BoxRec

we've discussed loveable boxers and the nice guys of the ring, but who is the most hated boxer of all time. i know we all hate fighters so some degree, i hated Chris Eubank bu im not sure he would have been the most hated fighter by more people than any other.

maybe it was the first black winner of a title, maybe it was someone who was a bloody cheat in the ring.

so who was the most hated fighter of all time.

Gotta be Jack Johnson surely

Zab Judah is not too far behind.

mike tyson.you either love mike or hate him.
but for those that hate him they really hate him.

I'd say, Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson. Of course with time Ali has managed to grow on everybody and Jack Johnson is now seen as an almost mythical figure for fighting in a time when it was extremely difficult for a black man to hold a world title. During his time Ali has many boxing fans watching him just to see if anyone could beat him. He was hated by quite a large amount of people when he changed his name. Jack Johnson fought in a time where racism was nothing out of the ordinary, being a black man only meant he received hate for a stupid reason, and well Mike Tyson... I don't think much of an explanation is necessary. I'm sure there are others but right now I can't seem to remember names.

Ali, he was extremely hated at the time, white hated his brashness, many blacks didnt like him, especially early on.

Today a combination of hindsight, Political Correctness, and his condition, have made hating him somewhat unpopular.

JAHamilton77 wrote:Ali, he was extremely hated at the time, white hated his brashness, many blacks didnt like him, especially early on.

Today a combination of hindsight, Political Correctness, and his condition, have made hating him somewhat unpopular.

yep, whites hated him basically because he wasn't a house nigga, and blacks hated him for similar reasons (y'know, the whole show white folk we can be "good" too thing) and that's not even counting the hate he got for not being "Cassius Clay" and being a member of the NOI

Joe Calzaghe isnearly universally hated.


For me:

Ali
Leonard
Whitaker

Are pretty much up there for me. All were great fighters, but I ALWAYS rooted against them.

Hecter Comacho
Lewis
Calzaghe
Whitaker
Hamed
Ruiz
Jack Johnson

PBF. I never liked arrogance. nothing to do with his skills, but whats wrong with a bit of danny williams style humility?

For me personally. Roberto Duran, James Toney and Sonny Liston.

..at one point in history max schmeling would have been on this list.

Max Schmeling during WW2

Cassius Clay when he changed his name to Muhammad Ali, joined the Black Muslims and refused to be inducted into the armed forces

Jack Johnson after beating Tommy Burns, up until his loss to Jess Willard; never in the history of the prize ring has there ever been a fighter as hated or as persecuted as "The Galveston Giant".

Jack Dempsey for the draft in WW1 for a while. He only gain the worship because of the Tunney fights. Dempsey was still pretty hated when he step in the ring for the first Tunney fight.

ali

Jack Dempsey for the draft in WW1 for a while. He only gain the worship because of the Tunney fights. Dempsey was still pretty hated when he step in the ring for the first Tunney fight.

Yeah that be true. Kearns tried to cover it up by saying Jack was in WW1 or was at least in boot camp, with shots of him in the military; that is until someone noticed Dempsey was wearing shoes that were not military issue and he became the most hated figure of sport during that time.

From the papers and articles and shows I've read and seen, people were hoping like hell that Carpentier (a French war hero) would have beaten Dempsey (the 'draft dodger'). Pretty amazing that the American people would have actually rooted for a foreigner, considering the state of affairs during that time.

Yeah, ONE of the reasons that fight made so much money. Dempsey with the draft record, and Carp being the WW1 hero and all. Americas were pretty angery when Dempsey. Here was Dempsey champ of the world, and he did not fight in WW1. Were I, My Brother and my Father all fought in the war. Its just not fair. much of the thinking of the time of couse. Carp was the hero. I pretty sure had Dempsey battle Battling Siki, ALSO a World War 1 vet(And won a few medals for his efforts in the war) I pretty sure White America would have cheer Siki also because of his world War 1 record.(Better than Carps imo. Even with the discharge back to back to a lower rank.)

World War 1 parted America in many ways with the guys that were there, and the guys that were not.

Tonya Harding

In recent times Lennox Lewis seems to be the most belittled great fighter.

I often rooted against Whittaker but I didn't dislike him. I just wanted to see him stretched in a competitive fight. I like to see great fighters beaten.

I'm surprised noone has mentioned Sonny Liston, he was (unfairly) an extremely unpopular champion in many quarters... definately the most unliked champ since Johnson... who simply must have been the most unpopular champion ever, ....its quite chilling to read of the hatred that Jack Johnson inspired during his career, and especially during his title reign.... I cant remember any other champion inspiring riots...

I already said Liston.

Seamus wrote:I already said Liston.

You get a star then!.... *!...

silkov wrote:I'm surprised noone has mentioned Sonny Liston, he was (unfairly) an extremely unpopular champion in many quarters... definately the most unliked champ since Johnson... who simply must have been the most unpopular champion ever, ....its quite chilling to read of the hatred that Jack Johnson inspired during his career, and especially during his title reign.... I cant remember any other champion inspiring riots...

Times have changed though... Liston was disliked because of his antics outside the ring. These days many people love Tyson for this exact reason. If Liston were around today do you think he'd be a hero (in the sense that Tyson is considered to be by some)?

Jack Johnson was hated beyond extremes.

During my lifetime,I have never seen someone as hated as Chris Eubank was for a while.
I remember as a kid watching his fights,and everyone around rooting for the opposite fighter.
Remember watching the Eubank/Watson rematch in a pub(bad parenting..I know)and the men were screaming for Watson to kill Eubank!

Strangely though,the man was my boxing hero as a kid...remember having a load of arguments(and the occasional punch up!)with my friends who were all Benn fans!

The British public only ever really warmed to him once he started losing.

Might surprise you guys in the UK, but in his second career after prison and the ear incident, Tyson's popularity took a nosedive in the states. Most guys I knew, were pulling for Lennox Lewis to KO him.