Fighters who ...

Yes, well I hope Roy Jones is forgotten about in Britain after he the Calzaghe fight.

 

No one mentioned Dempsey yet? no doubt boxings most iconic figure before Ali.
And before him there was Sullivan, as popular for his exploits out of the ring as in it.

That alltime-greats like SRR or Duran will get a lot of attention is quite obvious,but if you think of fighters caught the imagination while not really achieving greatness you have:
Lew Jenkins, because of his Ko punch and wild lifestyle
Beau Jack, coming along during the war with all-action style and interesting life-story
Rocky Graziano, N.Y. streetkid with with kill or be killed style and wit
Max Baer, Clown and killer rolled into one
Jim Braddock, symbol of hope during depression
Chuck Davey, college education and flashiness appealed to audiences during early TV era
Gerry Cooney, Because he was white(?)

 

You've missed the point of this thread entirely. The thread-starter is asking for suggestions for people who have transcended boxing in their countries, or who have become icons/idols. Muhammad Ali, Max Schmeling, Joe Louis, Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, many many more have done this.

I live in the UK, and Benn and Hamed were moderately well-known, some boxing fans liked them, some didn't. Chris Eubank was never very popular, despite his quality. Amir Khan, like Benn and Hamed, was quite popular, reasonably well-liked, some people who didn't like boxing knew who he was.... this does not in any way equate to a national fever or idolization!!

Ricky Hatton is far more of a cult figure with far more drawing power than Hamed, Benn, Eubank or Khan.

And I don't recall Leonard, Jones or Mayweather being hugely popular, iconic figures either. You are confusing quality with 'catching the public imagination' like Ali did.

 

My grandmother was born in 1912, liked Lawrence Welk, and new little at all about boxing. She new who Ray Leonard was. Ray Leonard in the 80's was a big as Oscar, any day. She would not know Jones and Mayweather, even if she were alive today.

John L. Sullivan, Jim Jeffries, and Jack Johnson would all be examples. You'll have some tell you that Johnson was hated, and hated by his own people for being outspoken. That is not entirely true about Johnson. There are plenty of stories about black people being proud after Johnson's victory over Jeffries. Stories of two black men ordering coffee comes to mind. One man ordered his coffee "white and weak, like Jim Jeffries; the other "strong and black, like Jack Johnson."

George Foreman in the 1990's.

 

Sugar Ray Leonard was big yes, but he was never loved in the same way an Ali was. He was famous due to success, but he was never an icon/idol, he never transcended boxing like Schmeling or Johnson or Louis. He was never adored in the USA the same way that some less successful fighters were in their own countries.

 

Georges Carpentier for France.

 

I'll agree that Leonard never achieved the status Ali, Chavez, Shmeling, Louis, or Johnson.

Leonard was as popular as you can become without being Iconic. I don't know of any Olympic boxers that were ever as famous as Leonard before turning professional. The only reason I mention Leonard, is because you mentioned De la Hoya. Leonard had every bit the status Oscar has achieved thus far.

 

barry mcguigan managed in the 80`s to bring both sides of ireland together , .

think about it , rangers fans and celtic fans , prodacents and catholics, all got behind mcguigan and he sold out evrey fight, and had millions watching on tv all wanting him to win.

mcguigan was a huge icon and had huge popularity in the uk and america and truley transcended the sport.

just think on this for a number.

20 million viewers out of a population of about 55 million at the time for a fight.

everybody had heard of mcguigan and he had cross over appeal to the mainstream.