Boxing Trivia
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
- Mike Tyson entered the professional boxing world in 1985 at age 18. He won the first 37 matches of his career, before finally losing to Buster Douglas in February, 1990.
- Muhammad Ali is the most popular boxer and one of the most popular athletes of all time. Did you know that his original name was Cassius Clay, and he changed it in 1964? He has a record of 56-5 over his 21-year professional boxing career and won an Olympic gold medal for the United States as a light heavyweight in the 1960 Olympics.
AP Photos - George Foreman began his professional boxing career in 1969 and continued on into his late 40's! In 80 professional fights, he was 75-5 with 68 knockouts. He was 40-0 until Muhammad Ali knocked him out and took the heavyweight title. He retired in 1977 but made a comeback 10 years later.
- Did you know that anyone over 190 pounds is considered a heavyweight? The lowest weight class is called the minimumweight or strawweight, and it's for anyone under 105 pounds. Click here to see what the maximum weights are for all the other classes and the champions for all of them.
- Ouch! Mike Tyson was disqualified in the third round of his rematch with champion Evander Holyfield in June, 1997, when he bit both of Holyfield's ears.
- The International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York.
- Oscar De La Hoya is known as boxing's “Golden Boy.” He won a gold medal for the United States in 1992.
- Rocky Marciano retired in 1956 with a perfect record. He was 49-0 and had 43 knockouts in his legendary career.
- Joe Louis won the heavyweight championship in 1937 and held onto it until he retired in 1949. His reign as champion (11 years, eight months) is still the longest in heavyweight division history. He decided to return to the ring in 1950 but lost his title to challenger Ezzard Charles, and then lost again a year later to Rocky Marciano.
- Most World Championship belts weigh approximately eight pounds and the buckles are made of real 24-carat gold.
See also:
