"his opponents was the ageless Archie Moore, who held the world light heavyweight title for ten years and scored more knockout victories than any other boxer in history. In the early 1960s, the seemingly invincible Sonny Liston captured the public imagination with his one-sided destruction of two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. One of the last mob-connected fighters, Liston had his mystique shattered in two controversial losses to the brash upstart Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali after becoming champion. Ali would become the most iconic figure in boxing history, transcending the sport and achieving global recognition. His"
"George Gardiner (boxer) George Gardner (born March 17, 1877 – July 8, 1954), was a famous Irish boxer in America who was the first undisputed World Light Heavyweight Champion. He held claims to both the World Middleweight Title as well as the World Heavyweight Title. He was the second man in history to hold the World's Light Heavyweight title, defeating the first Light Heavyweight Champion, Jack Root by KO after 12 rounds. George Gardner's name is often misspelled, ""George Gardiner"", which was an alias although some believe it was the correct spelling. He signed his name ""George Gardner"", though several"
"Floyd Patterson Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1956 to 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in history to win the title, and was also the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics. In 1956 and 1960, Patterson was voted Fighter of the Year by ""The Ring"" magazine and the Boxing Writers Association"
"refereed the championship fight on July 3, 1905 in Reno, Nevada. Hart knocked out Jack Root in the 12th round to win the vacant championship. After one successful exhibition match, Hart lost his championship to Canadian Tommy Burns on February 23, 1906 in Los Angeles, California. Burns won the 20-round fight by decision. Hart died the day after his 55th birthday of an enlarged liver and high blood pressure. He was interred in the Resthaven Memorial Park, in Louisville, Kentucky. Marvin Hart Marvin Hart (September 16, 1876 – September 17, 1931) was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion from July 3,"
"first triple champion of boxing was Bob Fitzsimmons when he added the Light Heavyweight (175 lbs) crown to his World Middleweight (160 lbs) and Heavyweight (200+ lbs) belts on November 25, 1903. Barney Ross was the first boxer to simultaneously hold world titles in two different weight classes when he won World Lightweight (135 lbs) title and World Light Welterweight (140 lbs) against Tony Canzoneri on June 23, 1933. Later Ross won the World Welterweight (147 lbs) Title from Jimmy McLarnin on May 28, 1934. Henry Armstrong was the first man to hold three titles in three divisions simultaneously. He"
"the first boxer in any division, and the only heavyweight to date, to hold all four major versions of the world championship (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) during his career. This achievement has since been emulated in other weight classes: Bernard Hopkins (middleweight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight), Winky Wright (light middleweight), Joe Calzaghe (super middleweight), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (welterweight), Terence Crawford (light welterweight), Cecilia Brækhus (welterweight) and Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight). Only Hopkins, Taylor, Crawford, Brækhus and Usyk held all four titles simultaneously. Bowe's sole loss, to Evander Holyfield in 1993, was avenged in 1995, meaning that he finished their trilogy 2-1"
"In 2014, boxing.com ranked Ruiz as number 83 on its list of ""The 100 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time"". John Ruiz John Ruiz (born January 4, 1972) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2010. He held the WBA heavyweight twice between 2001 and 2005, and is the first Latino boxer to win a world heavyweight title. His professional record is 44–9–1–1, with 30 knockouts. Frustrated by years of criticism from the boxing press and fans, he retired upon his second loss of the WBA title on April 30, 2005 (to James ""Lights-Out"" Toney). Ruiz un-retired"
"become the heaviest world champion in history, weighing as high as 328Ibs during his reign. Carnera still ranks as the second-heaviest, over eighty years after he held the title. Carnera's 1933 title defense against Paulino Uzcudun in Italy was the first Heavyweight title fight to be held in Europe since Jack Johnson's title defence against Frank Moran in Paris in 1913. It would be the last such occasion until Muhammad Ali defended the title against Henry Cooper in London in 1966. Carnera-Uzcudun was the first World Heavyweight championship fight to be contested between two Europeans. It was not until Lennox"
"the belt on March 5, 1965. He held it until February 6, 1967 when he lost to Muhammad Ali. During this time, most in the boxing world continued to recognize Ali as the legitimate champion, since he had not lost his championship in a boxing match. The WBA's rival, the World Boxing Council, had also continued to recognize Ali as champion. During his reign as WBA Champion, Terrell defended the title twice, beating Doug Jones and George Chuvalo. In February 1967, Ali and Terrell met to end the debate about who was the legitimate heavyweight champion. Before the bout, Terrell"
"Matty Matthews William ""Matty"" Matthews (July 13, 1873 – December 6, 1948) was an American boxer of the early 20th century born and raised in New York City. He was the world welterweight champion twice between 1900 and 1901, and was one of the first boxing world champions to regain his crown. Johnny Dunn, also known as a sports announcer, was his primary manager, particularly during his reign as world welterweight champion. Matthews was born and raised in the lower East side of New York City in the Brooklyn area, near Corlear's Hook, on July 18, 1873, and excelled at"
"Joe Gans Joe Gans (born Joseph Gant; November 25, 1874 – August 10, 1910) was an African-American boxer, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who was rated the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and ""Ring Magazine"" founder, Nat Fleischer. Gans was known as the ""Old Master"". He fought from 1891 to 1909. He was the first African-American World Boxing Champion of the 20th century, reigning continuously as World Lightweight Champion from 1902-1904 and 1906-1908. Gans started boxing professionally about 1891 in Baltimore. He gained many fans within the boxing world, both white and black, with his ""scientific"" approach"
"Heavyweight Title, which had become vacant after Muhammad Ali was stripped of the title for refusing to be drafted into the United States Army. The Title fight was to be held March 4, 1968, in New York's Madison Square Garden against 'smoking' Joe Frazier, his old rival. Frazier won by 11th-round knockout. Buster Mathis continued to fight in the following years, outpointing George Chuvalo, but losing on points to Jerry Quarry - a fight Mathis was favoured to win. Mathis retired after losing to Quarry in 1969, but returned in 1971 to box Muhammad Ali for the NABF belt, losing"
"6, with the ""Buffalo Times"" giving their decision for both fights to Sullivan. Mike ""Twin"" Sullivan Mike ""Twin"" Sullivan (September 23, 1878 – October 31, 1937) was an American boxer frequently credited with taking the Welterweight Championship of the World on April 23, 1907 when he soundly defeated William ""Honey"" Mellody in Los Angeles in a twenty-round bout. He vacated the title in the late fall of 1908, when he could not make weight. Many, though not all sanctioning bodies active today recognize his claim to the title during this period. Sullivan is most recognized as a world champion among"
"boxer to win a world title, and the first Japanese boxer to win a title fighting outside Japan. He defended the title a total of six times before losing to Antonio Gomez in 1971. He also fought in numerous non-title matches in between his defenses, including a bout against WBA super featherweight champion, Hiroshi Kobayashi, where Saijo lost by decision over 10 rounds. This was the first fight between two Japanese boxers that had possession of the world title. Saijo retired from boxing after losing his world title, but made an ill-fated debut in the kickboxing world, where he fought"
"the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Willard and a dispute he had with Harry Houdini is the topic of Andy Duncan's Nebula Award nominated novella ""The Pottawatomie Giant."" Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was a world heavyweight boxing champion known as the Pottawatomie Giant who knocked out Jack Johnson in April 1915 for the heavyweight title. He was known for his great strength and ability to absorb tremendous punishment, although today he is also known for his title loss to Jack Dempsey. Willard held the championship for more than four years. Today his"
"Evander Holyfield (who had defeated Douglas later in 1990) due to a rib injury. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison, but was released on parole after serving three years. After his release in 1995, he engaged in a series of comeback fights. He won the WBC and WBA titles in 1996, after stopping Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon. With his defeat of Bruno, Tyson joined Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield, and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to have regained a heavyweight championship after having lost"
"Maurice Blocker Maurice ""The Thin Man"" Blocker (born May 15, 1963 in Washington, D.C.) is an American retired professional welterweight (147 lb) boxer who held the WBC, IBF and Lineal Welterweight Championships. Blocker became a professional boxer in 1982. He lost his first opportunity to win a title in 1987 to Lloyd Honeyghan. In 1990 he captured the lineal and WBC welterweight titles from Marlon Starling, but lost them during his next fight to Simon Brown. In 1991 he defeated Glenwood Brown to capture the vacant IBF welterweight title. He defended the title successfully once and in 1993 moved up"
"success. After winning his first four bouts, he had little success from then on, retiring the following year having won 5, lost 7, and drawn 1. Hank Herring Horace H. ""Hank"" Herring (June 19, 1922 – May 18, 1999) was an American boxer. Herring was the Welterweight Silver Medalist at the 1948 London Olympic Games. Herring lost in the final to Julius Torma of Czechoslovakia. He was born in St. Petersburg, Florida and died in Lemoore, California. Herring was also a member of the United States Navy. He retired in the early 1970s. Below is the Olympic record of Hank"
"on 11 November 1978 from a brain tumor. Jack Gardner (boxer) Jack Gardner (6 November 1926 – 11 November 1978) was a British heavyweight boxer. He was the Heavyweight Champion of Great Britain, the British Empire, and Europe. Gardner was a top ten contender for the Heavyweight Championship of the World and retired with a record of 28 wins, 23 by knockout, and 6 losses, a total of 34 fights. Jack Gardner was born on 6 November 1926 at Market Harborough, England. He served in the Grenadier Guards in the British Army from 1945 to 1951. He earned the rank"
"were crowned before Joe Louis began his legendary run as Heavyweight champion in 1937. He retired in 1949, still holding the title of World Heavyweight Champion. Boxing began expanding into Latin America in the 1930s: Sixto Escobar became the first world champion from Puerto Rico by defeating ""Baby Casanova"", who had also been crowned at the start of the decade. ""Baby Arizmendi"" conquered the first world title for Mexico in 1934. For his part, ""Kid Chocolate"" became the first world champion from Cuba. Three world champions won world titles in three different divisions, a feat no single fighter had accomplished"
"Tommy Loughran Thomas Patrick Loughran (November 29, 1902 – July 7, 1982) was an American professional boxer and the former World Light Heavyweight Champion. Statistical boxing website BoxRec lists Loughran as the #7 ranked light heavyweight of all time, while ""The Ring Magazine"" founder Nat Fleischer placed him at #4. The International Boxing Research Organization rates Loughran as the 6th best light heavyweight ever. Loughran was named the ""Ring Magazine""'s Fighter of the Year twice, first in 1929 and again 1931. He was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame in 1956 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame"
"James J. Braddock James Walter Braddock (June 8, 1905 – November 29, 1974) was an American boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1935 to 1937. Fighting under the name James J. Braddock (ostensibly to follow the pattern set by two prior world boxing champions, James J. Corbett and James J. Jeffries), Braddock was known for his spoiling, counterpunching style, powerful right hand and his iron chin. He had lost several bouts due to chronic hand injuries and was forced to work on the docks and collect social assistance to feed his family during the Great Depression. He made"
"the planet"" and arguably the most feared boxer in professional boxing at that time, has been described as one of the most shocking upsets in modern sports history. After the loss, Tyson recovered with a first round knockouts of Henry Tillman and Alex Stewart in his next two fights. Tyson's victory over Tillman, the 1984 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist, enabled Tyson to avenge his amateur losses at Tillman's hands. These bouts set up an elimination match for another shot at the undisputed world heavyweight championship, which Evander Holyfield had taken from Douglas in his first defense of the title. Tyson,"
"in world history to hold world titles. George Gardner was pictured in the summer of 1930 on the front of ""Self Defense Quarterly"". Gardner was once ranked the #1 fighter in the world and he is considered one of the top fighters of all time, as well as one of the top light - heavyweights of all time. Gardner died at age 77 on July 10, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois. Four ex-champions were pallbearers at his funeral. George Gardiner (boxer) George Gardner (born March 17, 1877 – July 8, 1954), was a famous Irish boxer in America who was the"
"Hope Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. A recreation centre in downtown Halifax was named in his honor. Laffoley, Steven (2012). ""Shadowboxing: The Rise and Fall of George Dixon"". Pottersfield Press. George Dixon (boxer) George Dixon (July 29, 1870 – January 6, 1908) was a Black Canadian professional boxer. He was the first black world boxing champion in any weight class, while also being the first ever Canadian-born boxing champion. ""Ring Magazine"" founder Nat Fleischer ranked Dixon as the #1 Featherweight of all-time. Dixon was inducted posthumously into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955. He was also inducted into the Ring"
"Heavyweight boxers. He is a member of ""Blackpool Sportsmen's Aid Society"" (BSAS) which raises funds for local charities and sporting needs in Blackpool. Brian London Brian Sidney Harper (born 19 June 1934), known professionally as Brian London, is an English retired heavyweight boxer. He was the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion from 1958 to 1959, and twice challenged for the world heavyweight title, losing to Floyd Patterson in 1959 and Muhammad Ali in 1966, both times via knockout. He was one of a quartet of British boxers, with Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine, and Dick Richardson, who dominated the British boxing"
"Fame. Benny Leonard Benny Leonard (born Benjamin Leiner; April 7, 1896 – April 18, 1947) was a Jewish American professional boxer who held the world lightweight championship for eight years from 1917-25. Widely considered one of the all-time greats, he was ranked 8th on ""The Ring"" magazine's list of the ""80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years"" and placed 7th in ESPN's ""50 Greatest Boxers of All-Time"". In 2005, the International Boxing Research Organization ranked Leonard as the #1 lightweight, and #8 best pound-for-pound fighter of all-time. Statistical website BoxRec rates Leonard as the 2nd best lightweight ever, while"
"is also a professional boxer, and currently fights in the cruiserweight division. Deontay Wilder Deontay Leshun Wilder (born October 22, 1985) is an American professional boxer. He has held the WBC heavyweight title since 2015, and in doing so became the first American world heavyweight champion in nine years, which was the longest period of time in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion. As an amateur he won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympics. This led to his nickname of ""The Bronze Bomber"", which Wilder coined after Joe Louis, who was known by the"
"Sonny Liston Charles L. ""Sonny"" Liston (unknown – December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight champion. Liston was particularly known for his toughness, formidable punching power, long reach, and intimidating appearance. Although Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Cassius Clay (later"
"Jack Johnson (boxer) John Arthur Johnson (March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946), nicknamed the Galveston Giant, was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). Among the period's most dominant champions, Johnson remains a boxing legend, with his 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries dubbed the ""fight of the century"". According to filmmaker Ken Burns, ""for more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African-American on Earth"". Transcending boxing, he became part of the culture and the history of"
"counting on him and that too many of his friends had bet their hard earned money on him. Williams died on September 5, 1994 at his home in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles of natural causes. Williams was ""The Ring"" magazine's Fighter of the Year for 1948, was inducted into ""The Ring"" Boxing Hall of Fame (disbanded in 1987), and was an inaugural 1990 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Ike Williams Ike Williams (August 2, 1923 – September 5, 1994) was a lightweight world boxing champion. He took the World Lightweight Championship in April 1945 and"
"was ranked as the top flyweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization in 2006. Jimmy Wilde William James Wilde (15 May 1892 – 10 March 1969) was a Welsh professional boxer and world boxing champion. Often regarded as the greatest British fighter of all time, he was the first official world flyweight champion and was rated by American boxing writer Nat Fleischer, as well as many other professionals and fans including former boxer, trainer, manager and promoter, Charley 'Broadway' Rose, as ""the Greatest Flyweight Boxer Ever"". Wilde earned various nicknames such as, ""The Mighty Atom,"" ""Ghost with the"
"and then won his next 98, though he never won the lightweight title. Heavyweight champion Gene Tunney never suffered a defeat at heavyweight and retired as champion, only losing one career fight at light heavyweight. Apart from Marciano, only a few boxers have retired as undefeated world champions throughout history. , only Michael Loewe, Pichit Sitbangprachan, Harry Simon, Sven Ottke, Joe Calzaghe, Edwin Valero, Andre Ward, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired with perfect records, neither defeats nor draws. Yet, most of those fighters had asterisks next to their unbeaten records. Simon ended his career due to a prison sentence. Valero"