Southern born and southern strong, these are the greatest heavweight boxers to hail from the land called Dixie. In no particular order: Joe Luis - Alabama Ezzard Charles - Georgia Jack Johnson - Texas Floyd Patterson - North Carolina Muhammed Ali - Kentucky Joe Frazier - South Carolina George Foreman - Texas Jimmy Ellis - Kentucky Ernie Terrell - Mississippi Deontay Wilder - Alabama
No **** Thanks. Yeah man I'm a huge Real Deal fan I just did not know he was southern. Now I'm much more interested in trying his Real Deal BBQ, if he still sells it. I'm probably not the best guy to have started this thread because I've never been very interested in where fighters came from. Don't get me wrong I don't think it entirely unimportant it's just not as important as training and such. I was just BS'ing in general and shot my mouth off about how many great fighters came from Dixie, then noticed I had a complete ten and thought it was interesting so I made a thread. I shouldn't have written it like I was telling youse definitely or some such. I'm plenty open to a different top ten or expanding the list beyond ten. Personally even though I am a massive Wilder fan and expect him to end his career higher than single belt champions as it stands he's not only just a single belt champion but the one with the weakest resume so if it has to be ten I'd edge Wilder out and add Evander. I'll let you respond before I make any changes.
I dunno if maybe there's some kind problem so's youse can't see him but I listed Jack. I'm probably going to edit the list to add Holyfield soon but Jack's pretty much immovable. I was kind of sticking to just champions but if y'all just want to talk about how great the boxer from my homeland are in general that's cool too. Shavers and Mathis are both badass country folk too.
It is intriguing that a place of such ripe fodder for the sport (so many hardscrabble, poor folk) produced so relatively few great fighters. Obviously, the paucity of great gyms is the main factor...
Larry Holmes was born in Georgia. Earnie Shavers was born in Alabama, Mike Weaver in Texas, Jumbo Cummings in Mississippi, Sonny Liston in Arkansas, Cleveland Williams in Georgia, Wayne Bethea in S.C., Harry Wills in La., Archie Moore in Mississippi, Mitch Green in Georgia, Carl Williams in Florida, Bonecrusher in N.C., Renaldo Snipes in Texas, and there are a lot more. If you do all of the classes, SRR was from Georgia, Tommy Hearns from Tn., SRL from N.C., Pernell Whitaker from Va., Henry Armstrong from Mississippi, Beau Jack from Georgia...
