In celebration of Black History Month, Round By Round Boxing will be highlighting some of our staffs favorite black fighters.
We’ll also have in-depth stories and highlights on our social media networks featuring some of the best and least recognized champions of yesteryear.
Scroll through to check out the featured fighters and check back each day for a brand new post!
Make sure to follow RBRBoxing on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram for more!
Jack Johnson
John Arthur “Jack” Johnson, nicknamed the Galveston Giant, was an American boxer, who—at the height of the Jim Crow era—became the first African American world Heavyweight boxing champion.
For more on Johnson, check out the Ken Burns documentary, “Unforgivable Blackness.”
George Dixon
George Dixon, known as “Little Chocolate,” won the Bantamweight world title in London in 1890, which made him the first black man to ever win a world title (yes, even before Jack Johnson) in any weight class.
He also captured and defended the Featherweight title for an eight-year span. Hailing from Nova Scotia, the Black Canadian fighter is recognized and heralded as one of the best “smaller” boxers to ever walk the earth.
Dixon is also credited for inventing shadowboxing.
Sam Langford
At only 5’8″, Sam Langford was one of the shortest and greatest Heavyweights who never got a shot at the title. He was so feared by his contemporaries, that before agreeing to fight, they sought guarantees that he would “be merciful.”
Langford often did so anyway, because of his limited opportunities and to ensure that he could get rematches. He fought many of the same opponents–often in the predicament he found himself in–multiple times, as a result of the “color line” imposed on the world titles.
He was nicknamed the “Boston Tar Baby” among others, a nod to the racial attitudes of the day.
In the end, Langford died blind and penniless after a career that spanned five weight classes, surpassing well over 300 bouts and saw him face and defeat several hall of fame legends.
Joe Gans
Joe Gans (born Joseph Gant) was an African-American boxer, born in Baltimore, Maryland, who was rated the greatest Lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder, Nat Fleischer.
Known as the “Old Master,” Gans was the first black man to win the world Lightweight title, which he won by first-round knockout over Frank Erne in May of 1902. Gans’ record was an incredible 158-12-20, 100 KOs, and he once fought three times in one night.
For more on Gans, check out “The Longest Fight” by William Gildea which looks at the 42-round war fought by Gans against “Battling” Nelson–the third longest bout in boxing history.
Tiger Flowers
Theodore “Tiger” Flowers was the first African American to win the world Middleweight title, beating the fabled “Pittsburgh Windmill,” Harry Greb, by unanimous decision in a dirty fight that included gouging as tactics.
Dubbed the “Georgia Deacon,” flashing a smile full of gold teeth, Flowers was known to be a quiet, humble man and devout Christian outside the ring. Inside the ring, Flowers was ferocious. He faced many of the hall of famers of his era and even defeated quite a few.
He eventually lost the title to hall of fame contemporary, Mickey Walker, by a controversial decision that was investigated and upheld.
While campaigning for a rematch with Walker, Flowers died in 1927 from the same procedure that claimed Greb’s life a year earlier; the removal of scar tissue around the eyes.
Joe Walcott
He knocked out Joe Choynski, a Heavyweight who went on to beat the legendary Jack Johnson. Walcott went so far as to call out legends like James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, and “Great White Hope” Jim Jeffries; all of which refused to fight fighters of color and used Walcott’s size as an excuse to avoid him.
Walcott won the Welterweight title in 1901, retaining it for almost five years, fighting to a draw in most of his defenses, but knocking out many challengers to his crown. The historical account of his reign was muddled over time with conflicting accounts, which makes it difficult to present all the challengers accurately.
Throughout his career, Walcott would face a myriad of Hall of Fame legends, fighting the likes of Joe Gans, Philadelphia Jack O’ Brien, Sam Langford and Young Peter Jackson to name a few.
Tom Molineaux
Molineaux, born into slavery, was raised on a plantation in Virginia. Learning that he could eventually fight his way out of slavery, Molineaux began participating in bare knuckle fights against neighboring slaves, in events that were arranged by the slave owners.
Molineaux was indeed granted his freedom after winning his last bout as a slave, but decided to travel (as a deck hand) to England after hearing about better opportunities for fighters. While in London, Molineux frequently referred to himself as the “American champion,” even though there was no such thing at the time. Molineux also professed that he could beat anyone.
After name checking the retired, hall of fame legend, and ex-champion Tom Cribb, Cribb demanded Molineux defeat his protégé Bill Burrows–whom Molineux dispatched of easily. When Molineux faced Cribb, he dominated the Brit early, drawing first blood and dropping the ex-champ in the 28th round.
Based on the rules at the time, Molineux should have won at that moment, but Cribb’s trainer accused Molineux of holding bullets to make his punches harder. After a quick investigation yielded no evidence, the referee allowed them to continue, but by then Molineaux, tired and dizzy from hitting his head on a ring post collapsed.
Molineaux got an immediate rematch, but Cribb took no chances in training and broke Molineux’s jaw as he knocked him out in the 11th. Molineaux never fought for the title again. He became an alcoholic and died of tuberculosis at 34 years of age.
Claressa Shields
Claressa Shields (66-1) is an American boxer born in Flint, Michigan. In August 2012 Shields became the first American woman to win a boxing gold medal at the London Olympic games.
She won the Olympic Middleweight title by defeating Russian boxer Nadezda Torlopova, who was nearly twice her age. In 2015, Shields became the first American to win titles in women’s boxing at the Olympics and Pan American games.
Shields looks to continue making history and has her eyes set on winning gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Henry Armstrong
Photo by Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
Henry Jackson Jr., aka Melody Jackson aka “Hammerin’ Hank” aka “Homocide Hank,” and better known as Henry Armstrong, is arguably the greatest Welterweight in boxing history.
He holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses in the Welterweight division with 19. The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years and boxing historian Bert Sugar ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time.
Armstrong won championships in three different divisions at a time when there were only eight universally recognized divisions. In 1938, Armstrong became the Featherweight, Welterweight and Lightweight world champion in a 10-month span.
He is the only boxer to ever hold three undisputed championships in three different divisions simultaneously. Armstrong retired with a record of 151-21-9, 101 KOs.
Alicia Ashley
Photo by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
After defeating the previously undefeated Christina McMahon for the WBC women’s Super Bantamweight title last October, the now two-time champion, Alicia Ashley surpassed her own record in the Guiness Book of world records (and boxing history) as the oldest woman to win a world title.
Ashley first set the record at age 43, when she snatched the title from Christina Ruiz in 2011.
Joe Louis
Nicknamed the “Brown Bomber,” Louis helped elevate boxing from a decline in popularity in the post-Jack Dempsey era by establishing a reputation as an honest, hardworking fighter at a time when the sport was dominated by gambling interests.
Louis’ reign as champion, which lasted 11 years, 8 months and 8 days, is the longest in Heavyweight history.
He also holds the Heavyweight record for most consecutive title defenses with 25. For an interesting take on the social important of Louis’ reign, check out “Champion of the World” by Maya Angelou.
Mark Johnson
A slick southpaw, Johnson won titles at Flyweight and Super Flyweight twice. Johnson holds the distinction of being the first African American boxer to win a title at Flyweight.
Many of the other marquee fighters of his day, such as Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero, Michael Carbajal and Ricardo López are widely considered to have avoided Johnson in his prime. In 2012, Johnson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Sandy Saddler
Joseph “Sandy” Saddler (144-16-2, 103 KOs) was a two-time Featherweight world champion, having also held the Super Featherweight title as well. Over his 12-year career, Saddler scored 103 knockouts and was stopped only once himself, in his second professional fight, by Jock Leslie.
In 2003, Saddler was ranked number five on Ring magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.”
Saddler was well adept at cutting off the ring and is known for his rivalry with Willie Pep which included four fights, three of which Saddler won.
Cool fact: Saddler’s nephew is Grandmaster Flash.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Robinson amassed a record of 173-19-6, 108 KOs and from 1943 to 1951, Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak. 65 years ago, Jake LaMotta was Sugar Ray Robinson’s bloody Valentine in a savage Middleweight title fight.
The most painful of their six fights took place at Chicago Stadium and is one of the most famous fights in boxing history with Robinson stopping LaMotta in a punishing 13th round to win the undisputed Middleweight title.
In 2006, Robinson was featured on a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service.
Marvin Hagler
AP Photo
“Marvelous” Marvin Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs) was the undisputed Middleweight Champion from 1980 to 1987. He was named Fighter of the Decade (of the 1980s) by Boxing Illustrated and twice named Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.
In 2001 and 2004 The Ring named him the 3rd greatest middleweight of all time and in 2002 they named him the 17th-greatest fighter of the past 80 years.
Hagler struggled to find high profile opponents willing to face him in his early years, to which Joe Frazier famously said, “You have three strikes against you, you’re black, you’re a southpaw and you’re good.”
Hagler is remembered for fights against the likes of Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, but no fight was more exciting than “The War” versus Thomas Hearns. Hagler won the fight by TKO in Round 3.
Archie Moore
Archie “The Old Mongoose” Moore is the only man in history who fought both Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.
In a career that fell three years shy of three decades (27, if you’re counting), Moore has more knockout victories–with the final tally at 141–than any other fighter who has ever laced up a set of gloves. Moore started boxing professionally as a Middleweight in 1935, but by 1945 he entered the Light Heavyweight division.
Some of Moore’s best work was in the Light Heavyweight division, but he was repeatedly passed over for a shot at the title. If not for the International Boxing Club of New York’s stronghold on the championship belts at the time, his inability to get a title shot was also attributed to his intimidating boxing abilities and constant mis-management by handlers.
In 1952, Moore’s luck in regards to his title shot drought would change for the better. Four days following his 39th birthday, Moore finally got his shot, battering fellow Hall-of-Famer, Joey Maxim by unanimous decision, lifting the title he would hold for the next nine years.
Three years in to that nine year reign, at age 41, Moore decided to try his luck at the Heavyweight title against the legendary Rocky Marciano. Marciano dropped “The Old Mongoose” several times throughout the fight, with Moore failing to get up in the ninth. He made another attempt at the Heavyweight title, the following year against Floyd Patterson, falling short again by knockout.
One of Moore’s most memorable bouts was a defense of his Light Heavyweight title in the summer of 1959 against Yvon Durelle. In a fight that saw Moore dropped three times in the first round, then once more in the fifth round; Moore suddenly turned the tables on Durelle by dropping him in the seventh and knocking him out cold in the 11th round.
Moore had a distinction in the way his career peaked at an age where most fighters would’ve hung them up years before.
Truly one of the greatest to ever participate in the sweet science, Moore claims a storied career that saw him face notable Hall-of-Fame contemporaries later in his career like Ali, Marciano, Patterson, Maxim, Bobo Olson and and Ezzard Charles.
Jimmy Bivins
AP Photo
James Louis Bivins, better known as Jimmy Bivins, was a Heavyweight boxer and one of the greatest fighters never to win a world championship.
He was never given the opportunity to fight for a world title, despite at one point being the No. 1 contender in both the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions.
Bivins fought and defeated many great fighters of his era including Melio Bettina, Ezzard Charles and Anton Christoforidis, and won the “Duration” Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight titles.
Ann Wolfe
Ann Wolfe (24-1, 16 KOs) is the first and only female boxer to hold world titles in four different weight classes simultaneously.
Wolfe is regarded by many within the sport as the hardest puncher and best fighter in the history of women’s boxing.
On May 8, 2004, she surpassed Henry Armstrong’s record of three world titles at the same time in different weight classes, by gaining the IBA Light Heavyweight championship, knocking out previously undefeated champion, former NCAA basketball star Vonda Ward in Round 1.
After retiring as a fighter, Wolfe gained notoriety as the trainer of James Kirkland.
Aaron Pryor
Nicknamed “The Hawk,” Aaron Pryor (39-1, 35 KOs) was the Junior Welterweight champion from 1980 to 1985 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.
Pryor was voted by the Associated Press as the No. 1 Junior Welterweight of the 20th century in 1999. He had an impressive amateur career, which numerous national titles and finishing with a record of 204-16.
Pryor is well known for his 14-round battle with Alexis Arguello, which Pryor won by TKO (not without controversy).
The fight was named Fight of the Decade by The Ring.
Howard Davis
Photo by Tony Duffy/Getty Images
Howard Edward Davis Jr. was an amateur and professional boxer who won a gold medal in the 1974 Havana World Amateur Championships and the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Davis was awarded the Val Barker Trophy for the most outstanding fighter at the ’76 Olympics, beating out such notable Americans as Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Spinks and Leon Spinks as well as Cuban legend, Teofilo Stevenson.
Davis finished his amateur career with a record of 125-5, beating Aaron Pryor and Thomas Hearns along the way. As a pro, Davis went 36-6-1, 14 KOs.
Larry Holmes
Nicknamed the “Easton Assassin,” Larry Holmes (69-6, 44 KOs) is one of the greatest Heavyweight boxers of all time.
Equipped with a jab that is rated among the best in boxing history, Holmes was the WBC Heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1983, The Ring magazine champion from 1980 to 1985 and the IBF champion from 1983 to 1985.
He made 20 successful Heavyweight title defenses, behind only Joe Louis at 25 and Wladimir Klitschko at 22.
Mike Tyson
Photo by The Ring/Getty Images
Michael Gerard Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) held the undisputed world Heavyweight championship and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF Heavyweight titles at 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old.
In 1988, Tyson became the lineal champion when he steamrolled Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. Tyson was ranked No. 16 on The Ring’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time” and No. 1 on the ESPN.com list of “The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History.”
Tyson, throughout his ups and downs both inside and outside the ring, has maintained his status as an icon.
Whether you remember him as “Kid Dynamite,” “The Baddest Man on the Planet” or “Iron Mike,” it’s hard to find a boxing fan who doesn’t consider him one of the most captivating and exciting fighters of all time.
