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Thread: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

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  1. #1
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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Jack Dempsey
    Muhammad Ali
    Jack Johnson
    Sugar Ray Robinson
    Sugar Ray Leonard
    Manny Pacquiao
    Tex Rickard
    Bob Arum
    Don King
    Jose Sulaiman
    Oscar De La Hoya
    Mike Tyson

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    In no particular order
    Jem Mace. First man to apply the sweet science to pugilistic endeavor and beat the piss out of much larger men in the process.
    John Douglas or the 9th Marquees of Queensbury. Although penned by John Graham Chambers his stamp of approval changed boxing from a grappling circus like act to what we see today.
    Nat Fleischer. Ring founder and incredible historian
    Ray Arcel and Whitey Birmstein The Tag team trainers. Love Whitey’s famous quote. “Show me a fighter that is undefeated and I’ll show you a fighter that hasn’t fought anybody.
    John L Sullivan. Pure pioneer. Held the bareknuckle title before gloves and then won it with them.
    Tex Rickard
    Ali
    Ray Leonard. First 100 million dollar earner and for better or for worse changed the face of prize fighting.
    Sulaiman. For all the wrong reasons starting with the creation of 17 divisions.


    I’d throw Poverty in the mix if it were a person.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    James Figg - First Boxing Amphitheater
    Jack Broughton - Established Rules
    Jem Mace - First Universally Recognised Champ
    Marquis of Queensbury - Established Modern Rules
    Richard K Fox - Police Gazette - Precursor to Fleischer & Ring Magazine reporting on boxing
    Terry McGovern - Innovative style in Old Timers era
    Tex Rickard / Mike Jacobs - Promoter of Big Boxing events - - MSG Honcho
    Nat Fleischer - Ring Magazine establishing ranking & belts for all weight divison
    Frankie Carbo - IBC Honcho who controlled much of boxing
    Jose Sulaiman - WBC Honcho who changed some rules

    Sorry that's 11 but couldn't separate Jacobs & Rickard as they were intertwined.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Jack Johnson
    Sugar Ray Robinson
    Bob Arum
    Don King
    Jose Suliaman
    Muhammed Ali/Cassius Clay
    Mike Tyson
    Oscar De La Hoya
    Frank Warren (For BoxNation, I've wanted an all Boxing Channel for years!)
    Ricky Hatton (For what he did for Boxing in the UK)

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    1. The Marquis of Queensbury
    2. Ring Magazine
    3. YouTube

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    Original & Best: The Sugar Man

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Good question, and good thread.

    You said "good" OR "bad", so I'll go with that.

    Muhammad Ali - His name's got to be first on the list. People who don't know shit about boxing still know and recognize Ali's name.

    Don King - I'm not saying he's second on the list, 'cause from here on out, they're in no particular order. And he's not on the "good" side, either. But he has been extremely influential in boxing and the good he did for the sport's popularity cannot be denied, no matter how much of a scumbag he is.

    Sugar Ray Leonard - He was the quintessential All-American, good-looking, smart young man who made good. Forget skin color. He made most boxing fans love him. Not to mention he's one of the ATG's, at a time when boxing was enjoying a time of riches in talent. He had not one, but several epic fights against other ATG's.

    Joe Louis - One of the very best HW champs in history. But beyond that... he brought the nation together with his KO over Max Schmeling. Good over evil. America over Nazi Germany. A black man making his country proud. Too bad America was still embroiled in it's racist years... and the racist culture continued. So you could say that America was united in race during a few joyful days of celebration. The unfortunately it was business as usual.

    Howard Cosell - Yes... he was abrasive and arrogant. But he was also intellectual and brought a cerebral aspect to boxing commentary which undoubtedly brought in a lot of fans. Love him or hate him, he was a polarizing figure.

    Jim Lampley - Yes... the guy we all love to hate. Like it or not, Lampley has been the face of boxing on arguably the biggest TV network when it comes to boxing. His face and voice will be forever connected to boxing. Many young fans have been watching Lampley as long as they can remember.

    Michael Buffer - Another surprising name to most of you. But think about it.... who doesn't know Buffer's signature line? Even outside of boxing. And looking at some old boxing clips, announcers were as exciting as watching grass grow. "In this corner... (yawn)... the challenger, weighing 160 pounds.... (yawn).... blah, blah, blah."

    Rocky Marciano - Again, not the best. But who didn't know who Rocky Marciano was? How many parallels can be drawn between Rocky Marciano and Stallone's "Rocky"? He was the quintessential white, undersized, hardworking, Italian-American champion of the masses. Retired undefeated, which added to his myth. Mention the name of Rocky Marciano outside of boxing... and most people recognize the name.



    I tried to stick with universal influence. Surely some fighters can be named, who have been influential in their own countries. Like Hatton in England... and Trinidad in Puerto Rico. But sticking to strictly global influence, I'd have to say those are the main names on my list.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    These influenced me.

    Ali – Greatest boxer to transcend the sport
    Tyson – my hero
    Cus De Mato – magical trainer who created my hero
    King – controlled the heavyweights
    Arum – controlled the non- heavyweights
    Louis – credit to the human race
    Herol Graham – first boxing hero
    Dundee – Ali, SRL and Foreman
    Manny Steward – Kronk Gym and Hit Man Hearn’s
    Nat – Ring mag for his historical insight
    Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Jem Mace would be discussed a lot more than he is if he was from anywhere other than Norfolk i somehow think.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Quote Originally Posted by TitoFan View Post

    Jim Lampley - Yes... the guy we all love to hate. Like it or not, Lampley has been the face of boxing on arguably the biggest TV network when it comes to boxing. His face and voice will be forever connected to boxing. Many young fans have been watching Lampley as long as they can remember.

    Michael Buffer - Another surprising name to most of you. But think about it.... who doesn't know Buffer's signature line? Even outside of boxing. And looking at some old boxing clips, announcers were as exciting as watching grass grow. "In this corner... (yawn)... the challenger, weighing 160 pounds.... (yawn).... blah, blah, blah."
    Both of these are good calls. If I lived in the US, Lampley might have made my list. Buffer definately should have been on my list though. The mans voice is iconic. His voice is so smooth, I almost want him to introduce me to the bedroom before I have sex.

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    Default Re: List your top 10 most influential people in boxing history.

    Ring card girls introduced me to a stiffy.
    Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.

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