PRESS RELEASE: The International Boxing Hall of Fame will announce at the Hall of Fame Events Pavilion on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. the identity of the newest Hall of Fame Inductees. Inductees will be named in five categories: Modern, Old-Timer, Pioneer, Non- Participant and Observer. Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and an international panel of boxing historians cast votes. Voters from Japan, England, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Germany, Puerto Rico and the United States are among those who participate in the election process.

"The Hall of Fame's annual announcement is an exciting moment for the boxing community. All eyes turn to Canastota to see who will be among the new class of inductees," said Executive Director Edward Brophy. "All inductees receive a permanent place on the Hall of Fame Wall and living honorees will be presented with a gold Hall of Fame Ring at the Official Induction Ceremony."

The 20th Annual Induction Weekend will be held June 11-14, 2009 in Canastota, NY. Over 20 events, including a banquet, parade, golf tournament, and the official induction ceremony on the Hall of Fame Museum Grounds, are scheduled. A celebrity lineup of over 50 boxing greats of yesterday and today is anticipated. For more information on the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, or the news conference announcing the newest inductees, please call the Boxing Hall of Fame at (315) 697-7095.