Were there any all time greats who were bullied as kids?

Nassem Hamed was also bullied as a kid, supposedly Brendan Ingle was on the top floor of a double decker bus as it passed Hamed´s primary school. He saw a small Indian boy fighting 3 bigger boys. Later he went to Hameds dad corner shop to ask about him. Naseem and his brothers all gym afterwards. Sounds all very Hollywood but apparently it is true.

 

Corn to think of it I think a lot of fighters probably started off being bullied. Muhammad Ali had his bike stollen as a kid and that resulted in him going to a boxing gym

 

The great Willie Pep...

 

Tyson

 

They targeted Leon. Little brother Michael said he'd throw his pebbles to try protecting Leon, "But it never did any good." Michael was probably sparked by witnessing his brother being bullied, but you'd have to ask him about whether or not he was personally bullied by his own peers.

Leon was actually bullied the first time he ever attempted sparring in a ring. The other guy ambushed him with a head butt, and that's why Leon was missing his two front teeth. It's also why Leon became so enraged when Eddie "Animal" Lopez tried deliberately butting him twice in their ten round SD draw. (The referee instantly penalized Lopez appropriately.) Leon's son Cory shows you what Leon would've looked like with his two front teeth having remained in place.)

 

Mike Tyson went from the bullied to a bully. There’s the famous story about him beating up the kid who killed his pigeons.

He said it got really bad when the family moved from Bed Stuy to Brownsville. He would get picked on for wearing glasses and get beat up by other kids.

Roy Jones Jr got bullied by his father. Actually child abuse is a better way to put it.

 

Michael got it too.

He said sometimes he would get jumped by the local gangs and they would tell him “that’s because of Leon”

 

Mike Tyson actually used to bully Muhammad Ali when he was a kid. That is why he gets so emotional about it now, because he feels bad. They would talk on the phone sometimes and Mike would promise him that he would never do it again but what's done is done. That is why you don't do things you gonna regret later.

 

Tommy Hearns stated in interview he got into boxing because he was picked on.

 

Well, I know it wasn’t Mike who stole an incensed, bent on revenge, 12 yo Cassius Clay’s bicycle.

Well known fact - Mike never progressed beyond his tricycle licence - part of the reason he himself was bullied.

In fact, at around age 14, when transporting his precious cargo on his undersized three wheeler, the bullies used to play “Catch That Pigeon” with Mike.

Absolute Basterds.

The more sympathetic neighbourhood kids would yell - “Pedal Mike, pedal!”

To be fair, Mike was the fastest tricycle rider in his neighbourhood...for his age group. The field was limited.

Though poor Mike’s knees did cop a hiding from the handlebars when he was going at full pump.

 

Dornell Wigfall. Hagler beat him twice in the pros at Brockton High Gymnasium to exact his revenge.

Wigfall nicked his leather jacket as well as beating him up. That bit him on the backside.