Calzaghe, De La Hoya, Trinidad among new Hall of Famers

Unbeaten Welsh star Joe Calzaghe, US icon Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya and Puerto Rico's Felix Trinidad were among those named Wednesday as 2014 inductees into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The induction ceremonies will be at the upstate New York facility on June 8. Others to be inducted include promoter Barry Hearn, referee Richard Steele, photographer Neil Leifer, journalist Graham Houston and posthumous honorees Tom Allen, Mike O'Dowd, Charles Ledoux, George Chaney and referee Eugene Corri. Calzaghe, 41, finished a 15-year pro career 46-0 with 32 knockouts and defended his super middleweight crown 21 times. In his final fights at light heavyweight, Calzaghe dispatched Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones. "I'm so excited," Calzaghe said. "I'm very proud and humbled. I think it's amazing to be inducted. This is a massive, massive honor, just fantastic. To be up there with all the legends is the ultimate honor for me." De La Hoya, 41, finished 39-6 with 30 knockouts after claiming the 1992 Barcelona Olympic lightweight gold medal. He became a world champion in five weight classes from lightweight to middleweight. After losing a split decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2007 and being stopped in the eighth round by Manny Pacquiao in 2008, de la Hoya retired to devote himself full time to Golden Boy Promotions, which he began in 2002 had quickly made into a major force in boxing. "I'm honored and appreciative to be chosen," De la Hoya said. "This is the dream of everyone who puts on a pair of gloves and steps between the ropes. "To know THAT I will be in the Hall of fame with the greats of this sport is humbling but it has also put a smile on my face that isn't coming off any time soon." Trinidad, 40, finished 42-3 with 35 knockouts, captured the International Boxing Federational welterweight title in his 20th pro fight and made 15 successful title defenses, 12 of them by knockouts. Among his victims were de la Hoya and Pernell Whitaker. Trinidad took two world titles at light middleweight and in 2001 moved up to claim the World Boxing Association middleweight crown. His only defeats came at the hands of Hopkins and in his final two fights, to Winky Wright and Jones. "This is tremendous news," Trinidad said. "This is a great honor for me. I'm extremely happy to be inducted with all the Puerto Rican boxers already in the Hall of Fame. This is the biggest triumph in my career." Source: AFP