A HOF Convo: Why Junior Jones, Iran Barkley And Boxing’s Forgotten Champions Deserve Another Look

One of my favorite vacations was the summer I spent traveling through upstate New York with my daughter and nephew. Instead of movie theaters and cell phones, our days were filled with swimming in lakes, spotting bears in the woods, eating hot dogs that were almost white, and snacking on pink peppermint pig candies we had never seen before.

Along the way, we visited several of New York’s famous halls of fame.

We toured the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.

Our final stop was the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.

When my daughter and nephew first saw the building, they looked at each other and, almost simultaneously, said:

“That’s it?”

But, by the time we left, it had become their favorite stop of the entire trip.

I understood why.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame is not about elaborate attractions or massive displays. Its power comes from its intimacy. Visitors can stand inches away from the gloves, robes, championship belts, photographs, and personal memorabilia of the men and women who shaped boxing history. Every item tells a story.

Knowing more about boxing history than I did baseball, horse racing, or women’s history, I became their personal tour guide. I told them about the former slave who boxed his way to freedom and eventually earned a shot at the heavyweight title. We went over the careers of Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis, and I got to tell them that Pedro Montanez was friends with their great-grandparents.

“He used to play dominoes in the family’s living room,” I told them. “He was a great dancer, and great pinochle player,” I told them. “But not as good as my grandmother,” I added.

If it weren’t for his photo hanging on the wall in Canastota, I may never have had the opportunity to tell my daughter and nephew about how great a card player their great-grandmother was.

To me and other boxing fans, the Hall of Fame is more than a museum.

It is the guardian of the sport’s history. And every guardian of history carries an important responsibility: making sure that deserving stories are never forgotten.

Recently, I wrote a short film called Marcel’s Promise. It was a fictionalized dramatization of the final days of Panama Al Brown. Directed by my friend, Neil Pellone, it featured Junior Jones and Iran Barkley. At a private screening attended by more than 100 people, Barkley and Jones quickly became the center of attention, despite the presence of writers, playwrights, singers, and other performers.

“Are they in the Hall of Fame?” my nephew asked.

When I told them that they weren’t, he was confused. “But they’re so popular.”

Every Hall of Fame conversation begins somewhere.

For this project, that conversation begins with two names:

Junior Jones.

Iran Barkley.

For some, the conversation begins with accomplishments inside the ring; for others, it is about the lasting impact a fighter leaves on the sport. Pellone feels it is a combination of the two and that ultimately, it is about the fans – for our nephews, daughters, and great-grandchildren.

For Pellone, boxing history and legacy are personal. His uncle was former number one-ranked contender Tough Tony Pellone. Neil, a former president of the Westchester Correction Officers Benevolent Association, has sponsored amateur events and fighters, helping them grow their internet and local community followings.

Now he is spearheading a project to try to get forgotten or underappreciated fighters back on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Before anything else, it is important to explain what this project is not. It is not a demand for automatic induction. And it is not an attack on the International Boxing Hall of Fame, its leadership, or the individuals responsible for selecting each year’s class.

The Hall of Fame process is a difficult responsibility. The voters include some of the most knowledgeable boxing historians and journalists in the world. Writers and historians such as Cliff Rold, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Springs Toledo, and many others have dedicated years to studying, documenting and preserving the sport’s history. Their passion for boxing deserves respect.

Hall of Fame debates are difficult because reasonable people can look at the same career and reach different conclusions.

That is part of what makes the conversation important.

The request from supporters of this project is simple: Starting with Junior Jones and Iran Barkley, let’s give them the opportunity to have their careers considered. “Put them on the ballot, let the voters decide,” Pellone says.

Junior Jones was one of the most accomplished fighters of the 1990s. He shocked the boxing world by defeating Marco Antonio Barrera twice during Barrera’s rise toward greatness. When we passed by Barrera’s plaque in the Hall, I said, “he had a titanium plate put in his head.” And then I told them that a guy from Brooklyn beat him.

Jones also defeated Orlando Canizales and totaled three victories over Hall of Famers and beat several other champions.

Iran Barkley’s career was equally unforgettable. A three-division world champion, Barkley produced one of the defining upsets of his era when he stopped Thomas Hearns to win the WBC middleweight championship. He later captured additional world titles and became known throughout boxing as one of the sport’s toughest and most fearless competitors.

For two years, he was on the same level with Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran.

Championships matter. But so does the ability to create lasting memories.

By those measures, many boxing fans and historians believe Jones and Barkley deserve the opportunity to be considered. The timing of this conversation is intentional.

Each fall, Hall of Fame ballots are distributed to the voting body. With another voting cycle approaching this October, supporters believe now is the appropriate time to revisit the careers of fighters whose accomplishments deserve thoughtful examination.

This type of discussion is not unique to boxing.

Recently, baseball fans and writers have once again debated difficult Hall of Fame questions involving legacy, achievement and how history should judge athletes from different eras.

Those conversations are healthy.

They remind us that Hall of Fame discussions are not just about selecting names—they are about understanding history.

Boxing has always had those conversations.

And boxing should continue to have them.

The effort surrounding Junior Jones and Iran Barkley has already grown beyond a single petition.

Former world champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini has publicly expressed his support in a Tough Tony Team video. Saquon Barkley has spoken about his great-uncle Iran Barkley’s legacy and why he believes those accomplishments deserve recognition. Boxing Hall of Fame Promoter Lou DiBella publicly described the request for ballot consideration as reasonable.

https://x.com/loudibella/status/2082998734942523875?s=20

A Change.org petition was started for supporters of this and future movements and many have created online videos highlighting the careers of both fighters through the Tough Tony Team platform.

And remember, the larger vision goes beyond two fighters.

This is about making sure remarkable boxing careers continue to be discovered and discussed.

There are many fighters whose accomplishments deserve renewed attention.

Sumbu Kalambay.

Marlon Starling.

Kid Azteca.

Bobby Czyz.

Howard Winstone.

And many others whose careers helped shape boxing history across generations and continents.

This project does not claim that every fighter discussed belongs in the Hall of Fame. That decision belongs to the voters, but the ultimate beneficiaries are the fans of tomorrow.

A young boxing fan walking through Canastota years from now may see a name they do not recognize. They may ask a parent or grandparent, “Who was that fighter?”

Maybe they go home and watch their fights.

Maybe they gain a deeper appreciation for boxing history.

Maybe they return to the Hall of Fame.

“If they ever get into the Hall of Fame, I want to go,” my nephew and daughter said recently. “It will be cool to see someone we met get inducted. And I liked that place,” my nephew added.

“But we can pass on the white hot dogs,” my daughter added.

Jose Corpas

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