Stars & Legends

Anyone that steps into the ring is a brave soul but some are braver than others. There are those who have become legends in and out of the ring thanks to their heroic exploits. Here we look at some of those fellows who have gone to war with their fists.

  • Muhammed Ali – what can be said about Muhammed Ali that hasn’t already been said? From his classic rumbles to his stance on the Vietnam war to his conversion to Islam, this man has led quite a life, in and out of the ring.
  • Marco Antonio Barrera – If you like your boxers to be involved in wars in the ring, then Marco Antonio Barrera is the fighter for you. He was involved in one of the most exciting trilogies in recent years with his battles with Erik Morales.
  • Joe Calzaghe – Currently universally ranked as the number two pound-for-pound boxer on the planet – Joe Calzaghe is an unbeaten southpaw who has dominated the Super-Middleweight division for over a decade.
  • Julio Cesar Chavez – One of the most naturally gifted fighters of his generation never stayed too far away from controversy. From dodgy decision to plain disgusting ones, Chavez was a true great but his legacy will be judges and refereeing decisions as well as his fighting prowess.
  • Oscar De La Hoya – The Golden Boy is a tremendous fighter but his legacy will always be that he failed to win that big fight. Losses to Felix Trinidad, Sugar Shane Mosley, twice, Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr. make him a nearly man in Boxing terms.
  • George Foreman – Known better these days for his Lean Mean Fat Grilling Machine, in his day George Foreman was one of the most feared heavyweights in the world.
  • Ricky Hatton – The fighter from Manchester took his unbeaten record into Las Vegas to take on pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and promptly got dumped on his backside twice to lose the fight. Before that Hatton had dominated everyone he’d come up against but he is still the light-welterweight champion of the world.
  • David Haye – The new undisputed Cruiserweight Champion of the World. After defeating Enzo Maccarinelli in a brutal second round knock-out, Haye has stated that he is moving up to heavyweight.
  • Thomas Hearns – Hearns was part of the great middleweight years when Marvin Haggler and Sugar Ray Leonard joined him in ruling the division. He was involved in some absolute thrillers and was a proper masher.
  • Roy Jones Jr. – Roy Jones Jr. was a proper fighter in every sense of the word. His three-fight war with Antonio Tarver kept fans enthralled. The former light-heavyweight king came through a big fight early in 2008 with a UD over Felix Trinidad, which puts him back on the map.
  • Amir Khan – The Pride of British Boxing – Amir Khan has destroyed most people put in front of him. He is on his way to the big time and the whole of his country is behind him.
  • Jake LaMotta – The man who had a movie made about his life – Jake LaMotta had a hard life and had six fights with the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson.
  • Sugar Ray Leonard – As a former five-weight World Champion – Sugar Ray Leonard was one of the very best. He was a master tactician who out-boxed his opponents but sadly his amazing career was cut short because of a recurring eye problem.
  • Enzo Maccarinelli – Despite being beaten by his nemisis David Haye, Maccarinelli is still a top fighter and will no doubt be back in the ring fighting for a World Title by the end of 2008.
  • Rocky Marciano – A man who not only fought with valour in the ring but also had to fight out of it after a battle with childhood pneumonia in his early life. Having retired as an unbeaten fighter, Rocky Marciano will go down in history as the only man at the very top level to accomplish this feat.
  • Floyd Mayweather Jr. – Just like the man above, Mayweather is unbeaten but he is still fighting on. He has a re-match slated with Oscar De La Hoya for later in 2008 but his legacy as a pound-for-pound king is all but assured.
  • Erik Morales – El Terrible as he is known, is a Mexican fighter most noted for his wars with fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera. He has also fought a trilogy of fights with another man on this list, the guy straight underneath this as it happens, Manny Pacquiao.
  • Manny Pacquiao – Currently at number three in most people’s pound-for-pound ratings – Manny Pacquiao is another brawler who thrills crowds with his come-forward and fight style.
  • Sugar Ray Robinson – Many say that this man was the best pound-for-pound boxer who ever stepped into a boxing ring. With 200 fights to his name Sugar Ray Robinson fought many battles and won a great deal of them, he truly was an all-time boxing great.
  • Mike Tyson – He had all the talent in the world but it wasn’t enough for him. A heavyweight fighter, who was the youngest heavyweight champion in history, but private life troubles kept him from staying at the top.