Gennady “GGG” Golovkin headlines a star-studded class of 2026 for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.Al Bello via Getty ImagesGennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver and Nigel “The Dark Destroyer” Benn will always have a place in the hearts of the most avid fight fans, and as of Thursday, they’ll have a permanent place to always be remembered — Canastota, New York. The trio of modern fight legends topped the newly-minted class of 2026 for the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum (IBHOF).IBHOF announced its class Thursday afternoon.Golovkin, 43, who posted a 42-2-1 record with 37 knockouts, goes in during his first year of eligibility. Originally from Kazakhstan, he once held the WBA, IBF and WBC middleweight titles, making a combined 22 title defenses. He is most noted for his epic trilogy with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who beat “GGG” twice after a highly-disputed draw between them in 2017 for the unified middleweight championship. His 14 consecutive WBA middleweight title defenses ties him with Carlos Monzon for the most ever.Known as one of boxing’s most devastating punchers, “GGG” lost his titles to Alvarez in a 2018 rematch, although he began a second reign as champion by winning the vacant IBF middleweight title in 2019, and the WBA version in 2022. Golovkin’s last bout was a 12-round loss to Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight titles in September 2022. This past November he was elected President of World Boxing, the international federation within the Olympic movement governing the sport at world level.Who could forget Tarver’s famous question to the incomparable Roy Jones Jr. prior to their May 5, 2004 rematch, when he asked the best 175-pounder in the world, “You have any excuses tonight, Roy?”In the second round, Tarver erased the myth of Jones’ invulnerability with a short left to the chin that short-circuited Jones, stopping the all-time great for the first time.Hailing from Orlando, Tarver, 57, posted a 31-6-1 career record with 22 knockouts. He held the IBF light heavyweight (2003, 2008), WBC light heavyweight (2003, 2004) and WBA light heavyweight (2004) titles.He defeated Reggie Johnson in 2002 for the USBA/NABF light heavyweight titles and stopped Eric Harding, before capturing the vacant IBF/WBC light heavyweight titles from Montell Griffin in 2003. He lost the titles to Jones by majority decision, but rebounded to stop Jones in the rematch for the unified WBA/WBC belts.Since retiring in 2015, Tarver has found success outside of the ring as an expert ringside analyst. In 2005, he portrayed Mason Dixon in Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky Balboa.”Antonio Tarver, his mother Gwendolyn Tarver and Don King celebrate after his second-round knockout of Roy Jones Jr.Jed Jacobsohn via Getty ImagesJust as Tarver has a signature fight that will resonate in boxing, so, too, does Benn, the father of current British star Conor Benn, with his classic, yet tragic victory on Feb. 25, 1995, in London, England, against Gerald McClellan.Benn retained the WBC super middleweight title by 10th-round stoppage, in what many boxing historians still consider the greatest super middleweight title fight ever. The fight left McClellan blind and hearing impaired, restricted to a wheelchair.A native of Essex, England, Benn, 61, finished an incredible career with a record of 42-5-1 with 35 knockouts. He was 11-4-1 in title fights, and held the WBO middleweight (1990) and WBC super middleweight (1992-96) titles, making a combined 10 title defenses.Britain’s Nigel Benn in action against American Gerald McClellan in their WBC super middleweight title fight.Sean Dempsey – PA Images via Getty ImagesIn the late 1980s, Benn relocated the United States for five fights, beating Doug Dewitt for the WBO middleweight title and earning one successful defense over Iran Barkley. Upon his return to the UK, he lost the belt to Chris Eubank, although rebounded with wins over Robbie Sims and Thulane Malinga before winning the WBC super middleweight belt with a fourth-round TKO over Mauro Galvano in 1992.He defended that belt nine times, including the McClellan fight and Vincenzo Nardiello, and a draw with WBO champion Eubank in a unification bout.After losing the belt to Malinga in 1996, he unsuccessful tried twice against WBO champion Steve Collins and then retired.