BBN list three of their greatest boxers of all-time
This type of list is never-ending and open to endless arguments about who and why.
BBN have listed three of their favourite fighters of all-time, in no particular order:
Muhammad Ali
Rated by The Ring magazine as no.1 heavyweight of all-time, ahead of Joe Louis; Jack Johnson; Rocky Marciano; and Larry Holmes.
Likely a surprise to no one, Ali is considered to be the best boxer of all time; true to his alias “The Greatest”.
He kicked off his career, aged 18, at the 1960 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division. He went on to supreme greatness, winning the World heavyweight title three times, and was the first boxer in history to do so.
One of his most famous fights was in 1974 against the formidible puncher George Foreman, dubbed “Rope-a-dope” after his incredulous tactics of sitting back on the ropes and goading the hardest hitter in the world at the time; Ali won by KO after Foreman punched himself out.
He also had three memorable, high-profile fights against Joe Frazier, the most well known being “Thrilla in Manila” (1975), which Ali also won.
Over the course of his career, Ali had 56 wins and just 5 losses, with 37 wins coming by KO. As for his fighting style in the ring, Ali was known for his unconventional style, which included trash-talking his opponents and dancing around the ring. He was also known for his incredible reflexes and blisteringly fast punches.
When he wasn’t boxing, Ali dabbled in acting, both in film and theater, and enjoyed spoken word poetry. He released several spoken word albums and was even nominated for several Grammys. He also wrote an autobiography, which was later adapted into a film. In the 80s, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, most likely as a direct result of boxing. He remained active in politics and philanthropy until his death in 2016.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd is a two-time winner of The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year award in 1998 and 2007
Widely regarded as the pay-per-view king – 'Money Mayweather' is considered to be the most popular and profitable attraction of any sport. Of his many accomplishments, Mayweather boasts an undefeated record, numerous boxing awards, a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics, nine major world titles in five weight classes, and four lineal titles in four weight classes. His boxing career includes 50 wins and 0 losses, with 27 wins by KO.
In the ring, Mayweather is known for his defensive style and hand speed, and is seen as one of the most accurate punchers of all time. One of his most memorable performances was against Diego Corrales in 2001 in the super-featherweight division, where he won every round against Corrales. Mayweather is now retired, but has come out of retirement several times over the years for special fighting events.
In his spare time, Floyd Mayweather likes to play different types of poker, and he’s had a lot of successes over the years due to his passion for the game. Besides poker, he enjoys participating in entertainment events and projects, such as a brief stint on “Dancing with the Stars.” He’s also recorded a rap song and appeared in numerous documentaries.
Sugar Ray Robinson
SRR is widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all-time and was ranked number one on The Ring magazine's list of "80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years"
Last on this list, but by no means least, is Ray Robinson, who had an incredible record over the course of his astonishing career, and was seen as the best boxer of the 40's. Ali called himself 'The Greatest' but regarded Robinson as 'The Master'
Of 200 total fights, he had 173 wins (108 by KO) and 19 losses, with 6 draws and 2 no contests. For eight years of his career he boasted a winning streak (roughly 90 fights), finally losing to Randy Turpin in 1951 (whom he later defeated in a rematch). not to mention reaching 86-0 as an amateur before he embarked on a paid punching career.
As for his fighting style, Robinson was skilled in almost every style, which naturally contributed to his long-term success. He also inspired the creation of the pound-for-pound ranking due to his skilled performances in two divisions, and in 1990 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Additionally, his rivalry with Jake LaMotta inspired a part of Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull.”
When he wasn’t fighting, Robinson was known for his social life in New York and his dramatic and charismatic personality. He was well known for his huge entourages, who frequently accompanied him for fights and in everyday life. He also acted in TV shows and films, such as “The Detective” (1968) with Frank Sinatra and Candy (1968), and was interested in singing and dancing. Towards the end of his life, Robinson struggled with several health issues. He passed away in 1989.
Photos by Joel Muniz / The Unsplash License