Famous Australian Boxers

Kostya Tszyu is a former boxer who held multiple light-welterweight championships. Renowned for his punching power, Tszyu is considered one of the hardest-punching boxers in the history of light-welterweight boxing. He represented the Soviet Union at the 1991 World Championships, where he won a gold medal. In 2010, Tszyu was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Known as the Blonde Bomber to her fans, Australian boxer and female super-bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges had begun training in karate at age 5 and had then moved on to kickboxing, Muay Thai, and eventually competitive bodybuilding. She is a qualified math teacher and speaks 5 languages, too.

Anthony Mundine is an Australian former rugby league footballer and former professional boxer. He competed from 2000 to 2021 as a boxer and held championship titles, such as the WBA super-middleweight title, the IBO middleweight title, and the WBA interim super-welterweight title. Before becoming a boxer, Mundine was a popular figure in the National Rugby League (NRL). 

Jeff Horn is an Australian professional boxer. He held the WBO welterweight title from 2017 to 2018. He represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics as an amateur and reached the quarterfinals of the light-welterweight bracket. He made his professional debut the following year. He moved up to middleweight in 2018. He has worked as a physical education teacher as well. 

Though born in Hungary, boxer Joe Bugner later gained citizenships of Australia and the UK, too. Known for fighting bouts against the likes of Muhammad Ali, he also won the European heavyweight championship. He later gained popularity as an actor, too, with films such as Street Fighter.

Australian kickboxer and boxer John Wayne Parr, known as The Gunslinger to his fans, began his martial arts training at age 11 and won his first title at 17. He was also the first Western boxer to make it to the cover of the popular Muay Thai magazine of Thailand, Muay Siam.

Tasmanian MMA fighter and bare-knuckle boxer Bec Rawlings was always sporty but eventually chose martial arts as a way to reduce weight. Known as the Queen of Bare Knuckle, she has competed for BKFC. She has also had successful stints with Invicta and UFC and is now a flyweight division competitor.

Australian boxer Paul Gallen has also had a successful stint as a rugby league footballer. He has also presented several sports shows, such as 100% Footy and has been a panelist on SportsFan Clubhouse. The former captain of the NRL team Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks is also a father of two.

Lucas Browne is an Australian boxer and former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He is best known for winning the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title after causing an upset against Ruslan Chagaev in 2016. Between 2012 and 2015, Browne held the Commonwealth and Australian heavyweight titles.

George Kambosos Jr. is an Australian boxer and the current WBO, IBF, WBA (Super), and The Ring lightweight champion. As an amateur boxer, Kambosos has won a couple of silver medals at the Australian National Championships. Over the course of his career, George Kambosos Jr. has won important fights against the likes of Teófimo López, Lee Selby, and Mickey Bey.

Lionel Rose was an Australian boxer who became the first Aboriginal Australian to win a world title when he defeated Harada for the world bantamweight title in 1968. This win made him a national hero and an icon among Indigenous Australians. In 1968, he also became the first Aboriginal Australian to be adjudged Australian of the Year.

Danny Green is an Australian retired boxer who held several titles like the WBA light-heavyweight title, the WBC interim super-middleweight title, and the IBO cruiserweight title. Green's career inspired a 2006 documentary titled The Fight Game. An avid surfer, Green saved a man's life at Yallingup beach for which he was honored with a bravery award by the Australian Government.

Tim Tszyu is an Australian boxer best known for winning the Australian light-middleweight title in 2019. The son of former world champion Kostya Tszyu, Tim is currently the number one ranked Australian super welterweight boxer according to Boxrec. He has also won other titles, such as WBA Oceania interim light-middleweight title, IBF Australasian light-middleweight title, and WBO Global light-middleweight title.

Jeff Fenech is an Australian former professional boxer who is best known for winning world titles in three different weight divisions: bantamweight, super bantamweight, and featherweight. In 2002, Jeff Fenech was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport.

Michael Zerafa is an Australian boxer best known for winning the super-welterweight title of the Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) in 2018. A former Victorian super-welterweight champion, Zerafa is also known as the boxer with whom Dwight Ritchie was sparring when the latter fell dead after receiving a blow to the chest, at the age of 27.

Billy Dib is an Australian boxer best known for winning the IBF featherweight title, which he held from 2011 to 2013. Over the course of his career, Dib has also won other prestigious titles, such as the IBO super-featherweight title. He has also won important fights against the likes of Mike Oliver, Mick Shaw, Jack Asis, and Davey Browne Jr.

Blake Ferguson is an Australian former rugby league footballer who has represented the national rugby league team. He also represented the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL) and helped his team win the 2018 NRL Grand Final.

Sakio Bika is a Cameroonian-Australian boxer who held the IBO super-middleweight title in the late 2000s. From 2013 to 2014, Bika held the WBC super-middleweight title. Also a TV personality, Sakio Bika won The Contender 3, a reality television show based on boxing in 2007.

Peter Graham is a boxer, karateka, and kickboxer. Graham became the first Australian to force the popular kickboxer Stan Longinidis to go ten rounds with him on 19 November 2000. As a mixed martial artist, Graham has participated in promotions like World Victory Road and Australian Fighting Championship. He has also won several championships, such as the Australian Heavyweight Championship.  

Justis Huni is an Australian boxer and the current Australian heavyweight champion. Before turning professional in 2020, Huni represented Australia at the 2016 Youth World Championships where he won a gold medal. He also won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. Justis Huni missed an opportunity to represent his country in the 2020 Olympics due to injury.

John Hopoate is an Australian retired boxer and rugby league player. From 2008 to 2009, he held the Australian heavyweight boxing champion. As a rugby player, Hopoate was banned for 10 years and became known as the most suspended player in the history of the modern era. He is best known for his involvement in sport controversies and personal life.

Daniel Geale is an Australian boxer who held the IBF and WBA (Super) titles between 2011 and 2013. From 2007 to 2009, he also held the IBO middleweight title. Before turning professional, Geale won a gold medal for Australia at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester where he took part in the welterweight event.

Jason Moloney is an Australian boxer who held the bantamweight title of the Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) in 2018. The current WBA Oceania bantamweight champion, Moloney represented his country at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi before turning professional.

Michael Katsidis is an Australian retired boxer who held the WBO interim lightweight title between 2007 and 2010 on two occasions. Best known for his aggressive, crowd-pleasing pressure fighting style, Katsidis challenged the prestigious lineal lightweight title twice during his career. At the height of his career, Katsidis' style drew comparisons with Arturo Gatti.

Alex Leapai is a Samoan-Australian boxer known for his iconic fight against Wladimir Klitschko for the WBA (Super), IBO, WBO, IBF, and lineal heavyweight titles in 2014. Leapai has won several titles like the WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight title, IBF Australasian heavyweight title, and WBO Oriental heavyweight title. He has also won important fights against the likes of Denis Boytsov.

Dwight Ritchie was an Australian boxer best remembered for winning the Australian middleweight title, which he held from 2014 to 2015. He is also known for winning the junior middleweight title of the youth division of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in 2017. Ritchie, who had won important fights against several fellow boxers, died during a sparring session, at the age of 27.

Gus Mercurio was an actor best remembered for his energetic personality and raspy voice. Mercurio contributed to Australian radio and also appeared in many TV series like Cash and Company, Matlock Police, and Homicide. Mercurio was also a professional boxer and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2008, he was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.

Arlene Blencowe is a boxer and mixed martial artist. Blencowe, who is currently competing in Bellator MMA, became the first Australian female fighter to sign with the promotion in 2014. A popular figure in Bellator's Women's Featherweight division, Blencowe has several Bellator records under her belt, such as the most knockout wins in the history of Bellator's Women's Featherweight division.

Diana Prazak is an Australian boxer best known for winning the WBC female super-featherweight title in 2013. Renowned for her unique style of boxing, Prazak was adjudged the best boxer, pound-for-pound by BoxRec, becoming the first Australian boxer to have been honored by BoxRec with such recognition.

Andrew Moloney is an Australian boxer who won the gold medal in the flyweight boxing event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Since turning professional, Moloney has held several titles like the WBA (Regular) super-flyweight title, the WBA Oceania bantamweight title, and the Commonwealth super-flyweight title. He is often counted among the best boxers of his generation in the super-flyweight division.

Paul Briggs is an Australian retired boxer best known for his achievements in the light heavyweight division. Interestingly, Briggs is also known for his fight against Danny Green where he was knocked out by Green in just 30 seconds into the first round. Paul Briggs has also penned down an autobiography titled Heart, Soul, Fire: The Journey of Paul Briggs.

Lauryn Eagle is an Australian water skiing champion and professional boxer. A multi-talented personality, Eagle also had a successful modeling career in the 2000s. Lauryn Eagle, who won the Miss Teen International pageant in 2005, has been featured on the cover of a couple of magazines like Maxim. She also appeared in the second season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Daniel Ammann is an Australian boxer best known for winning the Australian Cruiserweight title twice. He has also held the New South Wales State Cruiserweight title and has fought against popular boxers like Shane Cameron, Mohamed Azzaoui, Anthony McCracken, and Dominic Vea.

Angela Rivera-Parr is an American mixed martial artist and kickboxer best known for her matches for WMC titles against the likes of Julie Kitchen, Germaine de Randamie, and Miriam Nakamoto. Angela married fellow boxer John Wayne Parr and her personal life has largely overshadowed her professional achievements.

Mick Gatto is an Australian businessman and former boxer. He is best known for his involvement in the Melbourne gangland killings in 2004 when he was charged with homicide. Although he admitted that he killed a suspected underworld hitman named Andrew Veniamin, Gatto was found not guilty as it was proved that he had acted in self-defense.

Evangelos Goussis is an Australian retired kickboxer and boxer. Although he had a successful boxing career, Goussis' personal life and his role in the infamous Melbourne gangland killings have overshadowed his professional achievements. Evangelos Goussis was found guilty of murdering two people of the 36 underworld figures who died in the killings.

Douglas Nicholls was an Australian athlete, ceremonial officer, and Churches of Christ pastor. Nicholls served as an inspiration to the Aboriginal Australian community, Yorta Yorta. In 1972, he became the first Aboriginal Australian to receive the title of Knight Bachelor.

Snowy Baker was an Australian actor, athlete, and sports promoter. Baker, who played several sports like rugby, boxing, swimming, and diving, won a silver medal for Australasia at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the middleweight boxing event. Snowy Baker also excelled in rowing, running, cricket, horsemanship, and water polo. He even showcased his horsemanship in films like The Enemy Within.

Shannon O'Connell is an Australian boxer best known for winning the World Boxing Federation (WBF) female featherweight title as well as the Queensland State female featherweight title. Over the course of her career, Shannon O'Connell has won important fights against the likes of Bronwyn Wylie, Michelle Preston, and Gentiane Lupi.

Henry Nissen is an Australian former boxer best known for winning a gold medal at the 1969 Maccabiah Games where he competed in the flyweight division. After turning professional, he went on to win the Commonwealth flyweight title and the Australian flyweight title. In 2009, Henry Nissen was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.