Boxers who had a huge influence on other boxers either in terms of pioneering a style that others copied, innovating certain techniques, having a profound impact on the popularity of the sport etc. Mine ( no order); Jack Dempsey - first million dollar gate, pioneered a style that Mike Tyson later was influenced by, even wrote a book on boxing technique etc. Muhammad Ali Joe Louis Sugar Ray Robinson Mike Tyson Who else?
Oscar de La Hoya. Probably the guy who saw off the heavyweights as the biggest moneymakers. Not sure what is going on with Canelo vs Usyk/Fury as we speak, but that aside, since Oscar, the heavyweights have not been the big monkeymakers. That's a misnomer. I've lost track of how many times i've heard "fighter x would be a heavyweight because that's where the money is." No it isn't. Hasn't been this century. Probably never will be as a designation again - Oscar did that. Other than that it's just a list of heavyweights plus Sugar and Oscar, yeah.
Which heavyweights though? Dempsey, Louis (cultural, ww2 recruitment influence), Ali, Tyson. Maybe Jack Johnson? As great as Holmes was, i don't think he was especially influential. I guess you could make an argument for Chavez and Pacquiao because of the enormous cultural impact they had in their countries. No doubt they influenced other boxers from their countries and regions.
Take your pick really. John Sullivan as the first gloved champion who seemed invincible was an enormous influence. James J Corbett is given the credit for pursuit of technique as key (incorrectly according to Pollack), that's huge. Joe Louis, to the western world, was arguably one of the most important African descendants of the pre-Civil Rights era. Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, pick eight and chuck them in, you won't be far off.
I think you are right. I will add Bob Fitzimmons. No doubt the first middleweight to move up and win the heavyweight crown influenced numerous smaller men to try their luck.
So far in no order; Dempsey Louis Ali Fitzimmons Tyson SRR Oscar Manny Pac Jack Blackburn - as a boxer and later training a number of talented fighters SRR
Rocky Marciano just because of the movies. How many people were brought to the sport because of that movie?
Hmmm. I’ll come at this from a different angle. Not just fighters but … things that were enormous influences related to boxing. In no order: Rocky Balboa — Especially with the first breakthrough movie, put boxing in the spotlight in 1976 and became iconic. People literally think of Mickey as the prototype for a trainer and Balboa was like a superhero. Sparked a huge boxing movement in America along with … 1976 U.S. Olympic team — Brought us Leon Spinks (who became an overnight star by knocking off Ali in a huge upset … people forget how big that was and how everyone immediately knew his name, far more than they knew Larry Holmes or many others for quite a while), Michael Spinks, Ray Leonard … along with Howard Davis Jr (didn’t win a title but was a TV mainstay and early on was the star of the group) and Leo Randolph. We watched this crew grow up before our eyes, basically. They were to their sport and generation what the 1980 hockey team was to its sport and fandom. Muhammad Ali — Bigger than boxing, bigger than almost anything. Controversial, loved and hated … sometimes by the same people in the same lifetime. But also a true world champion who took his title to the four corners of the globe. He even fought Superman in a comic book … and won! Fab Four — Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran (along with Wilfred Benitez, who was the Pete Best of this group of Beatles) brought the lower weights into the mainstream and created massive purse opportunities below heavyweight that had never been present before. When they fought each other, the boxing world stopped to watch. Mayweather and Pacquaio — Even though they fought too late, they became stars of a new generation and brought a tribalism never before seen to the fistic world. If you liked one, you probably hated the other (I was pretty much on the fence, liking both, but a large part of their fan bases didn’t see it that way). Their influence with how fan bases react/cling to their guy and spit venom at any rival permeates to this day. Jack Johnson — Without him, no telling how long it might have been before a black fighter really broke through and proved they belonged, paving the way for ATGs to come. Jack Dempsey — Boxing’s first true rock star. They erected stadiums just for this fights and drew million-dollar gates when important countries probably had less than that in their treasuries at the time. Joe Louis — Probably did more for race relations in America than we will ever know, likely (and sadly) the first black fighter that white Americans cheered for openly. Also beat Hitler’s chosen one to a pulp (not Max’s fault, but he was a symbol like it or not). Jim Corbett — As a stylist and ‘scientific’ boxer, brought the sport’s reputation to where it could be part of polite society and less regarded as a barbaric undertaking. It’s a perception thing. Don King — Became synonymous for everything a boxing promoter is considered today, all the good and the bad. He made big events and made events bigger. He put more boxers on the map by promoting them than probably anyone who ever lived. And robbed many of them blind, no doubt.
John L. Sullivan James J. Corbett Jack Johnson Mike Gibbons Jack Blackburn Jack Dempsey Joe Louis Muhammad Ali Benny Leonard Archie Moore I haven't looked at anyone else's post
Even before glove we had the likes of Figg Broughton Mendoza Cribb Sayers Molineaux Pearce ete We cant really leave these guys out.
If they called it Chuck or Chuckie would the movie have been as big. I get you’re saying Wepner vs Ali was Rocky vs Creed.
Didn't Julio do that before Oscar? King lost Tyson but knew that the Latino audience wasn't being properly served and took a fading JCC and made some great cards.
