Famous American Boxers

Widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali was a major figure of the 20th century. He was an inspirational figure for African-Americans during the civil rights movement. Because of his opposition to Vietnam War and his refusal to be drafted into military, Muhammad Ali became an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

A former professional boxer who reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion for three years, Mike Tyson is considered a colossal figure in boxing. Claiming his first heavyweight title at the young age of 20, he went on to become one of the best heavyweights of all time. Also a controversial person, he was once imprisoned on rape charges.

One of the most remunerative pay-per-view (PPV) attractions of all time, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has had a glorious boxing career. One of the most decorated boxers ever, Floyd is regarded as the best pound for pound boxer by many websites. During his career, he had his share of controversies and made brief appearances in shows like WWE and Dancing with the Stars.

Known to his fans as "Big George,” boxer George Foreman won the world heavyweight champion twice and also gas an Olympic gold medal to his credit. Multidimensional in his pursuits, the international boxing hall-of-famer has also been a Christian minister, invented a fat-reducing grill, and written several books, including cookbooks.

Evander Holyfield is an American retired boxer who reigned as the undisputed champion in the late 1980s under cruiserweight division and in the early 1990s under heavyweight division. The only four-time world heavyweight champion, Holyfield remains the only boxer in the history of boxing to reign as an undisputed champion in two weight classes.

Sugar Ray Leonard is a former boxer and motivational speaker. Having won world titles in five different weight divisions during his boxing career, Leonard is widely considered one of the greatest boxers ever. Leonard was part of a group of boxers dubbed The Fabulous Four, which is credited with popularizing the lower weight classes in the post-Muhammad Ali era.

Former American boxer Roy Jones Jr. was born to a boxer father. Despite his defeat in the gold medal match at the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to a faulty decision by the judges, he won the Val Barker Award. He was the second light heavyweight champion to earn a heavyweight title.

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American boxer. Considered one of the greatest boxers ever, Robinson held a 91-fight unbeaten streak from 1943 to 1951, the third-longest in the history of professional boxing. Also known for his flamboyant and classy lifestyle outside the ring, Sugar Ray Robinson unsuccessfully tried his hand at a career as an entertainer after retiring from boxing.

Oscar De La Hoya is an American retired boxer who won 11 world titles between 1992 and 2008 in six weight classes. Dubbed the Golden Boy of Boxing, Oscar De La Hoya won a gold medal for America at the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1995, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine.

Larry Holmes is an American retired boxer whose left jab is often ranked among the best in the history of professional boxing. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing, Holmes' title defense against 19 boxers is the second-most in history. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008.

Jack Johnson was an American boxer and one of the most dominant champions of his generation. Considered one of the most influential boxers ever, Jack Johnson became the first African American to win the world heavyweight championship at the peak of the Jim Crow era. He is often credited with influencing popular boxers like Muhammad Ali.

Acknowledged by his rivals as a remarkable hitter, Jack Dempsey was an American heavyweight boxing champion who was known for his powerful punches. The record attendance at his bouts was an indication of his popularity. He was considered as one of the greatest fighters of all time. Born poor and nicknamed Kid Blackie, Jack Dempsey went on to become one of the richest athletes during his time.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was an American boxer and actor who reigned as the middleweight division's undisputed champion from 1980 to 1987, during which he had 12 successful title defenses. Regarded as one of the greatest middleweight boxers of all time, Hagler was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as well as the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Holly Holm is a mixed martial artist. A former world champion in boxing, Holm currently competes in the UFC and holds the distinction of being the first fighter to hold a UFC title and a world boxing title. Her win against Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of combat sports.

Born in the U.S., boxer Gervonta Davis is of mixed heritage but identifies as African-American. He has held titles such as the IBF super featherweight title and the WBA (Super) super featherweight title. Mentored by Floyd Mayweather, he is best known for his knockout-to-win percentage.

Laila Ali is an American former professional boxer. The daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali competed from 1999 to 2007, during which she remained undefeated. She is also credited with saving wrestling legend Hulk Hogan's life by calling him when he was suicidal and depressed. After retiring from professional boxing, Laila Ali became a television personality.

Thomas Hearns is an American retired boxer who became the first boxer in the history of boxing to win world titles in five different weight classes. Nicknamed the Hitman, Thomas Hearns was named Fighter of the Year in 1980 by The Ring magazine. He was also named Fighter of the Year in 1984 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. 

Bernard Hopkins is an American retired boxer who held several world championships between 2001 to 2012 in two weight classes. Nicknamed The Executioner, Hopkins is widely regarded as one of the modern era's greatest boxers. A highly strategic boxer, Bernard Hopkins was also renowned for his speed, power, and counterpunching skills.

Kimbo Slice, dubbed The King of the Web Brawlers by Rolling Stone, gained fame for his mutual combat street fights. He dabbled in MMA, boxing, and wrestling, eventually signing with EliteXC and competing in UFC. A little over a year after signing with Bellator MMA, he died of heart failure.

Paige VanZant is an American mixed martial artist, model, and author. Although she spent over 13 years exploring dance forms like hip hop, ballet, and jazz in a dance studio owned by her parents, VanZant took up martial arts during her teenage years and went on to compete in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A multi-talented personality, VanZant also loves hunting.

Professional boxer Ken Norton is remembered for his three highly publicized fights with Muhammad Ali, out of which he lost two. Norton was a towering figure in the boxing world and held the WBC heavyweight title in 1978. He was a forward-pressing fighter notable for his unusual stance. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Andre Ward is an American retired boxer who held several world titles in two weight divisions. When he was the light heavyweight champion, Andre Ward was adjudged the best active boxer, pound for pound, by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Credited with winning an Olympic gold for America, Andre Ward was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.

Ryan Garcia began professional boxing at age 17 and had been trained by his father in their family garage since the age of 7. Named ESPN’s 2017 prospect of the year, he also has a huge fan following on social media. He held the WBC interim lightweight title in early 2021.

Adrien Broner is an American boxer. Regarded as one of the best light-welterweight boxers of his generation, Broner has held several world championships in various weight classes, such as super featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, and welterweight. He is also known for his crazy antics inside and outside the ring.

Quinton Jackson is a mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler turned actor. He is famous for his eccentric personality traits and aggressive style of fighting. He is credited with making MMA a popular sport worldwide. As an actor, he has appeared in a few films, including Miss March and Bad Guys. He is a controversial person. 

Rubin Carter was an American-Canadian boxer whose boxing career was overshadowed by his murder conviction; after serving almost 20 years of prison term, it was revealed that he was wrongfully convicted of murder. His autobiography, The Sixteenth Round, which he had written during his time in prison, inspired the 1999 film, The Hurricane, where Denzel Washington played Rubin Carter.

Tommy Morrison was an American boxer who was ranked among the best boxer in the world by BoxRecheld in 1992. He held the WBO heavyweight championship in 1993. In addition to his boxing career, Tommy Morrison also had an acting career; he portrayed Tommy Gunn and appeared alongside Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone in the 1990 sports drama movie Rocky V.

Micky Ward is an American retired boxer who held the WBU light welterweight championship in 2000. Two of his three fights with Arturo Gatti, for which he is known, earned him The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year awards. Renowned for his pressure fighting style, Ward's career inspired the 2010 movie The Fighter where Ward was played by Mark Wahlberg.

MMA fighter Travis Browne is a renowned heavyweight who is known for his association with the UFC. He had an undefeated streak for his first 14 professional matches. He was interested in basketball before he ventured into Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 26. He is nicknamed Hapa, because of his mixed ancestry.

Danny García is an American boxer who has held several world championship titles in two weight divisions. Between 2012 and 2015, he held lineal light-welterweight titles, WBC title, and the unified WBA (Super). Between 2016 and 2017, he held the WBC welterweight title. In 2020, García was ranked the seventh-best-active welterweight in the world by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Mikey Garcia is a boxer who has held several world championships in four different weight divisions. From 2013 to 2014, he held the WBO junior lightweight title. From 2018 to 2020, he held the lineal junior welterweight title. He has also held the WBO featherweight title. In 2020, he was ranked the sixth-best active welterweight in the world by BoxRec.