A Tribute To The Greatest Boxers Of All Time
Boxing is one of the most popular forms of physical combat sports. Although the number of viewers per MMA game is rising, boxing is still the most consistently popular sport to watch. You don’t even have to be a fan of boxing. There’s more of a media hype surrounding boxing than ever before, thanks to Anthony Joshua, Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Tyson Fury.
Just think back to the hype surrounding the Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fight. The trash-talking and media hype meant their fight accumulated over 50 million views.
Boxing is a brutal, thrilling, and unforgiving sport – so let’s pay homage to some of the world’s most extraordinary, past and present, that helped turn the boxing industry into what it is today.
Muhammed Ali
Google the most famous boxer of all time, and Muhammed Ali will be the 1st in nearly every article. Why? Because he truly is one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was a successful boxer, both for his country as an Olympian and the World Boxer’s Association. At the 1960 Olympics, he won gold and was the first boxer to win the heavyweight boxing title three times.
Muhammed Ali ended his career with 37 KOs — all brutal — and a winning record of 56-6. He was the undisputed king of the boxing world, and he still is to this day. His fight with Joe Frazier is one still referenced by many today. Muhammed was an animal and a gentleman at the same time. Many regard him as the defining point in boxing history – turning boxing into the sport we know and love today.
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano is famous for many reasons. Foremost, he is renowned for being one of the most decorated boxers of all time. Marciano had a career record of 43 KOs and won all 49 of his professional fights. He is the only heavyweight champion with an undefeated career record. That should tell you all you need to know about Rocky – to say this man was an animal is an understatement. He dominated any opponent in the ring.
The film Rocky Balboa is the most famous boxing film of all time and one of the most famous films in general. As a boxer, Rocky was a celebrity of the era, even having a movie made after his legacy. His presence spreads much further, from Rocky themed slot games to console games – his legacy still lives on.
His career spanned from 1947 to 1956, holding the heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. One of his most memorable moments was in his fight with Jersey Joe Walcott. In the 13th round, Rocky delivered a brain-shattering right hand that nearly tore Walcott’s head off his shoulders.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr is on his way to surpassing Rocky and Muhammed Ali as the greatest boxer of all time. Currently, his fight stats are 52-0, with 27 KOs. He is yet to be defeated, and his form only seems to improve. Genetically gifted — his dad being Floyd Mayweather Sr — Floyd was destined to be a boxer from the start.
Successful from the beginning, winning the WBC super weight title in 2001 and the WBC super lightweight title in 2005. But he only really became a man to talk about after winning the WBC super welterweight title against Oscar De La Hoya.
The fight was brutal, and from there on out, Floyd Mayweather Jr stood as his own man, rather than in the shadow of his highly successful father, Floyd Mayweather Sr – who wasn’t as successful but is still one of the greats. In comparison, his father competed in 62 fights and has a scoring record of 62-6, with 18 being a KO.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson is iconic and a true legend of the sport. Known for his lisp and head tattoos, Mike Tyson was, in his prime, the most vicious of his time. He was the youngest heavyweight world champion in 1986 at just age 20. Tyson had a brutally powerful punch and was agile on his feet like no other boxer could be. After a stint in prison, he rose to fame again for the wrong reasons during a fight with Evander Holyfield, where he bit his ear.
Known for being an all-around crazy guy, Tyson was a force to be reckoned with because you couldn’t tell what he was going to do. He competed in 58 fights and won all but 6, with 44 being KOs – thanks to his wicked agility and unforgivable power.
Boxing is producing fresh talent all the while. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Teofimo Lopez are, to name but a few. The brutality yet brilliance of boxing keeps the viewer numbers steady, making it one of the most consistently watched sports. Who do you consider being the greatest boxer of all time?
