The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced its 2021 class and it is a star-studded class filled with world champions that remained undefeated at the conclusion of their spectacular careers, a dominant heavyweight champion that reigned as unified champion for nearly 10 years, and the daughter of a former heavyweight champion who in her own right ended her career undefeated.
Overall, there are 12 different people that will be inducted in the 2021 class eight of which are fighters and five fighters being inducted in the Boxing Hall of Fame’s modern category. Here, we will breakdown the careers of each fighter that will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s 2021 class in the modern category and what got them to this point.
Boxing Hall of Fame, class of 2021
Floyd Mayweather
- Career record: 50-0, 27 KOs
Floyd Mayweather, the son and uncle of former boxers Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Roger Mayweather, began his professional career in 1996 after winning the bronze medal in that year’s Summer Olympics. He went on to end his career undefeated winning world titles five different weight classes: super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight.
He beat a who’s who of former world champions including Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana, Manny Pacquiao and ended his career beating former UFC world champion Conor McGregor.
Laila Ali
- Career record: 24-0, 21 KOs
While many call former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali the greatest fighter in boxing history, his daughter and 2021 Boxing Hall of Fame member Laila Ali could very well stake her claim as the greatest women’s fighter in boxing history. She won titles in two weight classes including the WBC World Female Super Middleweight championship.
Ali made history in her fight with Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, Joe Frazier’s daughter, in which they became the first women to headline a pay-per-view card in a fight that Ali would go on to win via eight-round majority decision.
Wladimir Klitschko
- Career record: 64-5, 53 KOs
Wladimir Klitschko, brother of 2018 Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and former world champion Vitali Klitschko, dominated the heavyweight division in his prime. Klitschko won his first world title in 2000 when he beat Chris Byrd for the WBO Heavyweight championship going on to defend it five times before losing it in 2003.
His next world title reign began in 2006 when he again beat Chris Byrd. This time, winning the IBF and IBO Heavyweight titles. This began a nine-year reign as world champion during which he would also win the WBO and WBA Heavyweight titles. His cumulative 4,382 days or 12 years spent as heavyweight champion in his career is the most of all-time.
Andre Ward
- Career record: 32-0, 16 KOs
Another world champion that ended his career undefeated, Andre Ward won world titles in two different weight classes ending his career as unified Light Heavyweight champion. Ward won his first world title in 2009 when he beat Mikkel Kessler to win the WBA Super Middleweight championship.
He would hold the title for four years successfully defending it six times winning the WBC Super Middleweight title in the midst of his reign. In his penultimate fight, Ward beat Sergey Kovalev to win the WBA, IBF and WBO Light Heavyweight championships then successfully defending the titles in his final fight.
Ann Wolfe
- Career record: 24-1, 16 KOs
Most boxing fans know Ann Wolfe for her incredible first-round knockout win against Vonda Ward who stood a full nine inches taller than Wolfe. In her career, Wolfe won championships in three different weight classes: Super Welterweight, Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. She was inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.