I'll just throw some names around Gerry Cooney - this guy was on covers of boxing magazines, and wasn't even fighting. Jerry Quarry Ray Mancini Micky Ward Arturo Gatti Rocky Graziano Andrew Golota Ken Norton
I'm going to add Frank Bruno. Being an American, I never fully realized how popular he was in the UK. I just finished reading his book, Being Frank, where he mainly discusses his battles with bipolar disorder, much more than his boxing career. I gained a newfound respect for Frank. As a fighter, I always thought he was overrated, and never cared too much for his style, but he seems like a very likable guy, down to earth, and he's doing lots of work in the UK, using his status as a celebrity to raise money and awareness about mental illness.
I'll throw Matthew Saad Muhammad in there, great fighter, very popular in Philly, and an amazing life story.
True, but an awful track record against powerpunchers. Still he was doing commentary, movies, tv shows, commercials, and probably would have continued if not for his horrific car accident.
Yes but he beat Ali once on the score cards, was robbed once in the third fight , the second fight should have been a draw, he gave Larry Holmes his toughest fight in a war that could have gone either way, he beat Jimmy Young and so on .. he had a stylistic flaw against huge punchers but he belongs no where near those other guys in my opinion at least ..