Over the years, there have been notable figures in the boxing championship that get talked about over time. Whether they broke records or stood by their word, these people have revolutionized how we view boxing. Learning about them helps one appreciate the sport even more. While some of them might have lived years ago, some of them are alive although retired. The records they have broken, however, precede time, and people will forever revere them for their great talent. You can click here to see the impact they have had on newly established boxing companies. Here are the notable players and the difference they have made.
Tony Canzoneri
Tony Canzoneri was only 19 years old when he won his first featherweight championship in 1928. After that, he went ahead to hold the championship three consecutive times alongside other awards in the various weight categories he played in. By the end of his career, he had five world titles and had fought in four different categories.
Barney Ross
One of the things that stands out for Barney is, in all his championship years and the 81 competitive matches, he had never been knocked out. He is the one that defeated Tony Canzoneri in 1933 and took the lightweight championship title. People call him a courageous boxer because, in his fight with Henry Armstrong, Ross refused to give in when he got an insane beating. Although he was unable to defend his world welterweight title, it will be remembered that he never backed down throughout the fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez
A Mexican player of his time, Julio’s fame came about when he won 87 professional fights. Even though he was recognized at first, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. His matches recorded so many attendees, with the highest attendance in history being his match against Greg Hagen. The attendance had over 132,000 fans.
Ted Lewis
Ted was a British boxer who won his first featherweight title at just 18 years old. He went ahead to become a two-time World Welterweight Champion. He also won the European crown four months after winning his first title. His main rival in the ring was Jack Britain, and he defended his title against Jack and lost to him at some point.
Floyd Mayweather
One of the greatest boxers in this present time has to be Floyd Mayweather. One of the things that make him stand out is he has a great plus-minus ratio. His record makes him the most accurate boxer in all history. He has won eight defend championships in five different weight categories.
Carlos Monzon
One of the things that make Carlos stand out is, he held the championship title in the middleweight championship category for seven consecutive years. He was able to defend his titles 14 times and will be remembered for his speed and accuracy. Another impressive fact about Carlos is, he went undefeated for 81 consecutive fights in his entire career. Even though he had a good fighting career, his personal life was not as good. He was charged with the murder of his wife in 1988, but he died in 1995in a car accident.
George Foreman
George is one of the iconic boxers who was known as “the rumble in the jungle.” He had defended his championship title twice before he lost to Muhammad Ali. He left the sport for about ten years and then came back and regained a bit of the heavyweight championship. He is known in history as the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
Henry Armstrong
One of the reasons why Henry is on this list is the fact that he won three different championship titles in three different weight categories. In his entire career, he played against 17 world champions and defeated 15 of them after winning the World Welterweight championship. He defended it 18 times before dropping it in 1940. He has been ranked in the top five greatest boxers of all time by most people.
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali has been nicknamed “The Greatest” because he was the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship title three times. He is also known for being a civil rights activities when he refused to join the Vietnam War. His resistance to join the military and stand on what he believed in is what earned him the fame he has to date.
There are so many boxers in history, and many of them have made great strides in ensuring that the sport keeps getting played over time. In learning about them, one is able to appreciate them even more and appreciate the sport more. These boxers gave their all to the sport and did everything they could to defend their title. They are the epitome of hard work and resilience pays.