The best fighter to come from a middle-class background?

I'd say MAB was above the middle class.

 

Didn't MAB have a famous saying that he can be lawyer all his life but only a World Champion boxer for a few years...

I think that is what makes MAB that bit extra special, he didn't have to fight because he had to... He fought because he wanted too and maintained his hunger...

He gets my vote...:good

 

Cassius Clay.

 

This thread topic reminds me of that youtube clip where Chris Eubank is trying to discourage his son from taking up boxing cause he feels his son privilege upbringing will not make him mentally tough enough for boxing.

 

Muhammad Ali
Ken Norton (had enough money to go to college, I'm not sure if he was poor at the time or not though)

 

Ali came from an upper middle class family while Frazier was poor. SRL came from middle class. Tony Ayala was not poor. Kid Diamond family was supposedly rich

 

MAB sprung to mind straight away, but if you are saying Ali had a middle class upbringing then its thread over.

 

Yeah both his parents are doctors werent they Bummy?

But even then...would there be much of a middle class in the Soviet era?

 

Gene Tunney has to be up there, James J Corbett too.

 

Yes I believe that was on when Louis met Chris Eubank.

 

Norton was poor. At least struggling to live on his own before his career blew up.

 

I though Ali's father was a sign-painter and his mother was a maid.

 

Gene Tunney was a broke mutha as a kid. Read the new bio of him, excellent book...

Sugar Ray Leonard comes to mind. The Million Dollar Man, also.

 

Larry Holmes would be middle class for starters? Lets ascertain some names. What about Hearns and Hagler? Arguello? Michael Spinks?

Probably a better way would be to post a rough top 20 and zero in on backgrounds starting from fighter number 1.