Next year Roberto Duran becomes eligible for induction into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and that should be a slam dunk.

A few years later, Virgil "Quicksilver" Hill also will become eligible and I submit a reasonable, if not compelling case can be made for his induction as well. Let's look at the facts.

Virgil won his first fight in 1984 against Arthur Wright in Madison Square Garden. He defeated Clarence Osby in 1986 at the Felt Forum in New York City to win the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight Title.

And in 1987 he beat Leslie Stewart in Atlantic City to win his first world championship belt (the WBA Light Heavyweight Title). Almost twenty years later on Jan 27, 2006 and also in Atlantic City, Virgil beat Russian, Valery Brudov, 31-1, in impressive fashion to win the Vacant WBA Cruiserweight Title. The WBA cruiserweight title was vacant because Jean-Marc Mormeck had been elevated to super champion status after winning a unification bout. Brudov was the top-ranked challenger and Hill was No. 2.

That he earned the fifth world title of his career with a unanimous decision over Brudov on January 26, 200 in Atlantic City at age 42 is all the more remarkable. All three Judges had him winning the 12-round match 118-110 to earn the World Boxing Association cruiserweight title. Incredibly, he was appearing in his 28th world title bout and he used that experience to his advantage in easily beatings his confused opponent. "I couldn't catch him. I was shocked he moved so well for a 42-year-old guy. His experience showed," said Brudov through an interpreter.

In between his Atlantic City title "book-ends," he has fought tough competition holding two wins over Frank Tate, 41-5, two victories over Fabrice Tiozzo, 48-2 including one in which he overwhelmed Tiozzo decking him three times in a remarkable one round onslaught in Villeurbanne, France. He also has defeated Donny LaLonde, 41-5-1, James Toney conqueror Drake Thadzi, 30-9-1, Lou Del Valle, 35-3-1, Rufino Angulo, 21-3-3, Adolpho Washington, 31-9-2, Lottie Mwale, 44-9, Marvin Camel, 45-13-4, Jean-Marie Emebe, 27-7, Ramzi Hassan, 35-12-2, Marcos Geraldo, 60-28-1, Leslie Stewart, 31-12, Bobby Czyz, 44-8, James Kinchen, 49-9-2, and Henry Maske, 30-1. The combined won-lost record of just the opponents mentioned in this article is an impressive 833-149.

His 1996 win over Maske was in Munich and was the popular Maske's first loss. Henry retired after that loss. As a fearless road warrior, ten of his big career fights have been in other countries including England, Germany, Australia, France and South Africa. Amazingly, he won seven of them. While some might criticize the number of bouts fought in his home state of North Dakota, "Quicksilver" has had more than his fair share of fights in Atlantic City or Nevada and his willingness to fight in an opponent's home country is reflective of both his courage and his international popularity.

With a 250-11 amateur record and a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Las Angeles, Virgil Hill is a 5-time world champion having won titles in both the Light heavyweight and Cruiserweight divisions. He has only five defeats, and three were against truly great competition.....Thomas Hearns, 61-5-1, Dariusz Michalczewski, 48-2, and Roy Jones, 50-4. After taking a long layoff during which he contemplated retiring as champion, he decided to continue but lost his Cruiserweight title to the tough Mormeck, 32-3, in Marseille, France. After this loss he decided to make still another title run against the aforementioned Brudov which, of course, proved successful and which moved his career record to a fine 50 (23 ko's)- 5.