Boxing Hall to induct female boxers, shorten wait period

CANASTOTA, N.Y. (AP) — The International Boxing Hall of Fame is making changes to its voting process, shortening the retirement time for consideration and creating two categories for female fighters.

The categories for female boxers are Trailblazer, boxers whose last bout was no later than 1988, and Modern, those whose last contest came no earlier than 1989. Both female and male boxers must be retired for at least three years before the end of the calendar year in which voting takes place, meaning that boxers who last fought in 2016 are now eligible for consideration.

Similar to Major League Baseball, the post-retirement waiting period had been five years since the first inductions in 1990. The Hall of Fame will determine the number of honorees in the Modern category at the start of the election process.

The amendments announced Tuesday were approved by the International Boxing Hall of Fame Board of Directors in April and will take effect for the 2020 election.

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