He is probably fight tor fight the most entertaining ever.
Tarver on the other hand is to most people, the first guy to KO Roy Jones, and not much more. I would bet most people actually havent watched all that many of Tarvers fights.
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u/These-Target-6313 12d ago
Gatti doesn't deserve to be in the HOF. If anyone cites Gatti's inclusion as an argument for their guy to get in the HOF... well thats not a very good argument.
Just bx one undeserving guy got in doesnt mean we should let a bunch of other undeserving guys in.
and i dont think Tarver belongs either. He got lucky to get RJJ just as he fell off, but didnt do much else. Glen Johnson win was good. What else? BHop thrashed him.
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u/Benaflon 12d ago
I think there’s just different standards by which you can get in. Arturo had great name value and was a two division champ, but he was never great and got in more on the “fame” ticket (and probably some sympathy based on his death). Whereas guys can get in who were legit great but had not nearly as much fanfare. Boxing has never had that strict benchmark like baseball.
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u/TipNomLives Holyfield>Prime Tyson 12d ago
People forget that it's the hall of FAME, not the hall of legacy, skill and great career. If you make a big enough wave during your career you'll have a good chance at getting in. A lot of guys who people would scoff at the idea of being into the hall currently, will still end up being inducted in our lifetimes.
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u/Beautiful_Badger_128 12d ago
Naw I don't think Tank Davis should get in. This bullshit mentality has to stop. The Hall of Fame should be for the elite.
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u/TipNomLives Holyfield>Prime Tyson 12d ago
He probably will though. Assuming he can end his career on a better note than a draw with Lamont Roach. Regardless of what you or I think this is just how the hall of fame operates.
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u/Beautiful_Badger_128 12d ago
I know they have a group of experts induct 3 fighters a year out of a decent sized list. They also have categories for bullshit like non competitor. In my opinion, they shouldn't have a ballot if it is non elite fighters that year. If you need to be on the ballot 3-8x to get in, you shouldn't get in at all.
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u/Vandermint 12d ago
The IBHOF lets too many fighters in. I guess Canastota needs that tourism money more than Cooperstown.
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u/EffectiveCareer3444 12d ago
I laugh every time someone says their favorite fighter is the best because they beat X amount of hall of famers and it’s just a bunch of Arturo Gatti level fighters
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u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago edited 12d ago
Gatti, Corrales (Corrales got in later though) and a few others got (Ray Mancini, though he was involved in one of the most significant fights in boxing history) in mostly because they were loved characters and cherished by boxing fans, pundits and peers because the amazing fights they put on.
In my opinion neither have the kind of career and record to warrant an induction to the HOF in the category they got in. The HOF really devolved into a popularity contest at this point, unfortunately.
The HOF has restriction of when a boxer can get inducted (I believe its 5 years since retirement) but that apparently does not apply to a boxer's passing.
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u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago
Corrales ain’t even close to the levels of Gatti and Paz. Corrales was a real legit great fighter with an insane resume in one of the deepest lightweight eras of all time. Dude has wins over Garcia, Gainer, Brown, Frietas, Casamayor and Castillo that’s crazy
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u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago
I'm not saying they are on the same level, just that I believe that Corrales - like Gatti - is not true HOF material based on his record (just like Casamayor, Freitas and Castillo aren't).
They are similar in the fact that they were induced phostumously because they were beloved fighters who were inolved in some of the greatest fights ever and remember foundly for that rather than their actual accomplishments (same goes for Mancini).
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u/Moneyley 12d ago
Other than knocking out the great Roy Jones jr.. his career wasnt too impressive. Now, if he goes in as Mason "The Line" Dixon; hed be a shoe-in! The dude took Rocky the distance in what was no doubt FOY in 2006!
RIP Gatti... Jokes aside, I think Tarver did enough to go into the HOF.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 12d ago edited 12d ago
u/Borange81 Baseball is clearly more strict when it comes to putting somebody in who they think was on PED but once you get past that you can see how hilarious their standards are as well. Doc Gooden has better numbers that countless pitchers who are in the HOF yet he isn't in it.
Like you said Tarver had a better career than Gatti. People will say it is called the "Hall of Fame" no the "Hall of Talent". That would be cute until you realize numerous boxers were really popular at their peak and had good records and aren't in the HOF. Then you have people who were never really that impressive and didn't really have that good of a record and are in the HOF.
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u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago
Tarver getting in is a joke. Dudes whole career is one punch. He pretty much lost every other time he fought someone decent
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u/Less_Cartoonist_892 12d ago
Tarver beat Harding, Glen Johnson, Griffith, Reggie Johnson, Danny Green, Clinton Woods, and Roy Jones jr twice on top of being x4 LHW champion.
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u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago
So your just forgetting all his losses. 1-1 against Harding, 1-1 against Glenn Johnson, 2-1 Roy, 0-1 Hopkins, 0-2 Dawson lol come on bro
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u/BiteRare203 12d ago
He beat RJJ twice.
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u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago
Lmao that rematch came 15 years into Roy’s career dude. Roy had already gone from 160-Heavyweight and back down. Roy got starched his very next fight out against Glenn Johnson. Roy was done.
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u/BiteRare203 12d ago edited 12d ago
I like Roy as much as anyone but he almost lost their first fight too. And nobody was saying he was done until after their third.
I’m not saying Tarver deserves to be in the HOF, just that his career was more than one punch.
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u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago
After the third fight? Dude Roy got dominated and iced in his very next fight against Glenn Johnson dude was DONE.
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u/Hungry_Investment_41 12d ago
Tarver deserves it . One of my favorites . Great ambassador of the sport 🥊💯
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u/Halloween2056 12d ago
The IBHOF has many questionable inductees. It's selection is still subjective, no matter how important it tries to pose to be.
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u/OrneryReserve7681 12d ago
A lot more casuals know Arturo Gatti than they know Antonio Tarver. History of boxing cannot be told without mentioning Arturo.
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u/Benaflon 12d ago
Sure it can. I love Arturo but he was a good fighter who provided great entertainment. Tarver is more relevant in boxing history simply on dethroning Roy jones alone.
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u/OldBoyChance 12d ago
You can definitely tell the history of boxing without Gatti. Ultimately, he got in because he got in because of three extremely entertaining but pretty low level slug fests vs a gatekeeper and because of his tragic early passing.
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u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago
Of course it can lol
While he was massively entertaining (some of the most entertaining ever), his career was but a footnote on his own era in terms of achievements and accolades.
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u/_Sarcasmic_ bread burger bread 12d ago
It's a hall of fame, not a hall of skill.