Famous American Boxers
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Whether you are a die-hard Rocky fan or just a fitness buff or just worship Muhammad Ali, you are going to lap up every bit of exciting, hair raising, and inspiring lives of America's greatest boxers here. Boxing, also called as the gentleman's sport, is not only one of the highest paying sports, but also sportier, manlier, and most gratifying than most other games. Yes, even sportier than the make believe game of wrestling or the flesh-ripping rugby! America has been home to some of world's boxing heavyweights including the legendary pugilists like Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson, and lot more. These award-winning, millions of dollars worthy boxers not only inspired generations of boxing lovers, but also filmmakers and writers who doled out biopic and biographies dedicated to these ring legends. Let us explore all about their timeline, trivia, and interesting facts in the biographies here.
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Birthdate: January 17, 1942
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died: June 3, 2016
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.
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Mike Tyson(One of the Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time and First to Simultaneously Hold WBA, WBC & IBF Titles)
Birthdate: June 30, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Fort Greene, New York, United States
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.
Birthdate: February 24, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
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.
Birthdate: January 10, 1949
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Marshall, Texas, United States
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.
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Evander Holyfield(The Only Boxer in the History to Win the Undisputed Championship in Two Weight Classes)
Birthdate: October 19, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Atmore, Alabama, United States
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.
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Holly Holm(American Mixed Martial Artist and One of the Best Female Professional Boxers of All Time)
Birthdate: October 17, 1981
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
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.
Birthdate: January 16, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Pensacola, Florida, United States
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.
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Terence Crawford(Winner of Multiple World Championships in Three Weight Classes)
Birthdate: September 28, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Birthdate: February 4, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Montebello, California, United States
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.
Birthdate: November 3, 1949
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cuthbert, Georgia, United States
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.
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Deontay Wilder(American Professional Boxer and 10-Time WBC Heavyweight Champion)
Birthdate: October 22, 1985
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
Deontay Wilder was the WBC heavyweight champion from 2015 to 2020 and the first American to hold the title in 9 years. In 2020, BoxRec ranked him the world's second-best active heavyweight. A knock-out specialist, he earned the nickname The Bronze Bomber for his bronze win at the 2008 Olympics.
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Jack Dempsey(One of the Most Popular Boxers in American History)
Birthdate: June 24, 1895
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Manassa, Colorado, United States
Died: May 31, 1983
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.
Birthdate: May 23, 1954
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: March 13, 2021
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.
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Gervonta Davis(American Professional Boxer Who Has Held Multiple World Championships in Three Weight Classes)
Birthdate: November 7, 1994
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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.
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Bernard Hopkins(One of the Most Successful Professional Boxers in American History)
Birthdate: January 15, 1965
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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.
Birthdate: October 18, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, United States
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.
Birthdate: January 2, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gravette, Arkansas, United States
Died: September 1, 2013
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.
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Shane Mosley(American Former Professional Boxer Who Competed From 1993 to 2016)
Birthdate: September 7, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lynwood, California, United States
Birthdate: February 23, 1984
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
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.
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James Toney(American Former Professional Boxer Who Competed From 1988 to 2017)
Birthdate: August 24, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Eric Esch(Retired Professional Boxer and Mixed Martial Artist)
Birthdate: August 3, 1966
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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Rubin Carter(American-Canadian Middleweight Boxer, Wrongfully Convicted and Imprisoned for Murder)
Birthdate: May 6, 1937
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Clifton, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 20, 2014
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.
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Danny Garcia(American Professional Boxer Who Has Held Multiple World Championships in Two Weight Classes)
Birthdate: March 20, 1988
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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.
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Joe Louis(One of the Greatest and Most Influential Boxers of All Time.)
Birthdate: May 13, 1914
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chambers County, Alabama, United States
Died: April 12, 1981
Boxer Joe Louis, or the Brown Bomber, was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949 and was the longest-reigning (single) heavyweight champion. The International Boxing Research Organization declared him the best heavyweight boxer of all time. He was also a skilled golfer and appeared in a 1952 PGA event.
Birthdate: May 17, 1956
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
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.
Birthdate: May 3, 1921
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ailey, Georgia, United States
Died: April 12, 1989
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.
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Max Baer(American Boxer: Features on 'The Ring' Magazine's List of 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time)
Birthdate: February 11, 1909
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Died: November 21, 1959
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James J. Braddock(American Boxer Who Held the World Heavyweight Title From 1935 to 1937)
Birthdate: June 7, 1905
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hell's Kitchen, New York, United States
Died: November 29, 1974
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Mikey Garcia(Former Professional Boxer Who Competed From 2006 to 2021)
Birthdate: December 15, 1987
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Oxnard, California, United States
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.
Birthdate: October 19, 1952
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Amory, Mississippi, United States
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Archie Moore(American Professional Boxer Who Has Had One of the Sport’s Longest Professional Careers)
Birthdate: December 13, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Benoit, Mississippi, United States
Died: December 9, 1998
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Claressa Shields(Mixed Martial Artist and the Only Boxer in History to Hold the ‘WBA’, ‘WBC’, ‘IBF’, and ‘WBO’ Titles)
Birthdate: March 17, 1995
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Flint, Michigan, United States
Boxer and mixed martial artist, Claressa Shields, reigned as the undisputed female middleweight champion from 2019 to 2020. She has previously held multiple WBA, WBC, and IBF female middleweight titles. She is also the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic medals. She was named the Female Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2018.
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Andre Berto(Two-Time Former Welterweight World Champion)
Birthdate: September 7, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Winter Haven, Florida, United States
Birthdate: December 4, 1971
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Birthdate: January 31, 1987
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Garden City, Kansas, United States
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Shawn Porter(American Former Professional Boxer Who Competed From 2008 to 2021)
Birthdate: October 27, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Birthdate: September 1, 1923
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Brockton, Massachusetts, United States
Died: August 31, 1969
Rocky Marciano, also known as the Brockton Blockbuster, was the world’s only heavyweight champion to remain undefeated till the end of his career and held the heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. The International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee held the world’s highest heavyweight knockout-to-win ratio at 85.71%.
Birthdate: April 24, 1961
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Died: March 17, 2020
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Gene Tunney(American Professional Boxer Who Competed From 1915 to 1928)
Birthdate: May 25, 1897
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Died: November 7, 1978
Birthdate: May 9, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts, United States
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Laila Ali(One of the Greatest Female Boxers of All Time)
Birthdate: December 30, 1977
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Miami Beach, Florida, United States
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.
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Ezzard Charles(American Professional Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion Known for His Slick Defense and Precision)
Birthdate: July 7, 1921
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States
Died: May 28, 1975
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David Benavidez(American Professional Boxer Who Was Two-Time WBC Super Middleweight Champion)
Birthdate: December 17, 1996
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Birthdate: February 26, 1939
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey, United States
Birthdate: March 31, 1878
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Galveston, Texas, United States
Died: June 10, 1946
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.
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Earnie Shavers(One of the Hardest Punchers in the History of Heavyweight Boxing )
Birthdate: August 31, 1944
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Garland, Alabama, United States
Died: September 1, 2022
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Shakur Stevenson(American Professional Boxer Who Held the WBO Featherweight Title From 2019 to 2020)
Birthdate: June 28, 1997
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
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Gerald McClellan(American Former Professional Boxer & Two-Time Middleweight World Champion)
Birthdate: October 23, 1967
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Freeport, Illinois, United States
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Jersey Joe Walcott(American Professional Boxer Who Held the NYSAC, NBA, and the Ring Heavyweight Titles From 1951 to 1952)
Birthdate: January 31, 1914
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Camden, New Jersey, United States
Died: February 25, 1994
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Oliver McCall(American Former Professional Boxer Who Was Never Knocked Down in Any of His 74 Bouts)
Birthdate: April 21, 1965
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States