Besides Muhammad Ali, who's the second most respected in this sport?

[Takes Two To Tango]

I was thinking the person overall, not just a boxer.

I'm going to say George Foreman.

The Foreman after he loss to Ali became a very likable man.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

True but something he's alleged to have done in the past is haunting him.

 

[mozfonky]

Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, those are the major ones, of course there are many.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

True but something he's alleged to have done in the past is haunting him.

Yeah I heard about these allegations. Not sure if there true though.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Yeah I heard about these allegations. Not sure if there true though.

We'll have to see what comes of it. Even if the case went to trial and he was convicted I could see Trump pardoning him. He granted clemency to Jack Johnson posthumously so it isn't exactly out of the question.

 

[mozfonky]

Yeah I heard about these allegations. Not sure if there true though.

it's so long ago that there's no way in hell that'll amount to anything even in the current era unless bill cosby numbers come out. The news came out right around the time of George's new biopic but the biopic flopped so it didn't really help get the story out like it would have if the movie was a hit.

 

[pugilistico]

Joe Louis

I guess globally overall, including people who don't know anything about boxing, Mike Tyson is the only other name everybody seems to know.

 

[Patrick Jane]

Jack Dempsey?

 

[mozfonky]

Jack Dempsey?

absolutely, lots of guys, Dempsey is one.

 

[Kovalev's "Man Bag"]

Joe Louis

I guess globally overall, including people who don't know anything about boxing, Mike Tyson is the only other name everybody seems to know.

There have been a handful of heavyweight champs in boxing history that either are or were household names in the US and/or worldwide. Ali being the most popular of all time and Mike Tyson probably being the second most popular. In his day Dempsey's popularity rivaled Babe Ruth's. Foreman is a household name largely because he's connected to Ali and because of all the grills in his name that he's sold over the years. Jack Johnson & Joe Louis were also household names. You could also throw Holyfield in there because of the infamous ear bite incident with Mike in the 90s.

 

[Fluffernutter]

Respected?

Gene Tunney.

He developed the PT for basic training that lasted for years.

Plus, if I remember correctly, one of his kids became a member of Congress.

Also, you don't really hear about old timers talking bad about him

 

[djacobox372]

 

[mozfonky]

Respected?

Gene Tunney.

He developed the PT for basic training that lasted for years.

Plus, if I remember correctly, one of his kids became a member of Congress.

Also, you don't really hear about old timers talking bad about him

Ol' Gene, what's PT? He wasn't popular as HW champion, people didn't like having a champ who read poetry, but the Heavyweight Champ has almost never been beloved in his time, or at least not all of his time. Tyson, Ali, Dempsey, Liston were all hated. Yes, Tunney's son was some sort of politician and I read of a story where Bruce Lee met him and told him he read his dad's book and I think critiqued his techniques. Tunney was a pioneer as a mover, kinda gets overlooked in the ATG rankings but he had a damned good record.

Again, it's a historically odd thing but the heavyweight champs have usually not been too popular. Dempsey losing to Tunney really began to turn things around in terms of the public liking him, before that he was a draft dodger, tried for rape a time or two and very unpopular.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

The Greatest!

 

[Doctor Grudge]

George Foreman has the reputation of a quitter and someone mentally weak, so I'm not sure how he could have the most even taking into account his comeback.

Likable and respected aren't the same thing.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

George Foreman has the reputation of a quitter and someone mentally weak, so I'm not sure how he could have the most even taking into account his comeback.

Likable and respected aren't the same thing.

Fair enough.

So who's your pick?

 

[randomg1t]

didn't think of him at first, but i have to agree.

everything about that man just commands respect. the way he looked, the way he carried himself, the way he fought, and of course the fights he took.

if there's any bad shit marvin did, i'm not sure i even want to know. in my mind, he's as solid as they come.

 

[Spam On Rye]

Foreman. He was a tough character but then came back in my youth and helped my family grill burgers and he won the belt in jolly old fashion.

 

[Intermission]

Joe Louis is the babe ruth of boxing.

Foreman is nowhere close to that status

 

[pugilistico]

There have been a handful of heavyweight champs in boxing history that either are or were household names in the US and/or worldwide. Ali being the most popular of all time and Mike Tyson probably being the second most popular. In his day Dempsey's popularity rivaled Babe Ruth's. Foreman is a household name largely because he's connected to Ali and because of all the grills in his name that he's sold over the years. Jack Johnson & Joe Louis were also household names. You could also throw Holyfield in there because of the infamous ear bite incident with Mike in the 90s.

I think when it comes to the most recognizable names, nobody comes close to Ali and Tyson. People know their names the way people know Jordan or Messi. I bet you could ask almost anybody in most places in the world and people who don't know anything about boxing (like women who don't even know the difference between boxing and MMA), will have at least heard of Ali or Tyson, but they wouldn't know Foreman or Louis.