Ricky Hatton, the everyman from England who won world titles in two weight classes, and Diego Corrales, who scored one of the most dramatic championship wins in the 21st center, headline the 12-person class elected Thursday to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Joining Hatton and Corrales in the modern men's category is long-time minimumweight champion Ivan Calderon, and former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. Selected in the modern women's category was Jane Couch and Ana Maria Torres.
Publicist Fred Sternburg, trainer Ken Adams and manager Jackie Kallen were elected in the non-participant category. Journalist Wally Matthews and the late broadcaster Nick Charles were chosen as observers. Luis Angel Firpo was chosen posthumously in the old-timer category and Theresa Kibby was elected posthumously in the women's trailblazer class.
They will be inducted on June 9 in Canastota, New York.
Hatton was one of the most popular fighters of his time. His fans traveled the world to support him and made themselves known by singing, "There's only one Ricky Hatton," to the tune of the song, Winter Wonderland.
Hatton won world titles at super lightweight and welterweight and participated in two massive pay-per-view bouts, against Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., that were huge worldwide attractions. He went 45-3 with 32 KOs.
"That’s incredible," Hatton said. "You never think of when you lace the gloves on at 10 years old that you’ll end up in the Hall of Fame with some of the great fighters already there. I’m a bit speechless. There’s no greater honor. I’m delighted."
Corrales was 40-5 with 33 knockouts and was a world champion at super featherweight and lightweight. He's best known for his dramatic knockout victory over Jose Luis Castillo at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on May 7, 2005.
Corrales was dropped twice in the 10th round of what had been a sensational fight, but when he pulled himself off the canvas a second time in the 10th, little did anyone know the drama that was about to unfold. Corrales got up and landed a huge shot on Castillo as Castillo came in for the finish. Corrales landed a flurry that turned the lights out on Castillo and referee Tony Weeks jumped in to stop it.
It's widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in boxing history.
Corrales died on May 7, 2007, in a motorcycle accident two years to the day of his greatest victory.
"I'm over the moon happy to hear that Diego will be enshrined with his boxing peers and family that he loves so much at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024," Corrales' widow, Michelle Corrales-Lewis, said. "Our entire family thanks the voting committee for recognizing the hard work and dedication that Diego gave the sport of boxing with the highest level of recognition a champion can ever ask for. I'm sure Diego is smiling from ear to ear as I accept this news on his behalf. Thank you."
Moorer is probably best known for losing to George Foreman on Nov. 5, 1994, as the then-45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win a world title. But that obscured a brilliant career in which he started 35-0, won titles at heavyweight and light heavyweight and scored wins over the likes of Evander Holyfield, Leslie Stewart, Bonecrusher Smith, Bert Cooper, Axel Schulz and Frans Botha.
Moorer went 52-4 with 40 knockouts.
"I appreciate this very much," Moorer said. "The Hall of Fame Wall is the wall of the elite and I am so happy to be inducted alongside some of my favorite boxers like Salvador Sanchez, Alexis Arguello and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. I made it to the elite."