American athlete Laila Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, has established her own reputation as a boxing champion and television personality.
1977-
Muhammad Ali is considered one of the greatest athletes in boxing history, winning both the coveted Golden Gloves title and an Olympic gold medal, among several other honors.
1942-
1952-2009
Henry Armstrong was a U.S. pro boxer who held three championship titles simultaneously. He later became a minister and champion for at-risk youth.
1912-1988
James J. Braddock the American world heavyweight boxing champion from 1935 until 1937. His astonishing comeback in 1934 earned him the nickname, "The Cinderella Man."
1905-1974
Timothy Bradley is an American boxing champion, who has won WBO and WBC titles. In June 2012, Bradley won a bout against multi-title champion Manny Pacquia, spurring disbelief among thousands of fans and wide media speculation.
1983-
At the height of his career, boxer Rubin Carter was twice wrongly convicted of a triple murder and was imprisoned for nearly two decades.
1937-
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer and world lightweight champion who, for many years, was one of Mexico's most popular sports figures.
1962-
The son of famed Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, Julio César Chávez Jr. won the World Boxing Council's middleweight title in 2011, then lost the title to Sergio Martinez in 2012.
1986-
Mickey Cohen became the West Coast racket boss in 1947, after his mentor and predecessor, Bugsy Siegel, was assassinated.
1913-1976
Randy Couture is best known as a mixed martial arts fighter and heavyweight champion. He is one of the first members of the UFC Hall of Fame.
1963-
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer who is best known for his winning bouts in six different weight classes, and for his popular televised fights.
1973-
Jack Dempsey -- known as the "Manassa Mauler" -- was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919-1926.
1895-1983
Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán won world championships in four weight divisions, but is best remembered for his "no más" loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980.
1951-
Boxer Marlen Esparza is the first American female to qualify in her sport at the Olympics. At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, she won a bronze medal.
1989-
1921-1975
George Foreman is a retired American boxer who twice won boxing's heavyweight championship. After retiring, he became a popular pitchman.
1949-
Joe Frazier was the world heavyweight boxing champion from February 1970 until January 1973 and fought in the famous "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975.
1944-2011
1954-
1949-
Boxer Evander Holyfield fought in the Olympics and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1990 to 1992, and again from 1993 to 1994. In an infamous bout in 1996, Holyfield's ear was bitten by Mike Tyson.
1962-
Jack Johnson, nicknamed "the Galveston Giant," was the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion.
1878-1946
Roy Jones Jr. is a record-holding boxing champion known for his matches on HBO who has also done TV commentary work.
1969-
1921-
Sugar Ray Leonard was a champion Olympic and professional welterweight boxer. He retired from the sport in 1997 and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
1956-
Lennox Lewis was the first British boxer to hold the undisputed world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons (who won the title in 1899). Lewis won Olympic gold in 1988.
1965-
Sonny Liston was introduced to boxing while serving time in a Missouri State penitentiary. He became a professional fighter in 1953.
1932-1970
The world heavyweight boxing champion from June 22, 1937, until March 1, 1949, Joe Louis held the title longer than anyone else in history.
1914-1981
American professional boxer and world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title and won an unrivaled 49 straight fights.
1923-1969
American boxer Floyd Mayweather is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his generation. HBO's documentary about him, 24/7, increased his popularity.
1977-
Boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley won championships in three separate weight classes to forge a legacy as one of the sport's most accomplished performers.
1971-
Fighter Victor Ortiz is an American boxer who won the welterweight title in 2011.
1987-
Manny Pacquiao has won world boxing titles in eight different weight divisions, and is considered one of the world's best boxers.
1978-
American boxer Floyd Patterson was the first to hold the world heavyweight championship twice. He won a gold medal in the 1952 Olympic Games.
1935-2006
Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who is frequently cited as the greatest boxer in history.
1921-1989
Mickey Rourke is an American actor who had great success and became a sex symbol in the 1980s. He left acting to box but has recently returned to the screen.
1952-
Claressa Shields is an American boxer who made her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in London in 2012, and took home an Olympic middleweight gold medal.
1995-
1953-
Teófilo Stevenson was a Cuban boxer best known for becoming the first fighter to win three Olympic gold medals in one weight class.
1952-2012
Jim Thorpe was a Native American professional football and baseball player, known for his all-around athleticism. He was a gold-medal runner at the 1912 Olympics.
1888-1953
Mike Tyson is a former heavyweight boxing champion who's served jail time and also appeared in several films.
1966-