11 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT FAMOUS BOXERS

Boxing is a sport with a long history. Often referred to as the "sweet science," boxing has produced a throng of legendary athletes that continue to inspire people even to this day. Below is a summary of 10 Interesting facts about famous boxers. 

1.       Eric Esch, aka Butterbean, would never have become a boxer had it not been for a dare from his coworkers to join the Toughman competition, a boxing tournament. In order to qualify he had to lose about 10 kilos and did so by going a diet that consisted mostly of butter beans, which he hated. His coworkers started chanting the term Butter-bean, and the crowd followed, earning him his moniker.

2.       Muhammad Ali’s famous ‘Phantom Punch’ boxing gloves from his famous fight with Sonny Liston were sold in an auction for a £622,000.

3.       Herbert Odom boxed for the first time at the age of 46 and won within two rounds.

4.       If you thought Floyd Mayweather made a weird choice of people to walk him down the aisle by picking Justin Bieber, think again. Sugar Ray Robinson used to be accompanied to the ring by an entourage which included a dwarf. Yes, that's right, a dwarf!

5.       George Foreman made more money from his 'Foreman Grill' than he did from his boxing career. All in all he earned a whopping 200 million dollars from the product which included selling the name rights of the grill for an unprecedented $138 million.

6.       Joe Frazier fought all his fights while being legally blind. Shortly after going professional in '65, he lost sight in his left eye due to a training accident.

7.       Vitali Klitschko is not an accomplished boxer with a knockout percentage of 87.23%, second only to Rocky Marciano, but he also a doctorate in Sports Science from  Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. His thesis was on "talent and sponsorship in sports."

8.       Rocky Marciano may not have become a boxer had it not been for the breakout of World War II. Having always excelled in football and baseball throughout high school, Rocky was intent on professionally playing baseball until he was drafted into the Army at the outbreak of the Second World War. He took up boxing in the Army to avoid kitchen duty.

9.       Sonny Liston was believed to have ties to the Mafia. Throughout his iconic fight with Muhammad Ali he seemed to be losing to a more energetic Ali but his inability to come out of his corner in round 7 startled everyone. Adding to the rumor mill was suspicion surrounding his death five years later.

10.   Mike Tyson was obese at the age of 13, weighing in at 200 pounds.

11.   Muhammad Ali originally claimed he tossed his 1960 Olympic Gold medal into the Ohio river after realizing it did not garner much respect for him as he was not allowed into white-only restaurant. He later admitted he had lost it. The Olympic Committee replaced his medal during the 1996 Atlanta Games opening ceremonies where Ali made a surprising and dramatic appearance to light the Olympic torch.

Boxing is a daring experience for the strong and daring ones. Wearing boxing gloves isn’t a job for the faint hearted; it requires a certain level of mental strength to be able to wear the boxing gloves and show one’s skills in the ring.