- Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson, (born June 30, 1966) is a former American world heavyweight boxing champion. To date Tyson is the youngest man to have won a boxing world heavyweight title belt. During his prime in the late 1980s and early 1990s Tyson was one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Nicknamed "Iron Mike Tyson", "Kid Dynamite", and "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson adopted the Muslim name, Malik Abdul Aziz, …
- Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired American boxer and former three-time World Heavyweight Champion and winner of an Olympic gold medal. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by "Sports Illustrated" and the BBC. Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay.
- Wladimir Klitschko
Dr. Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko ("Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko"); born March 25 1976 in Solnechnoe, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan) is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer, former WBO and the current IBF and IBO World Heavyweight Champion. Though a major celebrity in his former adopted home of Germany, in 2004 he moved with his older brother, former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, to Beverly Hills.
- Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture (born June 22, 1963) is a Greco-Roman wrestler, folkstyle wrestler, and professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion and a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. He is the only athlete to have held championship titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as the only five-time champion in UFC history, earning him the nicknames "The Natural" and, …
- Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962 in Atmore, Alabama) is a professional boxer from the United States and a multiple-time world champion in both the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions. Holyfield won the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics after losing a controversial disqualification to New Zealand's Kevin Barry.
- Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis CBE (born September 2 1965 in West Ham, London, England) is a retired professional boxer who represented Canada in the Olympics and fought under the British flag as a professional. He is a former undisputed lineal heavyweight champion. Along with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, Lewis is one of three boxers in heavyweight history to have won the Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions.
- Tim Sylvia
Timothy Deane "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (born March 5 1976) is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. He is the former Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion and holds a professional record of 23 wins and 3 losses. He trains as a member of the Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) camp and is part of their MFSE (Miletich Fighting System Elite) group.
- George Foreman
George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He is the oldest man ever to win the heavyweight title, and also has been named one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time. Nicknamed "Big George", he is now a successful businessman and an ordained Christian minister who has his own church.
- Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow, best known as Joe Louis and nicknamed The Brown Bomber, a native of Lexington, Alabama, is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions of all time. He held the title for over 11 years, recording 25 successful defenses of the title. In 2003, "Ring Magazine" rated Joe Louis No. 1 on the list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
- Hasim Rahman
Hasim "The Rock" Shariff Rahman (born November 7, 1972), is an American boxer who became the linear and legit Heavyweight champion of the world by knocking out Lennox Lewis in 2001. His nickname is "The Rock" (the name comes from his last name, correctly pronounced "rock-mahn"). Rahman lives and trains in Rochester, NY.
- Tony Thompson
Tony Thompson (born October 18, 1971 in Silver Spring, MD) is a professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Tiger", Thompson is a rising contender in the heavywight division. After his first four wins he lost to undefeated prospect Eric Kirkland a four-rounder on points. It remained his only loss for the righthanded Thompson who nevertheless fights from a southpaw stance. 2001 he kayod the undefeated Chester Hughes in the first round.
- Danny Williams
Daniel Williams (born July 13, 1973, London, England) is a British professional heavyweight boxer, and former Commonwealth champion. Williams' trainer is Jim McDonnell and his manager is Frank Warren.
- Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Smokin' Joe" Frazier (born January 12, 1944 in Beaufort, South Carolina) is a former world heavyweight boxing champion, active mostly in the 1960s and 1970s. Frazier is considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, but he is perhaps most famous for his trilogy of fights with Muhammad Ali, the first of which, won by Frazier in a unanimous decision, has often been called one of boxing's greatest bouts.
- John Ruiz
John “The Quiet Man" Ruiz, Born in Methuen, MA and currently resides in Chelsea, MA, is a professional boxer. His professional record is 41-7-1-0, with 28 knockouts. Frustrated by years of criticism from the boxing press and fans, he retired upon his second loss of the WBA Title on April 30, 2005 (to James “Lights-Out” Toney). Ruiz un-retired in 10 days, after finding out that James Toney had tested positive for anabolic steroids.
- Vitali Klitschko
Dr. Vitali Vladimirovich Klitschko born July 19, 1971). known as "Dr. Iron Fist", is a professional boxer since 1996. In 2005 he retired, but in January 2007 he announced his comeback. He was the WBC heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 2004 and 2005. He is 6' 8" (2.02m) tall, and was born in Belovodsk, Kyrgyzstan, in the former Soviet Union. Vitali has the highest knock out percentage (92%) of any heavyweight champion.
- Jack Johnson
John Arthur Johnson, better known as Jack Johnson and nicknamed the "Galveston Giant", was an American boxer and arguably the best heavyweight of his generation. He was the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World, 1908-1915. In a documentary about his life, Ken Burns said: "For more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous, and the most notorious African-American on Earth".
- Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949 in Cuthbert, Georgia) is a former world heavyweight boxing champion. Noted boxing historian Bert Sugar has listed Holmes as one of the greatest boxers in history. Holmes was born in Georgia, but he has spent the majority of his life in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region, from which Holmes gained his famed boxing nickname, "The Easton Assassin." Holmes won his first 48 professional fights, …
- Chris Byrd
Chris Cornelius Byrd (born August 15, 1970) is a 6 ft. / 182.9 cm. tall southpaw boxer, who was nicknamed "Rapid Fire". He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion.
- Samuel Peter
Samuel Okon Peter (born September 6, 1980 in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria), nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," is a heavyweight boxer who is considered by many to be one of the strongest punchers in the heavyweight divisiion.
- Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano (September 1 1923 - August 31 1969), born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1952 to 1956. Marciano, with forty-three knockouts to his credit (an 88% knockout rate), remains the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire without a defeat or a draw in his professional career.
- Keith Jardine
Keith Hector Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting at Light-Heavyweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut with the organization on The Ultimate Fighter 2, where he was cast as a Heavyweight under coach Rich Franklin.
- David Haye
David Haye aka "Hayemaker" was born 13 October 1980 and is a British boxer who fights in the Heavyweight division. Based in Bermondsey, England, Haye started out as an amateur winning a silver medal in the heavyweight division at the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships. Haye turned pro in December 2002 knocking out veteran Tony Booth in two rounds. In 2003 he won 7 fights, 2 of which were in the US, and won all by knockout.
- Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title between 1919 and 1926. Known as "The Manassa Mauler," Dempsey was a tremendous puncher famous for his exciting fights, many of which set financial and attendance records. A fish is named after him, reputedly for its colorfulness and aggressiveness.
- Sultan Ibragimov
Sultan Ibragimov (born March 8 1975, Kaspiysk, Dagestan) is a Russian heavyweight boxer of Dagestani descent. Ibragimov, real name Sultanahmed Ibzagimov is currently the WBO Heavyweight Champion, and as of April 23, 2006 he is ranked #5 in the IBF and #9 in the WBA. He is trained by Jeff Mayweather.
- Lamon Brewster
"Relentless" Lamon Tajuan Brewster (born June 5, 1973 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American heavyweight professional boxer, who won the silver medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. As a pro he has won the WBO World Heavyweight Title.
- Oleg Maskaev
Oleg Maskaev (born March 2 1969 in Zhambyl, Kazakhstan) is a Russian mine worker who turned into a professional boxer and is the current World Boxing Council lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Originally hailing from Zhambyl (now Taraz), Kazakhstan, he fought out of Staten Island, New York, The United States of America (US) until 9 December 2006 when Russian president Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship.
- Sonny Liston
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (May 8?, 1932 - December 30?, 1970), was a formidable boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, the first time Patterson had been knocked out. Liston was one of the most powerful punchers in the history of the heavyweight division.
- Audley Harrison
Audley Harrison, (born on October 26, 1971 in London), is a British Heavyweight boxer. In 2000 in Sydney he became the first Briton to win an Olympic gold medal in the Superheavyweight division since the competition's inception in 1984. He was also the first Briton to take Olympic gold in boxing in 32 years, and the first at the highest weight class since 1920. After his Olympic success he turned professional, fighting in Great Britain and America, …
- David Tua
David Tua, (born Mafaufau Tavita Lio Mafaufau Sanerivi Talimatasi on November 21, 1972 on the Island of Upolu, Samoa), is a former heavyweight boxing contender and title challenger.
- Ricco Rodriguez
Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He has a professional MMA record of 25-6-0 as of November 17, 2006. He has fought in most of the prestigious fight organizations - UFC, PRIDE, King of the Cage - and rose to prominence as the UFC Heavyweight Champion before dropping the title to Tim Sylvia in 2003.
- James Thompson
James "The Colossus" Thompson (born December 16 1978) is a British Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He currently fights as a heavyweight for PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan and Cage Rage in the United Kingdom. He is characterized by his size, strength, affable way of speaking and humility. In interviews he has described his occupations before professional fighting as "debt collector" and "Gypsy remover", though he has not elaborated on the latter.
- Corrie Sanders
Cornelius Johannes Sanders (born on January 7, 1966 in Pretoria, South Africa) is a South African boxer. Known for his fast hands and devastating left, Sanders is the third boxer from the African continent to become world Heavyweight champion, after fellow countrymen Gerrie Coetzee and Francois Botha.
- Floyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 - May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. At 21 Patterson became the youngest man then to have won the world heavyweight championship. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by knockout.
- Kevin Randleman
Kevin "The Monster" Randleman (born August 10, 1971 in Sandusky, Ohio) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. Randleman's background is in Collegiate wrestling. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Randleman was a two time Division I NCAA Champion for Ohio State University. Randleman is a former heavyweight champion of the UFC and currently fights in PRIDE at heavyweight and light heavyweight. He is known for his athleticism and explosive power.
- Shannon Briggs
Shannon "Brooklyn" Briggs (born December 4, 1971 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American heavyweight boxer and actor, whose career peaked by controversially outpointing George Foreman for the linear heavyweight championship but was decelerated by a loss to Lennox Lewis in 1998. On November 4, 2006, Briggs was once again recognized as a heavyweight champion, becoming the WBO Heavyweight Champion by beating Sergei Liakhovich by TKO in the twelfth and final round.
- Cheick Kongo
Cheick "Kongo" Guillaume Ouedraogo (born May 17 1975 in Paris) is a heavyweight mixed martial artist currently fighting in the UFC. He fights out of the Fimeu gym in Paris, France. Kongo has been fighting in martial arts since he was 5 years old, following his brother into Kendo and Karate.
- Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967, Brooklyn, New York) is an American boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. He is best remembered for his trilogy of fights with Evander Holyfield, and two brutal bouts with Andrew Golota.
- Ruslan Chagaev
Ruslan Chagaev is an Uzbek boxer, currently holding the WBA heavyweight title. As an amateur fighter, he has won the Asian and World Championships in the heavyweight (81-91 kg) category. Chagaev originally won the gold medal at the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships after beating boxing legend Félix Savón in the final, but when it was discovered that Chagaev had been boxing professionally, he lost the title and was suspended for a year.
- Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was a professional boxer. Generally regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Robinson's performances at the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1967. Robinson was 85–0 as an amateur with 69 of those victories coming by way of knockout, …
- Max Schmeling
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling (September 28, 1905 - February 2, 2005) was a German boxer whose two fights with Joe Louis transcended boxing and became worldwide social events because of their national associations. Despite his supposed associations with nazism, it became known long after the Second World War that Schmeling had risked his own life to save the lives of two Jewish children in 1938.