Meet the 2025 Boxing Hall of Fame class: Pacquiao, Paz, more

If Manny Pacquiao needed reminding that his unthinkable boxing vocation belongs successful the past, his galore achievements volition beryllium celebrated erstwhile helium is inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame connected Sunday successful Canastota, New York.

Most IBHOF inductees get for the ceremonial lawsuit with their boxing careers firmly successful the rearview mirror. But not Pacquiao.

With his champion years undeniably agelong behind, the 46-year-old volition reappear successful a boxing ringing aft astir 4 years retired when helium takes connected Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight rubric connected July 19 astatine the MGM Grand Garden Arena successful Las Vegas.

The boxing satellite had assumed Pacquiao's superb vocation had tally its course, lone for him to denote he is coming backmost to marque "history." "Pac Man" already has his ain section successful boxing past by winning championships successful an unmatched 8 boxing divisions, but with a triumph against Barrios, Pacquiao would go the archetypal combatant to triumph a satellite rubric arsenic a Hall of Famer.

He is besides attempting to interruption his ain grounds arsenic boxing's oldest 147-pound satellite champion (40 years, 215 days). Only 2 boxers, heavyweight George Foreman and airy heavyweight Bernard Hopkins, person won satellite rubric fights astatine the property of 46 oregon older.

But Pacquiao volition not beryllium unsocial successful entering the Hall. Here's a look astatine each 2025 inductee successful the Modern class -- and what makes them special.

Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) began his vocation astatine 16 years of property amid poorness successful the Philippines. Pacquiao staggeringly won his archetypal satellite rubric astatine conscionable 18 astatine flyweight (112 pounds) successful 1998. By 2010 Pacquiao had conquered his eighth value part with a inferior middleweight (154 pounds) title.

His vocation took disconnected erstwhile helium moved to Los Angeles to enactment with trainer Freddie Roach, who helium has reunited with to hole for Barrios adjacent month. With Roach successful his corner, Pacquiao bushed a agelong database of boxing Hall of Famers: Marco Antonio Barrera, Timothy Bradley Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Erik Morales and Miguel Cotto. His determination nonaccomplishment to Floyd Mayweather -- different Hall of Famer -- successful 2015 generated 4,600,000 pay-per-view buys, much than $400 millions successful revenue. The combat besides amassed much than $70 cardinal successful summons sales.

His all-attack, buzzsaw benignant made Pacquiao a popular, must-see boxer. There were large rivalries passim his vocation with Mexican fighters Morales (2-1) and Marquez (2-1-1), and for galore years helium was regarded arsenic boxing's champion pound-for-pound fighter, up of Mayweather.

Some of Pacquiao's champion performances and spectacular KO wins included those against Morales, Hatton, Barrera, Cotto and David Diaz. He rebounded from a crushing knockout decision to Marquez successful their 4th combat successful 2012 to bask a precocious flourish successful his vocation with wins implicit Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner successful 2019.

What separated Pacquiao from the remainder during his vocation were his manus speed, footwork, question and punch output, each of which were successful diminution aft the Filipino turned 40. In his past fight, Pacquiao mislaid a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas (a precocious replacement for Errol Spence Jr.) successful August 2021. He has precocious been engaged with different vocation arsenic a legislator successful his autochthonal Philippines.

Pacquiao is ranked No. 2 successful ESPN's apical 10 men's boxers of the 21st century, down lone Mayweather. The 5-foot-5 Pacquiao consistently bushed men who were bigger than him passim his vocation and referenced erstwhile Filipino boxers arsenic an inspiration arsenic his induction to the IBHOF approaches.

"I americium profoundly honored to articulation my chap countrymen -- Gabriel 'Flash' Elorde [junior lightweight champion 1960-67], Francisco Villaruel Guilledo [more wide known arsenic Pancho Villa, flyweight champion 1923-25] and legendary promoter Lope 'Papa' Sarreal -- successful the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame," Pacquiao told ESPN.

"I basal connected the shoulders of these icons and of different Filipino boxing heroes who paved the mode earlier me, including Ceferino Garcia [world middleweight champion 1939-40], Eleuterio 'Little Dado' Zapanta [bantamweight champion 1940, flyweight champion 1938-43] and Erbito Salavarria [WBC flyweight champion 1970-71, WBA flyweight champion 1975-76].

"Their courage, endowment and bequest proceed to animate generations. I look guardant to the time erstwhile adjacent much Filipino fighters gain their spot among boxing's elite -- champions who transportation guardant the arrogant contented of our federation and bring grant to the Philippines and Filipinos astir the world."

Vinny Paz

Paz (50-10, 30 KOs) is possibly champion remembered for his singular comeback from a dislocated vertebra and 2 fractured vertebrae successful his cervix sustained successful a head-on car clang successful 1991. "The Pazmanian Devil" suffered the wounded successful 1991 soon aft helium bushed Gilbert Dele to triumph the WBA inferior middleweight title, and his boxing vocation looked finished. Paz was told helium mightiness not locomotion again, and to assistance his betterment helium had to deterioration a metallic caput halo and cervix brace.

But 14 months aboriginal the Rhode Island-born boxer bushed Luis Santa successful his comeback bout, the commencement of a nine-fight winning streak, which ended erstwhile helium was stopped successful the sixth circular by a highest Roy Jones Jr. challenging for the IBF ace middleweight rubric successful 1995. His beingness communicative was made into a movie successful 2016, "Bleed for This," starring Miles Teller.

So Happy! So Honored," Paz told ESPN via text. "I inactive retrieve watching Muhammad Ali and Roberto Duran [two fighters Paz volition articulation successful the IBHOF] erstwhile I was a kid! My Hero's!"

Paz, who was calved Vincenzo Edward Pazienza, shared the ringing with immoderate large names: Roberto Duran, Jones, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Roger Mayweather, Herol Graham, Lloyd Honeyghan and Greg Haugen, among others. Paz bushed Haugen by unanimous determination to triumph the IBF lightweight rubric successful 1987, past mislaid the loop successful a rematch aboriginal the aforesaid year, besides by decision. Paz won different determination againstHaugen successful 1990, past mislaid 3 attempts to triumph the inferior welterweight title.

Michael Nunn

Nunn (58-4, 38 KOs) succeeded successful winning satellite titles astatine middleweight and ace middleweight during a fiercely competitory period. Those divisions were shark-infested waters astatine the time, yet it is testament to "Second to" Nunn's prime that helium managed to spell 11-4 successful satellite rubric fights with wins implicit apical fighters specified arsenic Iran Barkley, Marlon Starling and chap Hall of Famer Donald Curry.

Nunn, from Davenport, Iowa, started his pro vocation aft narrowly missing retired connected qualifying for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He went connected to clasp the IBF middleweight rubric from 1988 to 1991 and the WBA ace middleweight rubric from 1992 to 1994. Nunn mislaid the lineal middleweight rubric to James Toney by TKO successful the 11th circular successful 1991. Nunn was up connected the scorecards earlier being stopped. Nunn besides unsuccessfully challenged for the airy heavyweight rubric successful 1998.

Among his champion wins were 2 successful 1998, a crushing near hook first-round KO of Sumbu Kalambay and a Round 9 KO of Frank Tate successful his archetypal satellite rubric fight. After his boxing career, Nunn was sentenced to 24 years successful prison successful 2004 for cause trafficking. He was released successful 2019.

Yessica Chavez

Chavez (32-5-3, 4 KOs), who retired successful 2021, won satellite titles astatine inferior flyweight and flyweight. Chavez, of Mexico, captured the IBF inferior flyweight rubric successful 2011 and made 3 defenses earlier stepping up a part for a longer reign arsenic WBC flyweight champion, with six rubric defenses (2015-2017), including 2 determination wins implicit Esmeralda Moreno.

Mary Jo Sanders

Sanders (25-1-1, 8 KOs) is an aboriginal pioneer of women's nonrecreational boxing and won large satellite titles astatine inferior welterweight, welterweight, inferior middleweight and middleweight. There were lone 2 blemishes connected Sanders' record, her past 2 fights against chap Hall of Famer Holly Holm, which ended successful a determination nonaccomplishment and a gully (both successful 2008). Sanders, of Detroit, is the girl of NFL Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders.

Anne Sophie Mathis

Mathis (27-4-1, 23 KOs) was a feared puncher who bushed specified fighters arsenic Cindy Serrano, Holm and Jane Couch, different Hall of Famer. Mathis, of France, held satellite titles astatine inferior welterweight (2006-2008) and welterweight (2011). She retired from boxing successful 2016 aft losing to Cecilia Braekhus challenging for the undisputed welterweight championship.

Others inductees successful the Class of 2025 see referees Kenny Bayless and Harry Gibbs (posthumous) and cutman Al Gavin successful the Non-Participant category; Cathy "Cat" Davis successful the Women's Trailblazer category; broadcaster/journalist Randy Gordon and tv shaper Ross Greenburg successful the Observers category; Rodrigo Valdez (posthumous) successful the Old Timer class and Owen Swift (posthumous) successful the Pioneer category.