Boxing is one of my favourite sports. I not only watching matches on television but in fact I practice boxing myself. Some time ago I took part in a charity boxing event. And during my last stay in the US I met Adam Kownacki, an excellent heavyweight boxer. This is why today’s post will be about my boxing idols.
Muhammad Ali
The boxing champion of all Times. During his professional sports career, he fought 61 matches, of which he won 56 (37 via knockout). Earlier, before he went professional, he had won 95 out of the 100 fights he did. The statistics are truly impressive. At the age of 22, Ali converted to Islam and refused to serve in the army ever since. This is why in 1967 he lost his champion title and was imprisoned. He had 3 wives and 9 children. One of Ali’s daughters, Laila, followed her father’s footsteps and became a heavyweight boxing champion herself.
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Mike Tyson
Most people have heard first of Mike Tyson the scandalmonger, and only later of the boxer. The Beast certainly liked to box other boxers’ ears. Speaking of ears, most of you probably remember that it was Tyson who bit off part of his opponent’s ear during a fight. Poor Evander Holyfield… Not many know, however, that when he was a child, Mike Tyson was obese, and he loved doves. Both these features did not make him popular and he would often get beaten up by older and stronger boys. This ended one day, though, when one bully went a step too far and tore the head off one of Tyson’s doves. The boy went mad and showed the world he could actually fight for the first time ever.
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Evander Holyfield
Yes, the one whose ear was nibbled off by Iron Mike. Holyfield is a great sportsman, excellent boxer and a lousy businessman. It is estimated that he earned nearly quarter of a billion dollars during his career, but he could not hold onto the money. One of his highest financial liabilities was child support – Evander fathered 11 children and had to pay up to USD 500,000 annually. No wonder then that he fought in a boxing match for the last time at the age of 49. He won and earned some money, but this was hardly enough to cover his needs.
The Klitschko brothers
The Ukrainian boxing dream team. Born in the 1970s, (Vitaly in 1971, Vladimir in 1976) dominated the professional boxing rinks for a long time. They come from an old Cossack family and have stylish nicknames – Vitaly is “Doctor Steel Fist” and Vladimir is “Doctor Iron Hammer”. Despite these monikers, the brothers are gentlemen in real life. They are both very well educated too, and Vitaly is not only the Mayor of Kyiv but also the head of the UDAR party.
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Adam Kownacki
Last but not least, there is Adam Kownacki. The talented 30-year-old aka ”Babyface” was born in Łomża but has been living in the USA for 24 years now. He fought in 19 matches to date and did not lose even one, which makes him one of the top heavyweight boxers. He is a normal, humble and great lad whom I wish hall the best in life and I am keeping my fingers crossed for his fight against Deontay Wilder.
What do you think?