Fighters whose popularity personality, and overall presence, belies their actual boxing ability?

George Foreman

 

Arturo Gatti.

 

Floyd Mayweather, The Younger.

 

Naseem Hamed, Tyson Fury, Ryan Garcia, Anthony Joshua, Ricky Hatton

 

Muhammad Ali. He won a few fights on popularity alone.

 

Gatti could box & fight, albeit not top tier, though never any problem watching him,
a better boxer than Graziano by comparison, though more pleasant to watch from a Boxing Skill point of view...

so many good & great fighters 'willing' to fight deserve the accolades, verses fighters who spoil their way through too many fights, No Thanks.

 

Ancient Roman boxing historian, Pliny, The-Just-The-Right-Ager, often said that boxing is a game of selling a personality with your fists. And he was right, even if his name was dumb.

 

I don’t think anyone was under the impression that Eric Esch — aka Butterbean — had much boxing ability (although he had some level of power, that being difficult to truly gauge given his level of opposition) but he definitely had charisma and a good gimmick (toughman King of the Four-Rounders) that allowed him to earn far beyond his abilities and skill level.

 

Bud Crawford. Cardboard exudes more charisma but he can fight.

 

Ali.

He wasn't REALLY the 'greatest'.

 

There’s an industry that ranks Mike Tyson as this unbeatable monster (when trained by a weird geriatric or guido alcoholic) instead of what he was. A short guy with a short prime who cleaned out a very flawed division before imploding. He was never unbeatable. He came along at the right time, gave good image, invigorated the division but ultimately fought in a pretty ordinary era.

 

I really rate Tyson's 80's run, but, yes, this aura of invincibility that many give him (not that many on this board, though), I think partly is a product of his charisma and fame. And that he makes for awesome highlights

 

Tyson Fury absolutely.
Yes, excellent fighter but the reputation and mass media that surrounds him,makes him appear a lot more than what he actually is.

 

Bruno