Throughout the years, there have been many great boxers that have come along. Some of these include Bernard Hopkins, Homicide Hank, Sonny Liston, and Muhammad Ali. While each of these have had their ups and downs, they have all been able to make a name for themselves.

Muhammad Ali

During the late 1960s, Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous names in boxing. He was a heavyweight boxer and won three world titles. He was also known for his controversial views on the Vietnam War.

He started out as Cassius Clay, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. He had a professional boxing career that spanned 21 years. He won 56 fights and was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion. He also received a gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Rome.

He had a unique style of boxing that centered on speed and skill. He had great footwork and counter-attacked his opponents’ wild punches. In his later years, he was plagued by Parkinson’s disease. He died on April 4, 1999.

He won 56 fights, and was the first boxer to win three world titles in the heavyweight division. He also had an impressive ring craft, and was a master of media use.

He also had nine children, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ali made a significant impact on American culture and politics. He was a staunch anti-war activist, and spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses. He also had an incredible sense of humor. He was one of the most popular boxers of all time.

His last fight was against Trevor Berbick in 1981. He was a member of the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Sonny Liston

Despite a troubled history, Sonny Liston was one of the greatest boxers of all time. His imposing body and ferocious style made him a feared opponent. His fights were full of dark undertones, and he was able to win 14 consecutive fights in the early 1960s.

Liston began his professional career in St. Louis, Missouri. He first fought Don Smith in 1953. In the first round, Liston knocked Smith out. He later fought Bert Whitehurst in a 10-round bout. The two fought in a highly disputed match. In the second round, Liston moved in with a right to the jaw. Whitehurst ducked, but Liston continued to press until Whitehurst landed a left to the body.

Liston fought Leotis Martin in 1969 and 1970. He won both fights. He then fought and defeated young heavyweight Chuck Wepner. He won the next six bouts.

Liston moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He worked as a strike-breaking labor goon, earning money and a living. He was arrested about twenty times. He was sentenced to nine months in jail for stealing a policeman’s gun. He was released on parole after six months. However, his criminal record was so bad that he was sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary.

In the late 1950s, Liston was arrested for armed robbery and assaulting a police officer. He pleaded guilty to two first-degree robbery charges. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Sugar Ray Robinson

Generally considered the best boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson fought for over two decades and dominated the welterweight and middleweight ranks. A great deal of credit is given to him for changing boxing into an art form.

Sugar Ray Robinson began his professional boxing career in 1940, winning the New York Golden Gloves championship in his first bout. His amateur record was 85-0. He was recruited by Warren Jones to train at his uncle’s gym.

At the time of his death, Sugar Ray Robinson had a career record of 131-3-1, with a 116-6-2 record in middleweight and welterweight. His most notable wins were against Gene Fullmer and Jake LaMotta.

He was a five-time undisputed middleweight champion. His first fight was against Joe Curcio. The fight drew an enthusiastic crowd in New York. Robinson supposedly knocked Curcio out in the first round. The referee was Ruby Goldstein, but the 103 degF temperature in the ring took its toll.

His last two title fights were held at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles. Robinson defeated Joey Maxim and George Martin in title defenses, but lost a unanimous decision to Joey Giardello in February 1963.

During his professional career, Sugar Ray Robinson defeated twelve Hall of Famers. He dubbed himself “The Uncrowned Champion” for five years. The Associated Press considered him to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Roberto Duran

During his five decades of professional boxing, Roberto Duran became one of the greatest boxers of all time. He won four world titles and finished with a record of 103 wins and 16 losses.

He began his professional career at sixteen years of age. He trained under legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel. He was a part of the “Four Kings” of the 1980s.

In 1972, Duran won the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles from Ken Buchanan. He became the undisputed lightweight champion in 1978. He defended the title twelve times.

He went on to win titles in three other weight classes. He also added a WBC title to his mantelpiece. He was rated by the Ring Almanac as the #1 all-time lightweight.

In 2001, he returned to the ring for a third time. He faced Hector “Macho” Camacho. In a controversial decision, three judges awarded the Mexican the win.

Duran was the first Latino to be a mainstream sports star in the United States. He grew up fighting to survive in the streets. He began training with veteran trainers including Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown.

During his professional career, he was a great crowd pleaser. He was a puncher-boxer, a skilled feinter, and a ferocious brawler. He fought over 100 fights, winning a record of 70 knockouts.

He was named one of the best lightweights of the 20th century by the Associated Press. He was also rated as one of the greatest lightweights of all time by the Ring Magazine.

Homicide Hank

Whether or not you are a pugilist, it’s hard to deny that Homicide Hank is one of the greatest boxers to ever lace up the gloves. He may not have been the greatest ringer of all time, but he did manage to slug his way to an impressive 150 wins, and 19 defenses of the welterweight title. Those are not easy feats to achieve, especially when you are at the top of your game.

Homicide Hank was not the only name on the block. The big wigs in the light heavyweight division included Joe Frazier, Joe Louis, Billy Connally, Joe Bugg, Jack Johnson, and Mike Tyson. They are all renowned for their aggressivity. Some were even known to slug it out in the heat of the moment. The best bet was to stay away from the likes of their ilk.

While Homicide Hank eschewed the big leagues in favor of smaller sized opponents, his opponents had a thing for the big boys. It was a matter of time before the next big thing would swoop in to take the thunder. One of the names to watch in the coming years was Naseem Hamed, a featherweight whiz who had the power to take on the heavyweights. His best outing was against the likes of Joe Louis. During his most memorable bouts, he was known to be a one man wrecking crew.

Bernard Hopkins

Those who have seen Bernard Hopkins at work are familiar with his subtle and no-nonsense style. He is also a master of defense. He fights on the blind side and makes adjustments to his opponent’s timing. He also knows how to tie up an opponent’s elbows on the inside.

A convicted felon, Hopkins first laced up the gloves at age nine. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison at age seventeen. When he was released, Hopkins was an avid boxer. He was also an outspoken proponent of reforming the boxing system. He fought promoters as vigorously in the ring as he did in court.

Hopkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 15, 1965. When he was young, he lived in the notorious North Philadelphia area. He was involved in some shady activities such as robbery, murder and stealing. He had three stab wounds before the age of 14.

When he was 17 years old, Hopkins went to prison. He spent five years in the Graterford Penitentiary before returning to the ring.

When he was paroled, Hopkins reconnected with the warden who told him he would be back. Hopkins had one last try at the ring before he called it a career.

He fought his way to the top of the middleweight division. He unified the IBF and WBC titles. He also holds the record for the most consecutive successful world title defenses.

Click to MAE to purchase Muhammad Ali Experience Merchandise.